The Limousin breed has enjoyed a week of success
across Australia in commercial cow competitions, a feedback trial for lot fed
steers and two large hoof and hook competitions. On top of that were some
outstanding prices paid for Limousin breeding cows and slaughter stock.
Read on….
The Champion pen of three steers
on the hoof in the Crookwell Beef Expo feedback trial was a pen of Limousin X
Red Angus steers entered by Ted and Barbara Wilcox of Golspie via Crookwell .
The Champion single steer also came out of this pen.
In a clean sweep for Limousin the
second placed pen of steers were high content Limousin steers exhibited by
Terry Gavaghan from Robertson and the third placed pen were Limousin X Angus
steers from Birubi Limousin and Angus studs from Borambola east of Wagga Wagga.
The 15 pens of
steers entered in the competition were fed for 85 days at Rob King’s feedlot at
Binda then displayed and judged at the Crookwell Beef Expo by Michael Beer from
NSW DPI. Entries included Hereford, Murray Grey, Hereford/Angus Limousin cross
and Santa Gertrudis cross cattle. The three top pens were the only Limousin
cross calves in the competition.
Average weight gain over the 85
days was a creditable 1.88 kg/day considering they went into the feedlot in the
middle of winter in very cold conditions. The three Limousin cross pens
averaged 1.93 kg/day.
All steers were purchased by
commission buyer Bob Watts who commented that the Limousin cross steers were
ideal for the markets he supplies such as the Canberra based Knights
Wholesalers. The steers will have a full carcase assessment after slaughter at
Cootamundra abattoirs this week
New Limousin members Theo and
Adriana Newhouse had considerable success with their commercial females in the
Great Southern Region Cow and Calf and Replacement Heifer Competition last
week. The Newhouse's were judged the Best First Time entry with their pen of
mature cows, first calving heifers and mated heifers. A pen of Limousin X Angus
replacement heifers from the Newhouse herd were also voted the breeder’s choice
Champion pen of females. Theo and Adriana were also awarded runner up for the
best overall herd based on their cow and calf and heifer entry. It just shows
what Limousin can do with an Angus base. The winning pen of cows were
Simmental/Friesian with Limousin sired calves at foot entered by Malcolm Old.
St John's College, Dubbo, has
capped off a spectacular year in the show ring by winning the top award at last
week's Dubbo National Steer Show.
The 565 kg pure Limousin, bred by
Phillip and Margaret Kirk, Wilworril Limousins, Peak Hill, won the Over 451 kg
Class on the Hoof before becoming the Champion Pure Bred Steer and Grand
Champion Steer. Over the hook, the steer dressed out at 61.8 per cent, measured
11 and 7 mm of fat at rump and rib, and an eye muscle area (EMA) of 132 sq. cm,
earning a total of 90.5 points to be the Champion Purebred Carcase.
This score, combined with the
steer's performance in the ring, earned it the Grand Champion Hook and Hoof
title. Another Limousin from St John's was Reserve Champion on both Hoof and
Hook, where it was awarded 89 points. The steer beat more than 110 steers from
30 schools, the fourth time in six years the local school had taken out the
major award. It came on top of Grand Champion Live Steer awards at Canberra
Royal, Sydney Royal and Casino Beef Week.
Baradine Central School was also
among the top performers, exhibiting the Champion on the Hoof, which was a
Murray Grey X Limousin.
Reserve Champion Crossbred Steer
on the Hook was a Limousin X Hereford exhibited by Sid Dart of Quirindi.
It did not go unnoticed that the
hoof judge was Dennis Strachan, Livestock Procurement Manager from the very
large Woolworth Supermarket Chain who, some years ago, instructed their buyers
to purchase cattle with no more than 25% Limousin content. How things have
changed! Strachan knew what he was doing as his Champion and Reserve Champion
Purebred Steers were also the Champion and Reserve Champion Purebred Carcases.
The top-scoring crossbred carcase
in the chiller was a 470 kg Murray Grey X Limousin from Brisbane Waters
Secondary College, which dressed out at 63.7% with 11 and 15 cm of fat and 116
sq cm EMA and an overall point score of 93.
As reported last week a black
Limousin steer from McCarthy Catholic College at Tamworth was the Champion
Steer on the Hoof. This steer was also part of the winning pen of three
Limousins steers. James Dockrill of Clovass, and Ron and Gail Scandrett of East
Gundurimba exhibited the other two steers.
The Reserve Champion Carcase was
a Limousin cross exhibited by Allan and Elaine Love from Boonah, Queensland
that was just 0.14 points behind the Champion Carcase. The Limousin breed won
'The Land' Pen of Three Contest for both Hoof and Hook results.
A record 275 cents per kilogram
was paid for a 275 kg Limousin cross vealer, which came back at $756.25, for
John and Glenn Ballard, Kangaroo Valley, at the Nowra Saleyards. The vealer was
sold by local agents, AJ Campbell & Sons, whose livestock manager, Stuart
Warden, said the Ballard consignment of 11 vealers averaged 257.3 kg, 262 c/kg
and $674.10 a head.
Landmark Moss Vale livestock
agent, Ashley Clark, has reported some outstanding Limousin sales out of last
Friday's store cattle sale with Fred and Michelle Geard, Premier Limousins,
Joadja via Mittagong, ringing the bell at $1780 for four second calf Limousin
cows with four to six week old Limousin calves sold to R W Campion, Milton.
Fred and Michelle Geard, Premier
Limousin, sold 13 Limousins with calves at foot for $1500 to Tony Kelly of the
Southern Highlands and also five Limousin cows with calves to Frank Bartolo,
Marulan, for $1510. Premier Limousin sold one apricot Limousin bull for $3,900
to Milton Park at Bowral and one black Limousin bull to Greg and Liz Bramley of
Wingello.
Michael Stacey, Roslyn, sold a
nine year old cow with a calf for $16790 to Woodbrook Partnership, and Gordon
McClung, Rosyln, sold five cows and calves for $1475 to locals J & B Mendl.
Michael and Sonja Goldby from
Heywood in Victoria had a very profitable 'tidy up' of their Limousin herd when
they sold four females over the hooks at Warrambool. A four-year-old cow
dressed at 374 kg to return $1198; a three-year-old dressed at 412 kg, to
return $1318; and two eleven-year-old cows dressed at 424 kg, to return $1357.
Not bad for a few culls!
Ron and Chris Andrews from
Orange, NSW, also did well with three animals sent to AMH Dinmoore. A young cow
dressed at 314 kg @ 326 c/kg, a return of $1022; a twenty-one- month Limousin
steer dressed at 322kg @ 345 c/kg, a return of $1111; and a nineteen-month
steer weighed 302 kg, to return $987.
CJ & JP Coe of Henty topped
last weeks Wodonga Steer Sale with some Limousin cross steers – 697 kg @ 181
c/kg, for a return of $1262. Ebony and Madden Morris of Rutherglen topped the
steer vealer prices with three Limousin cross steers – 402 kg @ 232 c/kg, for a
return of $932. D & P Morris of Howlong were close behind with their three
steer vealers – 389 kg @ 232 c/kg, for a return of $902.
That was a pretty good week, wasn't it?
Yours in Limousin
Alex McDonald