This week saw the latest draft of cattle slaughtered from the Thrive dairy calf to beef demonstration farm in Cashel, Co Tipperary.

Eighteen bullocks and 12 heifers were sent for slaughter, achieving an average carcase weight of 322kg for the bullocks and 295kg for the heifers.

These cattle were 21 months old on average and had been housed for finishing for the last month to six weeks.

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One more small draft

At this stage, just 33 cattle from the 140 remain to be slaughtered.

There will be another small draft prior to Christmas, with the final 20 or so cattle likely to be killed in mid-January.

A full breakdown of the performance and economics of the system will be outlined in print in the Irish Farmers Journal once all cattle have been slaughtered.

In pictures

This Belgian Blue bullock weighed 700kg and had a carcase weight of 384kg (54.8% killout) and graded an R+3-.

This Angus bullock weighed 574kg and had a carcase weight of 295kg (51.4% killout) and graded an O+4=.

This Hereford bullock weighed 598kg and had a carcase weight of 301kg (50.3% killout) and graded an O+3+.

This Limousin bullock weighed 648kg and had a carcase weight of 337kg (52% killout) and graded an O+3-.

This Limousin bullock weighed 590kg and had a carcase weight of 326kg (55.3% killout) and graded an R-3=.

This Angus bullock weighed 646kg and had a carcase weight of 349kg (54% killout) grading an R=3=.

This Hereford bullock weighed 602kg and had a carcase weight of 318kg (52.8% killout) and graded an O=3=.

This Angus bullock weighed 626kg and had a carcase weight of 315kg (50.3% killout) grading an O+4-.

This Hereford bullock weighed 642kg and had a carcase weight of 325kg (50.6% killout) and graded an O=4-.

This Hereford bullock weighed 594kg and had a carcase weight of 308kg (51.9% killout) and graded an O=3+.