Cattle of all classes were highly sought after at the Beattie’s Livestock weekly sale in Draperstown Mart last Friday with fat cows in particular, being an outstanding trade.
Prices were buoyed by a big turnout of buyers standing ringside, as well as strong bidding interest from online customers adding to competition for stock.
Fat cows kicked off the sale and were an easy sell.
Quality was exceptional with a sizeable number of animals being sold off grass.
Prices topped 280p on a per kilo basis with a heavy fleshed 2018 born Charolais weighing 820kg selling for £2,296.
That was followed by 276p/kg for a 2018 born Limousin cow weighing 800kg, giving a sale value of £2,208.
Good quality suckler types carrying plenty of flesh generally sold from 230p to 260p/kg with the higher end of this price range easier to come by on heavy lots and younger cows.
Feeding cows
Beef bred cows suited to a short finishing period were also in demand and prices typically ranged from 190p to 220p/kg.
Standout entries saw an Angus cow weighing 800kg make 216p/kg or £1,728, while Hereford cross animals made 196p/kg, with £1,509 paid for a 770kg lot.
Plainer continental types also sold within this price range, as Limousin and Charolais types coming off grass made 196p to 212p/kg for animals between 650kg and 700kg liveweight.
Dairy cows
There was a limited number of dairy cows forwarded and as was the general trend with sucklers, younger animals in good flesh were easily sold with prices of 160p to 190p/kg paid for such cows.
Older cows and those requiring a longer feeding period were a slower trade, as reflected in prices running from just over 100p/kg to 130p/kg.
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