There was plenty of goodwill and Christmas cheer amongst buyers at last Friday’s cattle sale at Draperstown Mart. The sale, conducted by Richard Beattie, saw a large entry of alltypes of cattle.
A special entry of Simmental and Limousin cross in-calf heifers due to calve in January and February were met with exceptional farmer demand. All heifers were in calf to Limousin and Shorthorn bulls.
General prices sold from £1,300 up to a top price of £1,850 with several lots selling to repeat buyers.
A packed sale ring of farmer buyers offered a solid trade for weanling cattle. Prices of £500 up to £760 were paid for Limousin and Charolais cross animals weighing 240kg to 340kg liveweight. Quality was extremely variable on the day.
Cull cows were also a good trade with younger, fleshed continental cows being purchased for £1.70 to £2/kg.
That same evening, Beattie also presided over a special sale of cows and calves in Gortin Mart. Again, there another large crowd of buyers present looking to purchase breeding females.
Freshly calved cows with a calf at foot sold from £1,100 up to a top price of £1,650 for cows with calves aged two to three months. Prices for springing heifers started from £950 and peaking at £1,300.
SHARING OPTIONS