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Do Steers Sell Better than Bull Calves?

LIVESTOCK MARKET TIPS· LIVESTOCK TIPS

Have you ever wondered if the time and expense you put into cutting your bull calves really worth it? Does it pay to cut bull calves and sell them as steers? Find out if your effort will maximize your profits.

Do steers sell better than bull calves?

We are familiar with the amount of work we go through, or our veterinarian goes through when it comes to cutting bulls to market them as steers.  

You may wonder, is all of the work worth it?

Do steers bring more money than bull calves?

DOES IT PAY TO CUT BULLS AND SELL THEM AS STEERS?

A Cattle Buyer’s answer…

Yes, it is worthwhile to cut bull calves when you have the intention of selling the calf weighing at least 400 pounds. If you do not plan to keep the calf to that weight, it is not as much of a factor.

There are advantages to keeping and castrating bull calves.

More buyers have orders for steers and will pay more money per pound.

Buyers like steer calves because there is a bigger risk for buyers to buy bull calves at larger weights. When larger bull calves have to be castrated, there is a larger risk of the calf bleeding and dying.

Black Steer Calf

IS CASTRATING RIGHT FOR YOUR AG OPERATION?

Before you start adding this practice to your livestock operation, remember the price you get for your livestock is only as good as your animal.

The quality of the animal plays a large factor in whether a steer calf will bring more money than a bull calf of the same weight.

Having proper facilities to castrate the calf is a must. Veterinarians will also castrate bull calves.

Factor in the castration cost, your time, the risk of animal death, and your end plan for selling the calf to calculate this choice for your cattle operation.

Our Ask a Cattle Buyer series is designed to help everyday cattle owners get the answers to their livestock market questions. Long-time cattle buyer, Craig Archer, gives you the answers to your market questions from his years in the seat of an auction ring gallery. Submit your questions to [email protected].

*Texas Farm & Ranch Solution, LLC brings you helpful information for your livestock operation. Texas Farm & Ranch Solution, LLC, and its associates offer no guarantees of profit from this information. Changes to your operation are at your discretion.

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