Steer Vs. Bull

Bulls are male bovines that are capable of mating and reproduction as their testicles have not been removed. A steer, still a male bovine, is a bull that has been castrated. His testicles have been removed, while his penis and its sheath remain intact. Bovine castration is done most commonly long before sexual maturity when the bull is a young calf. As one bull can service many cows, only male bovines with the best genetics are left fully intact. Steers are used for meat production -- a task not requiring testicles.

Because most steers were cut -- or had testicles removed -- at a young age, their bodies develop differently than do bulls. The muscular crest over the neck and shoulders of a bull is not present on a steer. Within a herd setting, bulls are more easily identifiable as such versus steers, whose bodies and muscular development are more similar to female bovine other than the presence of a penis. The hairy prepuce in the middle of a steer's underbelly covering the sheath housing his penis is less bushy and the sheath itself is less pronounced.

The removal of testicles causes a reduction in testosterone production. Testosterone, a sex hormone, not only drives male mammals to copulate, it also makes them more aggressive. In general terms, a steer is a more docile bovine and does not cause fights within his herd because he is not competing for the females according to South Dakota State University. In contrast, bulls are continually aware of when female bovine are in estrus, thus seeking constant dominance over the herd. This aggressive behavior can transfer to their relationship with humans if they perceive people as a threat to their control of the herd and its females. A bull is more likely to charge a human than is a steer.

Bulls are larger than steers and, therefore, their carcasses post slaughter produce more edible meat than do those of steers. The Journal of Animal Science reports that a bull carcass produces anywhere from 10 to 20 percent more meat compared to a steer carcass. This higher yield applied to all cuts obtained from the carcass, but was significantly greater in the rib eye cut, popular for its juicy flavor, which comes from the upper rib section.