JALEX LIVESTOCK

BEEF and sheep farmers throughout the UK, Ireland and further afield, will have no doubt heard of Jalex Livestock run by James Alexander in Northern Ireland Well-known for multiple success stories in livestock show rings around the country, James has also built up his thriving business sourcing and rearing breeding cattle and sheep to sell to other farmers.

Most of the livestock are now sold via auctions held on the Alexander farm near Randalstown in County Antrim, where the family have also run a tractor and 4x4 sales business since the 1970s James farms in partnership with his parents Nelson and Anne, wife Ruth and their young family on their 1000 acre farm

There are around 750 to 900 heifers on the farm at any one time and a sheep flock consisting of 200 North Country Cheviot ewes and over 100 pedigree Suffolk sheep

James said: “We currently farm 1000 acres, mostly owned with some conacre (in Ireland the letting by a tenant of small portions of land prepared for crops or grazing) and run 750 to 900 heifers at any one time The business plan is to source suitable heifers from the UK and Ireland, get them in calf and sell them.”

His livestock sourcing business was born in 2014 when the Alexander beef farm underwent major restructuring James sold off the farm’s herd of 450 suckler cows and steered the business into the new direction of supplying in-calf beef heifers and breeding sheep to other farmers

This means buying in top quality beef heifers to get in calf with top beef genetics using AI and his own Limousin bulls

When Covid-19 hit in 2019 the restrictions meant on-farm private sales could not proceed but this later opened up a new method of selling livestock via online portals.

James said: “We have been selling privately for the last 10 years straight from the farm and introduced on-farm/online auction sales to help during the Covid-19 era with the first on-farm auction taking place in January 2021

“Our heifer sales have been very successful with in-calf heifers being sold to farmers across the UK and Ireland, who have achieved super results with them ”

Matching the heifer to the right genetics is where James uses his skill as a stockman to obtain the best progeny for his customers That skill has proven worthy over the years as happy customers keep returning to buy more stock.

James said: “We don’t just use AI bulls on the heifers as we also have a run of Limousin stock bulls, all with F94L genes and all selected for traits to be easy calving

Farm Facts

Farmers: James Alexander in partnership with parents Nelson & Anne

Farming: Jalex Livestock

Location: Randalstown, Co Antrim

Area: 1000acres - mostly owned some conacre

Cattle: up to 900 heifers

Sheep: 200 North Country ewes 100 pedigree Suffolks

Other: 4x4 & tractor sales business on farm auctions glamping site