With the onset of the Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, OK, the spring 2026 bull-buying season has officially started. Bull buying season will continue into the spring months in Oklahoma and across the nation, with progressive seedstock operations offering yearling bulls. Accordingly, it’s time to revisit the age-old question: what is a good bull worth?
As a student at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in the mid-1980s, I was taught, “A good bull is worth the value of five calves he sires.” It is a good answer and a good rule of thumb to follow, the problem is it doesn’t exactly narrow down the range. As always, we need to define “a good bull,” check current market reports, answer some questions about how we intend to market future calf crops, and do some “cowboy math” to arrive at a more precise answer.
What is considered a “good bull”?
For this discussion, qualifications to meet “good bull” status are:
• A bull that sells with a registration paper which includes pedigree information and a complete set of genetic values (including EPDs and bio-economic indices) to be considered in the selection process.
• A bull that has passed a breeding soundness exam and sells with a breeding soundness warranty (terms will vary).
• A bull that will add value to calves sired because he fits your breeding objectives, production system and marketing plans.
When are we marketing our calves? What is their value?
Using the end-of-year market prices for 2025 from Dr. Derrell Peel:
• 500-pound weaned steer calves were worth about $4.80 a pound for a value of approximately $2,400 per head. Therefore, if the future marketing plan is to sell weaned steers, $2,400 x 5 = $12,000 is the answer.
• 800-lb. yearling steers were worth about $3.50/lb. for a value of $2,800 per head. Therefore, if the future marketing plan is to sell yearling steers, $2,800 x 5 = $14,000 is the answer.
• 1,500-lb. finished beef steers were worth $2.29/lb. live for a value of $3,435 each. Therefore, if the future marketing plan is to retain ownership through finishing and sell fed cattle on a live weight basis, $3,435 x 5 = $17,175 is the answer.
So, in the current market, a good bull is worth somewhere between $12,000-17,175 to a commercial cow-calf operation. Where exactly in that range depends on your marketing plan and the market conditions at that time. Not an exact number because there are many variables in play. One key point illustrated here is that the longer you own the offspring before marketing, the greater the value of the bull to your operation. Retained ownership gives you more time and opportunity to capture the value of your investment in genetics. It is noteworthy that we haven’t considered the value added to replacement females a bull will sire. Bulls used to sire the next generation of cows have an even greater long-term economic impact on the profit potential of your operation and should be valued accordingly.
Cow-calf operations are encouraged to consider their breeding goals, production system and marketing plan. Doing so should dictate where to apply selection pressure. Genetic values pay when you purchase bulls capable of improving genetic potential for the specific traits that will translate to added value at your intended marketing endpoint. — Mark Z. Johnson, OSU Extension beef cattle breeding specialist
