End of an era' as Lincolnshire farm disperses herd of pedigree cattle

After years of pioneering breeding, the fifth-generation farm will be focusing on arable farming instead

14:31, 22 Apr 2026

Cockerington Uliana with her first calf at foot, Cockerington Bliss aged 10 weeks(Image: Harrison & Hetherington)

A Lincolnshire farm is to mark "the end of an era" by dispersing its renowned herd.

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The Needham family from Hill House Farm have been breeding pedigree Charolais cattle since 1968 and are well-known for their meticulous and dedicated pedigree breeding.

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The family, which started the farm in 1890 and is now in its fifth generation, were amongst the first importers of the Charolais breed to the UK.

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Ralph Needham established the poll genetics by crossing Lincoln Red cattle with Charolais and retaining the best females, and through a highly selective and long-established breeding programme the herd has evolved.

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However, the family now want to focus on arable farming and so will be selling off the herd at the Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart on Saturday, May 9, as part of the company’s annual Charolais Bull Sales.

This will be the first time that stock from the Cockerington herd has been offered for sale off-farm, and will include 100 pedigree poll Charolais cattle.

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The farm is also selling off a crop of bulls this year, and then the final crop of bulls in 2027, marking the end of the breed at the farm near Louth.

Before the family started breeding Charolais cattle and building up the Cockerington herd, it was previously well known for its Shire Horses and Lincoln Reds.

Alistair Needham, a fourth-generation farmer, said: "This dispersal marks the end of an era, with the herd built on the vision and dedication of my father, Ralph Needham, whose pioneering work in the breed laid the foundation for what is now one of the most distinctive poll Charolais herds in the UK.

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"From the very beginning we have been committed to developing poll genetics, with a strong focus on producing easy-calving, well-tempered, and naturally polled cattle, and we are proud to have been among the first to take this route in the UK."

The 58-year-old explained that breeding and managing a herd of more than 200 is "very labour intensive" and requires work around the clock every single day.

He added: "We have always been fortunate to have strong demand for the herd’s genetics, and it has been a very difficult decision to disperse.

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"So, on behalf of the family, I would like to thank the many customers who have supported us over the years."

The upcoming sale will include a range of Charolais cattle from the farm, including 54 cows with calves at foot and in-calf cows, 25 two-year-old heifers, 19 yearling heifers and two Swedish imported stock bulls.

All of the calves are registered pedigree, and the herd is 100 per cent polled and predominantly homozygous polled, offering buyers the significant advantage of producing calves without horns.

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This makes it an extremely attractive investment for pedigree Charolais breeders looking to strengthen existing programmes or take a major step into poll breeding.

Grant Anderson, commercial sales manager at Harrison & Hetherington, said: "Sales of this calibre are exceptionally few and far between and cattle of this quality are rarely seen.

"The Cockerington herd is one of the most respected names in poll Charolais breeding, and to offer the entire herd at Borderway presents a unique opportunity for breeders."

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