Does It Pay to Castrate, Wean, Vaccinate?
UT’s Andrew Griffith looks at the economics of selling calves straight off the cow vs. after preconditioning and applying management protocols.
April 24, 2025
by Andrew Griffith, University of Tennessee
For an extension educator, there is a constant battle whether to focus time on advanced subjects vs. the basics. For instance, the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center is employing several technologies related to precision livestock production, which can lead to advanced practices that may increase profitability. Yet, all it takes to be reminded of aspects of cattle production taught for decades that are still not employed by many cattle producers is to look at USDA Market News reports.
Market News reports prices for most classes of cattle and the quantity of cattle that were in each of those categories. It helps provide a better understanding of the price difference in steers coming straight off the cow, weaned and vaccinated steers, and bull calves.
It also provides a clear picture that a good number of producers still find it easier to sell bull calves instead of castrating them prior to selling. Thus, this would be a good time to look at the relative value of these animals during the past 14 months to see how instituting management protocols may or may not have a return.
Fig. 1 contains values ($ per head) for 525- and 625-pound (lb.) steers, bulls and value-added steers from January 2024 through February 2025. This information allows a person to compare selling a bull to selling a steer of the same weight at two different weight classes, value-added steers vs. same-weight steers coming straight off the cow, and even the prospect of carrying a 525-lb. steer to 625 lb. and being weaned and vaccinated.
Fig. 1: Steer and bull values, $ per head, in Tennessee from January 2024 through February 2025
It should be noted here that the “value-added” term in Market News can have several definitions, but the term is most often used in Tennessee to refer to weaned and vaccinated cattle.
During the 14-month period evaluated, 525-lb. bull calves were discounted $88 per head compared to same weight steers, while 625-lb. bull calves were discounted $125 per head compared to same-weight steers.
During the 14-month period evaluated, 525-lb. bull calves were discounted $88 per head compared to same weight steers, while 625-lb. bull calves were discounted $125 per head compared to same-weight steers. Perhaps by coincidence, 525-lb. steers and 625-lb. bulls averaged the same value during this 14-month period at $1,512 per head. Taking it a step further, 525-lb. value-added steers sold for $85 more per head than same-weight steers not designated as value-added. This difference in 625-lb. steers was $116 more per head for value-added steers than same-weight steers with no designation.
It would be rare for someone to wean and vaccinate a calf and it be sold at the same weight it was weaned. Thus, it is appropriate to compare the value of 525-lb. steers coming straight off the cow and the value of 625-lb. value-added (i.e., weaned and vaccinated) steers.
During the 14 months evaluated, the 625-lb. value-added steer was worth $241 more per head than the 525-lb. steer being sold the day it was weaned. In other words, if you were to achieve an average daily gain (ADG) of 2 lb. per day for 50 days with your calves and it cost less than $241 to do it, then you could benefit from a profit standpoint.
Some producers may not have the infrastructure to employ such management. If that is the case, they are likely carrying more breeding stock than they would be able to if they were preconditioning calves, which means more calves to sell.
The purpose of this article is not to point fingers or call anyone out for participating or not participating in certain management practices. It is simply meant to report the value differences in the class of animals evaluated so producers can be more informed and make management decisions based on data. Some producers may benefit by making changes; others may not.
Editor’s note: Andrew Griffith is assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee. [Lead photo courtesy University of Tennessee.]
Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, Vol. 17, No. 4-B
Topics: Feedyard , Management , Marketing , Health
Publication: Angus Beef Bulletin
Related Content
.jpg?mw=640,iar=0)
Current Angus Beef Bulletin
The April issue has a “Focus On Females,” including a special advertising section devoted to herds intent on providing the female foundation.
