Harrison & Hetherington expects outstanding interest in the first of a 6 sale series of in-calf heifers from renowned northern Irish commercial cattle producer, Jalex Livestock
Following on from the success of their first Jalex Select Sale last year, leading livestock auctioneers, Harrison & Hetherington , have been commissioned to host a series of six sales online and on-farm in 2023 on behalf of one of Northern Ireland’s leading livestock producers, Jalex Livestock .
The series begins on Saturday 29th April with the Jalex Select 1 sale of 190 in-calf continental cross heifers, making this the largest single vendor in-calf heifer sale in the UK, the sale also includes 1 Limousin Bull, 3 frozen embryos and 5 calved heifers. All heifers are hand-picked and selected for their size and shape; all are BVD tested and vaccinated, and TB tested every four months, and all are in-calf via a mixture of AI and natural service by selected bulls including Uptonley Living the Dream, Ampertaine Lance, Elderberry Galahad and Carmorn Cantona. Also included is the sale, is the 2021 Welsh Winter Fair reserve overall champion, Tidy Dancer".
Calving dates for all heifers will be available on the catalogue, but the Jalex Select 1 sale is specifically timed for those with autumn calving herds, and at least 140 are due to calve between September 12th and October 31st. There are however c.50 lots due to calf from start May to August. Most will also have sexes provided, with the majority already determined as carrying heifer calves, thanks to sexed semen from Tremlows Officer.
H&H Senior Auctioneer James Little is expecting the April 29th Jalex Select Sale to be a red letter highlight in the national sales calendar. “This is a sale which has a longstanding reputation for producing top quality stores which breed exceptionally well for the purchasers, and we are absolutely confident that this Spring sale will match the success of Harrison & Hetherington’s first Jalex sale last year.”
One of the major attractions of the Jalex sale is that the quality is exceptionally high, but Jalex offer a wide range of heifers in-calf, to a wide range of bulls, offering buyers everything from show winners to commercial types. The 2022 Spring’s Jalex sale of autumn-calving heifers attracted almost 500 online bidders along with a packed ringside, 199 heifers sold at an average of just over £2,504 to 78 successful purchasers from all over the UK and Ireland.
“Last year’s best quality heifers sold to extreme rates, with a record-breaking £10,000 top price, but good commercial replacements were available at £1700-£2200.” Said James, “this year’s sale will offer exactly the same range and quality, and we expect at least the same level of competitive interest from buyers both on-farm and online.”
James Alexander, the highly respected founder of Jalex Livestock, is trusting the Carlisle-based auctioneers to match last year’s success. “We have invited Harrison & Hetherington to conduct the Jalex Select 1 sales because they proved very emphatically last year that they can tap into the growing interest from mainland UK buyers as well as our Northern Ireland and Irish markets. We know they have the resources to offer buyers from a very wide geographical area access to our sales and the quality heifers we sell, and they have a reputation and a track record Jalex and our buyers can depend on.”
For James Little, the Jalex Select Sale 1 is something of a landmark for Harrison & Hetherington and for Jalex Livestock. “It has been a privilege to be involved with James Alexander and the Jalex Livestock story, and the invitation to take part in the full series is an honour. Their stock is always quite outstanding, their attention to detail and the information they provide is exceptional, and we are absolutely delighted to help give buyers all over the country the best possible opportunity to acquire replacement heifers of the highest quality.”
Throughout the year there are 4 further heifer sales planned and two sheep sales.
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. Alternatively you can visit https://www.jalexlivestock.com/jalex-select .