ABSTRACT
Some beef producers have questioned the practice of castrating male calves as a routine management practice. The fact is that commercial beef producers are in this business to make money. Their primary interest is economic efficiency, which is the product of biological response to management imposed and value received for beef produced. A very important management consideration for the cow-calf producer who sells at weaning is implanting with a growth stimulant. A large number of tests have shown that the management practice of implanting is the most cost-effective tool available to a producer. Several factors deserve close attention when considering a bull feeding program; the fed-bull market is highly dependent on quality, weight, and type of animal offered to the packer. In a traditional beef production scheme used by US producers, weaned calves are placed on pasture or in confinement growing programs until they weigh 600 lb to 850 lb.
