There was a packed ringside at the weekly sale of sucker cattle at Markethill Livestock Market last Saturday 3 October, with no shortage of bidders for quality stock.

The sale included a special entry of 43 maiden heifers offered for sale as “scanned correct and guaranteed to breed” by a Hilltown farmer, as well as 13 in-calf heifers from Andrew Abbott, Hillsborough. These in-calf heifers have been vaccinated against BVD and Leptospirosis, were being fed pre-calving minerals, with most due to calve in December and January to either AI or a stock Limousin bull.

Among the special entry of maidens, 39 were sold through the ring to a top price of £2,680 for a February 2025-born Limousin (pictured above). Nearly half of these heifers made prices over 500p/kg, with the top price per kg of 622p paid for a 386kg Limousin at £2,400 (pictured below).

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Of the 13 in-calf heifers, 11 sold to an average of £3,571, with the top price of £4,750 paid for a November 2023-born Belgian Blue due to calve next January to Elderberry Galahad (EBY).

There were also a number of cow and calf outfits last Saturday, with the top price being the £4,350 for a Limousin first calver, with a Limousin bull calf at foot (pictured above). Across the cow and calf lots on offer, prices averaged over £2,600, although continental-bred cows and calves were closer to the £3,000 mark.

This June 2025-born Limousin maiden heifer weighed 386kg and sold for £2,400 (622p/kg).

This August 2025-born Limousin maiden heifer weighed 466kg and sold for £2,400 (515p/kg).

This May 2025-born Limousin heifer weighed 474kg and sold for £2,180 (460p/kg).

This June 2025-born Simmental maiden heifer weighed 514kg and sold for £2,580 (502p/kg).

This November 2023-born Belgian Blue heifer is due to calve on 19 December and sold for £3,960.

This April 2024-born Charolais heifer is due to calf next February to a Limousin bull and sold for £3,050.

This November 2023-born Belgian Blue heifer, due to calve in January to the Limousin bull EBY, sold for £4,750.

This June 2024-born Limousin heifer is due to calve in December and sold for £3,500.

This two-year-old Limousin first calver, with Limousin bull calf at foot was AIedd 10 days to sexed semen and sold for a top price of £4,350.

This 10-year-old cow with a May-born Charolais bull calf at foot sold for £2,860.

This two-year-old Limousin first calver with an August born AI-bred Simmental bull at foot, sold for £2,920.