Auctioneers Harrison & Hetherington have announced a debut standalone sale for one of the country's rarest native breeds, Shetland cattle.
Being conducted on behalf of Shetland Cattle Breeders Association (SCBA), the online auction will start on 30 September and will end 48 hours later.
Founded in 2000 by a group of mainland UK breeders, the SCBA aims to conserve for future generations the valuable genetic resource Shetland cattle represent.
The association is now looking to sell their pedigree cattle to both potential new breeders and established herds.
The timed auction is for breeding stock – cows, heifers, and bulls. Entries are open until 1 September, with the catalogue of entries ready to view from 22 September.
The sale is open to pedigree cattle registered with the Shetland Cattle Herd Book Society, with all animals offered for sale having full registration status or pending for young calves.
Heather Pritchard, pedigree sales manager at H&H said: “We’re really looking forward to this standalone auction. In addition to attracting interest from a range of buyers, the sale will also help to raise the profile of the Shetland Cattle breed."
With a reputation for quality and originally bred for their hardiness, Shetland cattle are now spread throughout the UK, with herds also established in Texas and Australia.
In the UK, there are only 1,500 female Shetland cattle, 15% of which can be found on the Shetland Islands themselves, with a further 50% in England and Wales, and the remainder in Scotland.
The cattle are dual-purpose, but the SCBA have long recognised their multi-purpose qualities.
The females are ideal for crossing, producing cross-bred suckler calves, and the cross-bred Shetland heifers to commercial bulls also produce beef calves.
One of the faster finishing, grass fed native breeds, they produce good quality beef which commands a substantial premium price.
Rosemary Champion, secretary of the SCBA, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to showcase some quality Shetland Cattle and we have high hopes for this first ever standalone auction.
“People are increasingly looking for native breeds which are easy to rear, something Shetland Cattle are perfect for.
"They’re very robust and relatively self-sufficient, as well as being well suited to calving and producing premium beef.
"Their calmness has long been recognised, as well as their ability to readily out-winter in poor grazing conditions.”
