Bull prices

In USDA AMS livestock auction reports, BULLS can mean two very different markets. Under FEEDER CATTLE, bulls are young intact males sold to be finished. Under SLAUGHTER CATTLE, bulls are heavy culls sold for harvest. Do not mix those lines — the $/cwt and the animals are not comparable.

Feeder bulls vs slaughter bulls

Filter feeder bulls with class=BULLS and category=FEEDER CATTLE. Filter slaughter bulls with class=BULLS and category=SLAUGHTER CATTLE. Class alone is not enough.

Feeder bulls vs steers on $/cwt

At a similar weight band, feeder bulls often print a lower $/cwt than steers of the same grade. Same idea as the heifer discount: compare same barn, same day, similar weight. Example from Lexington Livestock Market (NE) on Nov 6, 2026: feeder BULLS Medium and Large 1, 13 head, ~409 lb @ $469/cwt; nearby STEERS Medium and Large 1, 21 head, ~417 lb @ $511/cwt.

Slaughter bulls are heavy and much lower $/cwt

Slaughter bulls are culls — often 1,500–2,000+ lb — and print a much lower $/cwt than feeder bull calves. Do not confuse a ~400 lb feeder bull lot with a ~1,700 lb slaughter bull lot just because both say BULLS.

Still usually per cwt

Both feeder and slaughter bulls are usually Per Cwt / Actual Wt. A $415 price is per hundredweight, not per head. Check the unit every time.

Breeding / replacement bulls

Breeding or replacement bulls may appear under replacement-style sections or with different pricing (sometimes per head). For bred heifers and pairs priced per head, see replacement cattle prices — do not assume every bull lot is a feeder or slaughter cull.

Category — FEEDER CATTLE vs SLAUGHTER CATTLE (required).
Class — BULLS.
Grade — feeder lots often Medium and Large 1; slaughter bulls often 1-2.
Unit — usually Per Cwt / Actual Wt.
Weight — light (~300–600 lb) usually feeder; heavy (~1,500+ lb) usually slaughter.

For feeder weight bands in general, see feeder cattle prices. For cull cows and slaughter grades, see slaughter cattle prices. For feeder heifers vs steers, see heifer prices. For breeding stock priced per head, see replacement cattle prices and cow-calf pair prices. For dairy-area calves (class can still say BULLS), see dairy / beef-cross calf prices. For PDF layout, see how to read cattle auction reports. For cwt math, see cattle price per cwt. For a national weight-band snapshot of feeder steer prices, see feeder steer prices. For lighter feeders bought to graze (often called stockers), see stocker cattle prices. For a state-by-state snapshot of feeder steer prices, see cattle prices by state.

Worked example from a real sale

From Springville Feeder Cattle Auction (IN) on Nov 6, 2026, one feeder bull lot in our API:

{ "auction_name": "Springville Feeder Cattle Auction",
  "state": "IN", "report_date": "2026-11-06",
  "category": "FEEDER CATTLE", "class_name": "BULLS",
  "grade": "Medium and Large 1", "head_count": 31,
  "weight_avg": 423, "price_avg": 414.77,
  "unit": "Per Cwt / Actual Wt", "comments": "" }

Reading it: 31 Medium and Large 1 bulls, about 423 lb average, sold at about $414.77 per cwt. Rough lot value: (423 ÷ 100) × 414.77 × 31 ≈ $54,300. Contrast a slaughter bull lot the same day from Torrington Livestock Auction (WY): SLAUGHTER CATTLE / BULLS grade 1-2, 98 head, ~1777 lb @ $169.39/cwt (comments Average) — heavy culls, much lower $/cwt. Source: USDA AMS; we are not affiliated with USDA.

curl -s -H "X-API-Key: kl_free_demo_2026" \
  "https://api.kossinlabs.com/v1/prices?class=BULLS&category=FEEDER%20CATTLE&limit=5"

Pull more bull lots as JSON

Free demo key (no sign-up): kl_free_demo_2026. Docs: api.kossinlabs.com. Product page: cattle auction prices API. Starter is $29/mo for higher limits — subscribe. 30-day money-back guarantee.