The number of farmers finishing cattle as bulls has declined over the past number of years, with more male cattle being finished as steers.

This year there has been a marginal increase in the number of young bulls finished, with just over 88,000 head processed to date this year – up by just under 4,400 head from the number processed in the same time period last year.

While steer beef is the most popular choice for dairy calf-to-beef systems, many suckler-beef farmers have a preference for finishing young bulls over steers as they feel it suits their system better.

Farmers who opt to finish male cattle have three options:

  • Under-16-month bulls;
  • Under-24-month bulls;
  • Castrate and finish as steers.

Under-16-month bulls

When farmers decide to finish male cattle as bulls, the under-16-month bull beef option is more lucrative as in-spec bulls will qualify for a grid payment which includes a 12c/kg in-spec bonus with most processors.

As well as this, ABP’s Advantage Beef Programme offers farmers a 20c/kg bonus for under-16-month bulls that suit the programme’s criteria with a maximum of 10% of the scheme’s cattle to be young bulls.

Finishing male cattle as under-16-month bulls requires skill, and a high level of management to ensure cattle are factory-fit before they get any older to qualify in this category.

In a spring-calving suckler herd, finishing male cattle as under-16-month bulls results in cattle remaining on the farm for one winter less, thereby reducing the slaughter age, the winter housing space requirement and the time the animal is kept on farm.

Many suckler farmers prefer this option as it allows them to keep additional cows with similar shed space than if they were finishing male cattle as steers.

Under-24-month bulls

The second option is under-24-month bulls. This is less lucrative from a price perspective than finishing under-16-month bulls, as there is no bonus on offer for in-spec under-24-month bull and they are subject to a flat price/kg.

However, this system offers farmers more time to get bulls into the required weight and fat cover.

For a bull beef-finishing system to work, a close working relationship with the processor is essential to ensure the bulls are booked in for processing well in advance and that the processor and the farmer can agree a deal on the finished bulls.

Castrate and finishing as steers

The third and final option for finishing male cattle is to castrate them and finish them as steers, or bullocks as they are also known as.

This is considered the ‘lower risk’ of the three options as in times when beef markets are struggling, in-spec steers are an easier sell than bulls.

In-spec steers finished under-30-months of age qualify for a 20c/kg ‘in-spec’ bonus as well as a grid price and a breed bonus where eligible.

Steers are generally easier managed on farms and can be grazed alongside cows or heifers.

There is a variation in opinion among farmers as to when male cattle should be castrated, however farmers are reminded that if an animal goes over the six-month age bracket, by law, a local anaesthetic must be administered by a vet.

Under this age, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory should be used at castration for quicker recovery.

Calves should be vaccinated for tetanus at least one month before castration and the booster should also be administered in advance of castration.

Many farmers who have a preference for bull beef systems will say that bulls perform better than their steer or bullock counterparts, and offer a better kill-out percentage and carcass weight gain response to concentrates.

Beef finishers will remember in January 2019, farmers faced issues with getting bulls slaughtered and were also exposed to severe price cuts – even specialist bull beef finishers were exposed to this uncertainty.

This resulted in many farmers moving to finishing steers, which offered a more secure market.

While 2022 has been an exceptional year for the beef trade, farmers who had finished bulls for sale saw their cattle in huge demand from beef processors due to strong demand for forequarter and and manufacturing beef and secured impressive prices/kg.

While bull beef prices have been strong this year, the cost of concentrates required to finish bulls were also high, which eroded into much of the additional price increases that were secured.

Finishing bulls requires different management on farm also, and as bull beef finishers will know, heavy-duty gates, barriers and fencing are essential and bulls must be kept in familiar groups, closely monitored and away from any cows or heifers.