Cattle are finished in purpose built finishing yards.

Much of the farm's success is attributable to a close
working relationship with nutritionist Richard Keenan (UK) Ltd

Cattle liveweight gains during the finishing period are
monitored monthly, with steers and heifers averaging
around 1.5 kg/day. Feed intake is monitored daily, and
feeding quantities are adjusted weekly. The finishing cattle
are fed twice a day thus ensuring the food is fresh.

Beckhithe Farms finishes around 800 cattle each year.
Heifers at 18 - 21 months averaging 580kg and steers at
18 - 22 months averaging 620kg.

The cattle are sold deadweight on the 'EUROP' grid with each
animal individually classified for conformation and fat level.
An analysis of prime cattle sales for the period September 06
to June 07 shows that 90.5 per cent of the animals sold met
the ideal target specification (mid-U to O+) Average carcase
weight for all cattle was 310.2 kg at 21.4 months of age, with
an average kill-out percentage of 53.38.

Beckhithe pay extreme attention to detail to ensure the
animals they finish are at the optimum grades required by
their buyer.

High standards of animal welfare and husbandry are
paramount, with full traceability from plough to plate.

Kate Sutton , cattle procurement manager,
Dovecote Park who selects Aberdeen Angus cattle
every three weeks for Waitrose.
All finished prime steers and heifers are sold to Dovecote Park
who are a dedicated supplier of premium Aberdeen Angus,
Hereford and organic beef products to Waitrose.

Barry Brooks, who began as a butcher before developing a
meat processing business and then farming, is highly
impressed with the Waitrose approach. "Everything I've seen
of the way Waitrose grades, matures and prepares the beef -
and the way it trains its butchers in every aspect of the job - is what you'd expect of a top retailer," he says.


Tel: 01493 701550 — Fax 01493 701588
e-mail gary@beckhithefarms.co.uk — www.beckhithefarms.co.uk