OMAHA (DTN) -- The bull buying season is upon us. Both electronic and actual mailboxes will be overflowing with bull catalogs from different breeders in the coming weeks.

One question that is often asked is, "What is a good bull worth in 2026?" There is no correct answer as every cow-calf producer must choose what factors are most important to them. In addition, costs are different with every operation.

WHAT IS A GOOD BULL WORTH?

In the Jan. 5 Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension Cow-Calf Corner e-newsletter article titled "What is a Good Bull Worth in 2026?" author Mark Z. Johnson, OSU Extension beef cattle breeding specialist, has some thoughts about the subject: https://extension.okstate.edu/….

As a student at OSU in the mid-1980s, Johnson said he was taught a good bull is worth the value of five calves he sires. It is a good answer and good rule of thumb to follow, but the problem is this really doesn't narrow down the range.

Cattle producers need qualifications to meet "good bull" status, he said. These would include:

-- 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 (BSE) and sells with a breeding soundness warrant (terms will vary).

-- A bull that will add value to calves sired because he fits your breeding objectives, production system and marketing plans.

Johnson said knowing these qualifications, producers can make some basic calculations using calf prices to help narrow down what they could spend for bulls.

Using calf price data from the end of 2025, 500 lbs. weaned steer calves were worth $4.80/lb. for a value of approximately $2,400 per head. If my future marketing plan is to sell weaned steers, $2,400 x 5=$12,000 is the answer.

Yearling steers are worth about $3.50/lb. for a value of $2,800 per head. Therefore, if your marketing plan is to sell yearlings steers, $2,800 x 5=$14,000.

Finished beef steers weighing 1,500 lbs. were worth $2.29/lb. live for a value of $3,435 each. Therefore, if your marketing plan is to retain ownership through finishing and selling fed cattle on a live basis, $3,435 x 5=$17,175.

"So, in the current market, a good bull is worth somewhere between $12,000-$17,175 to a commercial cow-calf operation," the OSU report stated.

These are not exact numbers because there are many variables in play, according to Johnson.

One key point is that the longer you own the offspring before marketing, the greater the value of the bull is to your operation. Retained ownership gives you more time and opportunity to capture the value of your investment in genetics.

Johnson said 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 thus should be valued accordingly.

"I encourage cow-calf operations to consider their breeding goals, production system and marketing plan," he wrote.

"Doing this 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."

UNL BULL VALUE COW-Q-LATOR HELPS PRODUCERS KNOW THEIR COSTS

Another tool to help cow-calf producers determine how much to spend on bulls is the Bull Value Cow-Q-Lator, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension. The spreadsheet can be found at https://cap.unl.edu/….

UNL had a webinar last week to help producers become more familiar with the spreadsheet. The webinar can be found at https://cap.unl.edu/….

Cow-calf producers should consider using the spreadsheet for several reasons, according to the two UNL Extension staff members on the webinar.

Among the reasons would be to know your costs and the self-discipline to make wise financial decisions. The spreadsheet is also flexible enough to allow for different bulls at various prices to be entered or the same bull at different price levels can also be inputted.

Randy Saner, UNL Extension beef extension educator, said there are several factors that drive the price of bulls.

Among the first factors is to consider the value of calves sold from a bull (short-term) and the value of calves kept from a bull (longer-term). Current costs would be the cost of each weaned calf from the cows bred by the bull.

Other factors would be how much you pay for the bull and the value of the bull when it is sold, he said.

Using the spreadsheet is fairly simple but some key pieces of information will be needed.

This data includes the average value of the current bull battery, average annual bull feeding costs, interest rate for borrowed money and the expected cull value for the replacement bull.

Additionally, the expected cull value of the bull at the time he is likely to be culled, expected number of cows bred by the purchased bull and the precent change in purchase cost at the time the purchased bull is to be replaced will also need to be known.

"Investing in a bull is like paying for a dream and then hoping for that dream to come true," Matt Stockton, UNL Extension agricultural economist, said.

The forecast is best when it is close to reality. It is prudent to use currently known things as much as possible, he said.

Russ Quinn can be reached at Russ.Quinn@dtn.com

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