What happens to male cattle?

[dorkvahl]

Okay, so I have absolutely no knowledge about the cattle industry, but I've always wondered something about it. I'm hoping someone on here will be kind enough to answer my questions. Please excuse my terrible ignorance of the cattle industry.

With that said, my question is what happens to male cattle? I'm assuming that bulls are born just as often as female cows. Dairy farms have such a high demand for female cows, so what happens to all the bulls that are born? Is there an alternative industry that has a high demand for bulls, perhaps slaughtering? Are bulls slaughtered more often than cows? I've heard that a small number of bulls can impregnate a large number of cows, so I'm assuming that there's not a lot of demand for bulls just for breeding. I've heard that most bulls are castrated and turned into steers, but where do the steers go? Who buys all the male cattle that are born and not needed for dairy?

Kind of a bizarre question, but I just have no idea and have always wondered. Your help is much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Okay, so I have absolutely no knowledge about the cattle industry, but I've always wondered something about it. I'm hoping someone on here will be kind enough to answer my questions. Please excuse my terrible ignorance of the cattle industry.

With that said, my question is what happens to male cattle? I'm assuming that bulls are born just as often as female cows. Dairy farms have such a high demand for female cows, so what happens to all the bulls that are born? Is there an alternative industry that has a high demand for bulls, perhaps slaughtering? Are bulls slaughtered more often than cows? I've heard that a small number of bulls can impregnate a large number of cows, so I'm assuming that there's not a lot of demand for bulls just for breeding. I've heard that most bulls are castrated and turned into steers, but where do the steers go? Who buys all the male cattle that are born and not needed for dairy?

Kind of a bizarre question, but I just have no idea and have always wondered. Your help is much appreciated. Thanks!

Hamburger

 

[Beef11]

Yes they go into the feeding program and end up in the grocery store.

 

[dorkvahl]

Thanks for your answers. So I'm to understand that steer are slaughtered much more frequently than female cows?

 

[Saltydawg]

Female cattle are kept around to have calves or for milking on a dairy farm depending on breed of animal.
Any female cattle that have problems with these two areas are sent to the butcher.

Male cattle are either selected as Breeding Bulls or castrated and raised as steers then sold to butcher shop.

Of course there is some grey area for special purpose animals but that about sums it up I think.

 

[J. T.]

Eventually all cattle go into the food chain, if they are not diseased. Breeding animals get too old or injured to produce offspring and are sold as slaughter animals.

 

[backhoeboogie]

If a steer lives to be two years old, he's an OX

There aren't many oxen pulling oxcarts up and down the freeways these days. People plow with tractors now instead of using oxen. There are a few old ox bows still hanging in barns and antique shops.

 

[milkmaid]

With that said, my question is what happens to male cattle? I'm assuming that bulls are born just as often as female cows.

Right.

Dairy farms have such a high demand for female cows, so what happens to all the bulls that are born? Is there an alternative industry that has a high demand for bulls, perhaps slaughtering?

Right again.

Are bulls slaughtered more often than cows? I've heard that a small number of bulls can impregnate a large number of cows, so I'm assuming that there's not a lot of demand for bulls just for breeding.

Right again.

I've heard that most bulls are castrated and turned into steers, but where do the steers go? Who buys all the male cattle that are born and not needed for dairy?

Dairy bull calves are usually considered "bottle calves" - variety of different places they can go. Sometimes "little" folks like myself purchase a few at a time to raise and make a little cash off, sometimes they're given to a beef cow who's lost her calf, sometimes the "big" folks buy them up in large lots and raise them from birth to a certain age - can be directly to slaughter.

Not sure where you're coming from, but food for thought - almost all bovines are slaughtered - eventually - some just reach the end a little sooner than others.

 

[milkmaid]

Idle curiosity, but.... why do you want to know? what's prompting this question?

 

[dun]

If a steer lives to be two years old, he's an OX

There aren't many oxen pulling oxcarts up and down the freeways these days. People plow with tractors now instead of using oxen. There are a few old ox bows still hanging in barns and antique shops.

An Ox is a mature, 4 year or older, bovine that hs been trained to work. Before maturity they are referredto as working steers. They are generally castrated around a year of age, sometimes younger. Females are also used as oxen.
An untrained steer no matter what age is still just a steer, not an OX.

dun

 

[mdmdogs3]

An Ox is a mature, 4 year or older, bovine that hs been trained to work. Before maturity they are referredto as working steers. They are generally castrated around a year of age, sometimes younger. Females are also used as oxen.
An untrained steer no matter what age is still just a steer, not an OX.dun

oh my gosh, it is 12:15 am and I've already learned something today - ok time to go to bed - (ugh tax preparation)

but really thanks for the info - always wondered what an ox was...

 

[Beefy]

they all get ett.

 

[ctlbaron]

TTCLM I hope you just use the bander on the berries and not the twig.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Dun, Repectfully, I disagree on the 4 year old versus two year old steer. No big deal. Its always been once a steer or bull is two years old, he's an adult and its improper to refer to a two year old as a steer.

 

[dun]

Dun, Repectfully, I disagree on the 4 year old versus two year old steer. No big deal. Its always been once a steer or bull is two years old, he's an adult and its improper to refer to a two year old as a steer.

Might want to do some research on oxen. They may call an older steer an ox in your area, but unless he is trained to wrok he ain;t an ox, he's just an old steer.

dun

 

[dcara]

Hmmmm....Just for Gerdunken sake (German for thought experiment), if one assumes on average
1)a stable population size,
2) a stable male/female distribution (say 1 bull for every 20 cows)
3) and an even birth rate of bulls vs. heifers (i.e just as many heifers born in a year as bulls).

then the slaughter rate of males (bulls or steers) vs. females is equal, on average. The difference would be in the age of slaughter where males are generally slaughtered within the first few years as to where the cows are slaughtered after their reproductive life is over and a replacement heifer has taken its place. If the population or distribution expands then their would likely be a lower slaughter rate for females as they were retained to create more breeding stock.