Northern Ireland Winter Fair 2009

Texels Shine at Fatstock Sales

Brian and William McAllister, Kells had an excellent run of success at the Christmas Fatstock Show and Sales. Their first outing was to Garvagh Young Farmers Show and Sale at Kilrea Mart. Here their Texel X pair of lambs took first place in their class before being awarded Overall Champions. Purchased by McKee’s Butchers Maghera, they demonstrated the typical excellent traits of the Texel cross lamb ideal for the butchers shop; good confirmation, lean, with the potential for a high kill out percentage.

Their next outing to the Fatstock Sales saw them retain the Championship Rosette for the third year in a row at Gleno Valley Young Farmers Show and Sale held in Ballymena Mart. Again their pair of Texel Cross lambs showed outstanding confirmation with live half weights of 25kgs; they went on to kill out at 27.2 and 27.3kgs both grading E3 - just what the butcher wants. Again McKee’s of Maghera purchased the lambs. George McKee comments, “Fantastic carcased lambs, with excellent kill out percentages, lean with no waste through excess fat.”

Victor Chestnutt, Bushmills was delighted with second place to the McAllister lambs in the Texel class at Ballymena. His lambs yet again shone through in the kill out percentages weighing 24kgs half live weight they killed out to 27kgs dead weight again grading E3. Bushmills Meat Centre purchased these lambs and they were thrilled with the confirmation and kill out of the Texel with the potential to increase margins, an important factor at present.

The Texel and Texel cross has consistently featured at the top of these fatstock show and sales. These are the show cases for the commercial lamb and the Texel has continually proven to be the breed which efficiently produces a high proportion of lean meat, improving margins for all involved.

Images
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	David and James Laverty, pictured with Robert Calvin NI Club Chairman and Victor Chestnutt (Clougher) producer of the second placed lambs at Ballymena Fatstock Sale
	Elizabeth McAllister and David Fullerton (Artnagullion) with the Champion Pair of Lambs at Garvagh YFC Fatstock Show. Included are Sophie McAllister and Dessie Fulton
	George McKee of McKee's Butchers, Maghera, displays some of the quaility cuts from the Champion lambs at Gleno YFC Fatstock Sale
	Robert Calvin, NI Club Chairman, James Laverty, Bushmills Meat Centre and Victor Chestnutt (Clougher) with the second placed Carcass at Ballymena Fatstock Sale