Camera at the Mart attended the special sale of suckler-bred calves and weanlings in Kilrea Mart on Friday last.

Friday’s sale was the second of three special calf sales to be held by the mart, with 280 animals going under the hammer.

While the store cattle trade continues to face price pressures from a lack of buying confidence, the weanling trade is much more robust, with a large turnout of buyers on hand looking to source good-quality weanlings.

This Charolais heifer, weighing 320kg and born April 2019, sold for £720.

Commenting on the sale, mart manager Mark Stewart said Friday’s sale saw a super trade for top-quality continental calves, with prices up significantly on the previous week across all types.

He said although buyers were more competitive on stronger lots which were properly weaned, there was still plenty of demand for lighter calves also.

Topping the sale for male calves was a 330kg Simmental animal which sold for £925, or 280p/kg.

This Limousin bullock, weighing 380kg and born January 2019, sold for £790.

Stand-out prices

Other stand-out prices saw £850 being paid for a 410kg Charolais steer making 207p/kg and £820 being paid for a 320kg Charolais animal, or 216p/kg, with a 450kg weanling making £845, or 187p/kg.

Limousin males sold to £870 for a 440kg bullock making 198p/kg, with other stand-out prices of £770 paid for a 310kg bull calf making 248p/kg and a general range of £775 to £795 being paid for calves weighing 350kg to 370kg, or 210p to 227p/kg.

This Shorthorn bullock, weighing 360kg and born March 2019, sold for £725.

Belgian Blue bull calves sold to £660 for a 300kg animal, or 220p/kg, with Shorthorn bull calves selling to £725 for a 360kg animal, or 201p/kg.

Lighter calves under 300kg sold from £610 to £675 for animals weighing 250kg to 280kg.

This Limousin bullock, weighing 400kg and born March 2019, sold for £800.

Heifers

Heifer calves sold to a top price per kilo of 280p/kg for a 270kg Limousin animal which made £755, while several lots weighing 260kg to 300kg sold from £665 to £730 at the top end of the market.

Charolais heifers sold to £880 for a 360kg animal making 244p/kg, with 300kg to 350kg lots making £690 to £760 or 216p to 220p/kg.

Belgian Blue heifers sold to £600 for a 240kg animal, or 250p/kg, with Angus heifers making £590 for a 270kg animal, or 219p/kg.

This Limousin heifer, weighing 400kg and born February 2019, sold for £775.

This Charolais bullock, weighing 340kg and born February 2019, sold for £770.

This Charolais bull calf, weighing 340kg and born January 2019, sold for £780.

This Charolais bullock, weighing 380kg and born February 2018, sold for £820.

This Charolais bull calf, weighing 330kg and born January 2019, sold for £700.

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