Suckler replacements sold to a top price of £3,100 at a special sale of in-calf heifers from Roland Hadden in Markethill Mart last week, up from £2,850 last year.

In recent years, Roland has specialised in sourcing suckler-bred heifers to serve and bring to the market as in-calf replacements. Last week’s entry of heifers are due to calve from February to April.

Now in its 10th year, the January sale has become a stand-out event for farmers looking to purchase in-calf replacements.

Animals were also vaccinated with Rotavac Corona and have been wintered on silage with pre-calving minerals fed from 10 February up to the point of sale.

On the evening, 94 lots went under the hammer, with 82 animals sold. Topping the trade was a 37-month-old Limousin heifer set to calve in March.

The second-highest priced animals saw £3,000 paid for a 31-month-old Simmental heifer due to calve in February.

Three heifers made £2,800, with two lots selling for £2,750. A further five animals peaked at £2,650, most of which were Limousin and Simmental-bred animals, scanned to calve in February.

Across the sale, the 82 heifers sold averaged £2,435, an increase from the £2,327 recorded last January, but down from the £2,452 average recorded during Roland’s autumn sale of suckler replacements in October.

Cows and calves

In addition to in-calf heifers, four suckler outfits were forwarded for sale, with a top price of £2,950 paid for a 42-month-old Simmental, with a December 2023-born Limousin bull calf at foot.

That was followed with £2,850 paid for another Simmental heifer, again with a December-born Limousin bull calf at foot.

The remaining two outfits saw £2,800 paid for a 40-month-old Limousin heifer, with a December-born heifer calf and £2,700 for a 33-month-old Limousin heifer, with a December-born bull calf.