Relative Prices of Steers, Heifers, and Bulls

Oct 24, 2025

By Josh Maples

Cattle prices are incredible. Nearly all weights and types of cattle sold this fall are fetching the highest prices ever. Just four years ago, 650 lb. steers in Mississippi were averaging about $850 for the total price of the animal. This fall, those same steers are averaging about $2,200 per head. Even 250 lb. bull calves are averaging over $1,000 per head and outpacing the 650 lb. steer value from a few years ago.

crop

Cattle prices differ based on weight and sex of the animal. Lighter weight cattle are typically worth more per pound than heavier cattle. This is because of their growth potential and ability of the buyer to add more pounds (value) to a lighter animal than they could to a heavier animal.

Source : osu.edu

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.