LEADING livestock auctioneer company, Harrison & Hetherington, is to hold its first on-farm sale in Northern Ireland.

Offering the purchase of some of the finest commercial heifers, the sale is on behalf of Jalex Livestock on Saturday, April 30.

It will be conducted by H&H Auctioneer, James Little, and will include over 200 continental cross in-calf heifers, hand-picked and all selected for their size and shape. All are Johnes, BVD tested and vaccinated and TB tested which is carried out every four months. All heifers are in calf via a mixture of AI and natural service and calving dates are available for all. Most will also have sexes provided. Bulls selected for use include Uptonley Living the Dream, Ampertaine Lance, Elderberry Galahad and Carmorn Cantona.

All heifers are export ready for export to mainland UK, and in order to make the process as simple as possible for buyers, delivery will be arranged to a specialist export centre near Carlisle from which further transport can be organised.

James Alexander, proprietor of Jalex Livestock, said: “Our most recent sales have seen a growing interest from mainland UK and our aim is to further expand our audience and geographical coverage.We have invited Harrison & Hetherington to conduct the sale, as one of the most noted UK auctioneers. We know they and have the resources to offer buyers from mainland UK access to our sales and the quality heifers we sell.”

Calving dates for all heifers will be available on the catalogue, some will be summer calvers but the majority are due from September, this specialist sale is specifically timed for those with autumn calving herds. With around 80 heifers all holding to AI on the same day, the calving period will be extremely tight reducing labour and allowing the heifers to fit into the buyer’s system as quickly as possible. Sexed pregnancies also mean buyers can select what best suits their enterprise, whether bull or heifer calves are preferred.

The offering will include a variety of black, blue roan, red and white and red roan heifers, with breeds including Limousin X, British Blue X, Charolais X and Simmental X. There will also be a selection of show quality heifers available, including some ex-show beasts.

Harrison & Hetherington has arranged for a bus to transport buyers to the sale from mainland UK, which will leave Borderway Mart on the morning of the sale with further collection points en-route by arrangement. Bidding will also be available online via Harrison & Hetherington and Mart Eye.

James Little commented: “This is a very special sale with very special heifers - they have all been hand-picked for their size and shape. I have known James for many years, and he is a regular purchaser of top-class stock here at Borderway. I did not think we would ever see a run of heifers like this – the quality is phenomenal.”

“Despite being commercial heifers, due to the traceability requirements in Ireland, James works hard to produce pedigree lineage and family history for each heifer. James really does go the extra mile and the information that is available to purchasers is unprecedented.”

James Little concludes: “It is an absolute privilege to be invited to sell these heifers on behalf of the Alexander family. It gives our customers a unique opportunity to invest in some incredible heifers. This has been an annual event for several years and we are delighted to be part of it. I am certain that, as always, it will be a real spectacle.”

For more information on the sale and for a hard copy catalogue of entries please contact James Little on 07872840685 or contact Harrison & Hetherington Pedigree Office - 01228 406 230 or visit https://bit.ly/JalexSelectApril30thSale.