Prime cattle were a rock solid trade at the weekly fat stock sale in Ballymena Mart with buyers competing hard for slaughter fit animals.

A good entry of heavy flesh Charolais and Limousin bullocks got the sale off to a flying start with prices of 280p to 290p/kg, before peaking at 300p/kg for a 730kg Limousin, which sold to £2,190.

Top price per head was £2,367 and paid for a Charolais bullock weighing 890kg followed by £2,302 for a 770kg Limousin.

Heavy fleshed bullocks with U grading conformation generally sold in the region of £2,100 to £2,300 with plainer lots making 250p to 260p/kg, or around the £2,000 mark.

This 34-month-old Limousin bullock, weighing 795kg, sold for £2,282.

This 27-month-old Belgian Blue bullock, weighing 700kg, sold for £1,876.

This 35-month-old Limousin bullock, weighing 775kg, sold for £2,317.

Bullocks under 700kg and suited to a short intensive feeding period were a steady trade and prices of 240p to 270p/kg were common.

Friesian bullocks sold to 213p/kg for fleshed animals with a 620kg animal making £1,320 followed by £1,287 for a 610kg lot.

Heifers

Heifers sold to the highest price per kilo on the day at 306p/kg for a 680kg Limousin, which made £2,080 followed by £1,982 for a 690kg Charolais.

Overall, the number of slaughter fit heifers forwarded for sale was extremely limited, with the bulk of animals best suited to a short finishing period.

This 34-month-old Limousin bullock, weighing 685kg, sold for £1,960.

This 32-month-old Limousin bullock, weighing 665kg, sold for £1,975.

This 34-month-old Limousin bullock, weighing 795kg, sold for £2,282.

This 34-month-old Charolais bullock, weighing 895kg, sold for £2,380.

The main run of short keep heifers sold from 270p to 290p/g depending on quality with £1,540 paid for a 590kg Charolais and a similar price paid for a 550kg Limousin bred animal.

Cows

Fat cows were a sharp trade with younger lots making prices on par to clean cattle. Prices topped 270p/kg for a 650kg Limousin at £1,755 with a Blue cow weighing 610kg making £1,628 or 267p/kg.

Salers topped £1,783 for a 740kg animal with young Charolais cows making £1,824 for 760kg and Simmental lots topping £1,716 for 740kg. Friesian cows topped £1,293 for 770kg.