For bull calves, there’s no good time for castration. In today’s market however, producers use castration as a key component to any preconditioning program. Neutering can greatly influence market price premiums or discounts. Despite common perceptions, numerous studies have shown weaning weights are similar for bulls and steers.
62 percent of commercial cow-calf herds used castration methods in their management practices.” – 2017 USDA-APHIS NAHMS Beef Cow Calf study
Source: BEEF, March 14, 2022. Link. As the weight of a bull increases, so do the health risks and the market discounts.
INSIGHTS: Note the average daily gain metrics related to early castration. Veterinary teams can add value by simply reminding producers to castrate early. Consider phone check-ins with producers with herds where preg-checking was done to see how calving is going and again at six to 10 weeks to remind them about castrating bull calves. This kind of customer contact is easily done by a veterinary nurse or staff member and increases potential relational and revenue value for the producer.