The Limousin breed has made “massive gains” in docility says Mick O’Sullivan, the Queensland-based president of the Australian Limousin Breeders Society.
Mr O’Sullivan said these remarkable gains had flowed from the availability of an estimated breeding value (EBV) for docility in 2000.
He said the top of the breed for docility back in 2000 (+35) was now the average for the breed today with the top now at +70.
He said Limousins were also leading the European beef cattle breeds for increases in the number of poll cattle.
“More than three-quarters of the calves registered each year are now polls,” he said. Numbers of black Limousins as opposed to apricot/reds were also on the rise because of market demand.
Mr O’Sullivan, who runs a purebred Limousin herd as well as Limousin Brangus composites at Lower Mt Walker, said as a whole, the modern Limousin had calving ease but still still produced tremendous carcase yield and meat quality.
These attributes were helping Limousins pick up major carcase awards highlighted by the breed’s triumph in this year’s coveted Stan Hill Trophy at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
A team of three beefy Limousin carcases claimed the title with a score more than 10 points ahead of the competition.
Mr O’Sullivan said stud breeders were receiving strong inquiry for bulls.
“Our on-property bull sales have increased, there are more stud bulls available,” he said.
Numbers of Limousin-infused breeding female were also on the rise, he said.
“Limousins are a great maternal female. Limousin bulls are no longer seen as exclusively a terminal sire. That’s another string to the breed’s bow.”
Mr O’Sullivan said breeders were achieving more depth of body and do-ability in Limousin cattle.
For third-generation beef producer, Malcolm Beresford, and wife, Sharon, having an easy-doing, fertile and productive cow herd is the key to profitability on his family’s 2500 hectare property, Bonyvilla, east of Biggenden.
“We introduced Limousins 26 years ago,” Mr Beresford said.
Their son, Hayden, 17, started the Bonyvilla Limousin stud when he was nine and now has 15 stud females.
Mr Beresford said when Limousin bulls were first introduced the Bonyvilla herd was generally a Simbrah base but had come from Brafords and Herefords before that.
“As soon as the Limousin cross calves hit the ground we knew they were too good to be just a terminal calf, so we kept some replacement heifers.”
The Beresfords run 300 breeding females with all cows having a Limousin influence ranging from 25 to 75pc content. Red Brahman bulls are used over the high-content Limousin cows and Limousin bulls over the more Brahman types.
“Plenty of people will tell you that Limousins are only a terminal sire but of all the breeds we’ve been involved with over the years, Limousins are outstanding maternal cattle and well suited to our sort of country,” Mr Beresford said.
“They have calves that hit the ground small which means calving problems are all but non-existent and then they explode with growth thanks to the milkability of the Limousin cow.”
The Limousin cows have also proved themselves to be well adapted to the low phosphorus, coastal type country the Beresfords operate in.
“They have without a doubt improved the fertility of our herd while at the same time improving our overall profitability by adding muscle and growth to our cattle.”
"Limousin cattle feed well and produce a carcase that is hard to beat,” Mr Beresford said.
“It is rare for the carcase not to grade under the MSA system and we regularly have carcases grading MSA 1 and 2. People told us we couldn’t do that with Limousin, either.”
While the domestic trade market is the key target for the Beresfords, they have also sold cattle into the weaner, feeder and JapOx markets.
Flexibility in marketing was another key benefit of Limousins.
When asked about temperament, he said while Limousins were a very quiet breed now that hadn’t always been the case.
“Twenty years ago I would agree that some Limousin cattle had a temperament problem. But Limousin breeders need to be congratulated on the brilliant job they have done in improving the docility of the breed. Anyone that runs Limousin cattle today would agree.”
