Newsletter
for the week ending 21 January 2005
Due to a fierce lightning storm last
night our phone system was down and therefore our email system - sorry for the
delay.
Highlights of Denver
While in Denver USA for an
executive meeting of the International Limousin Council I attended the Limousin
judging at the famous National Western Stock Show together with a Limousin sale
and the judging of the pen and carload show the next day. Fortunately all
were indoors as outside temperatures varied from about -10 degrees overnight to
+5 degrees at tops and a good fall of snow as well.
In response to the market forces of a
marbling based grading system and the success of the Certified Angus Beef brand,
a good two thirds of the Limousins were black. (CAB accepts any black
cattle provided they grade choice for marbling.)
Also in response to these market forces
the North American Limousin Foundation have developed a Lim-Flex program
for members to breed and record Limousin X Angus (red or black) cattle.
The US breeders who are producing for their mainstream markets are constantly
balancing marbling and yield while seeking "outlier" bulls which have
high Estimated Progeny Differences (EPDs) for both yield and marbling.
Polledness is also a high priority.
Some commercial breeders are producing
for the Laura's Lean brand which slaughters over 50,000 head per year but is a
niche product in a total US slaughter of about 25 million head per year.
US Limousin breeders have done an
excellent job of addressing docility with their average docility EPD now at
+12.9. But they are still fighting a "perception" problem in
the lot feeding industry.
The National Champion Bull was
Carrousels Nasd9, a son of the widely used AUTO Black Dakota 129J.
EF Mainstacy 541M, another Black Dakota son was awarded Reserve Grand Champion
Bull.
EXLR Luvly 7127N owned by Express
Ranches and Summers Limousin was crowned the Grand Champion Female to complete
a trifecta for AUTO Black Dakota.
Reserve Grand Champion Female was MAGS
Norma Rae 198N, a daughter of the prolific EXLR Dakota 353G.
In the pen and carload show of over 200
head both the Champion and Reserve Champion Pen of Three bulls were
exhibited by Carrousel Farms from Wisconsin. All bulls in these pens were
black and mostly sired by GPFF Blacque Rulon.
The Champion carload of 10 bulls was
exhibited by Magness Land and Cattle Co. of Colorado with the Reserve
Champion going to Coleman Limousin Ranch from Montana.
In the National Sale of five bull lots
and 23 female lots, the top priced bull was DVFC Undeniable 1124N, a red polled
bull by Auto Black Dakota 1295 which sold for $6,500 for a three quarter share.
The top priced female was TUBB Rulon
329N, a black and polled daughter of GPFF Blaque Rulon at $18,000.
A 50% Lim-Flex female consigned by
Pinegar Limousin sold for $16,000 to be second top priced female.
DNA Tests for Polledness
While in Denver I held discussions with
an MMI Genomics representative about the DNA test for polledness they have
recently released.
The test is based on eight DNA markers
and not a single gene so is not 100 percent accurate. All results with
over 95% accuracy are released but the 15% of test results with less than 95%
accuracy are not released (or charged for).
MMI Genomics are keen to make the test
available to Australian breeders but they have to first renew their import
license to import blood or hair from Australia. The cost of the test is
$110 US so it is not cheap but a much quicker way of identifying homozygous
polled animals than a progeny test. I will let you know when and if the
test becomes available to Australian breeders.
By Comparison
The proportion of black Limousins
registered in Australia has risen from 8.3% in 1994 to 13.9% in 2004 - a level
which has been stable since 2001.
The proportion of polled and
polled/scurred Limousins registered in Australia has risen from 20.0% in 1994
to 33.5% in 2004, and continues to rise.
Premiums for F1 Females Mated to
Limousin
It is the time of year when the special
sales for F1 Beef X Friesian heifers with young calves at foot or close to
calving are held at Warrnambool, Camperdown and Wodonga in Victoria.
At least two thirds of the heifers
entered in these sales are in calf to Limousin bulls or have Limousin
sired calves at foot. Why is that so? To quote Kingsley Mills from
Tintinara in SA who bought 160 females at the Wodonga and Camperdown sales
"We were mainly looking for those joined to Limo bulls because we get
another $200 for the calves."
Camperdown Sale
The nine top priced pens of Friesian
cross heifers quoted in "Weekly Times" were all in calf to Limousin
bulls selling from $1210 to $1440.
The tenth highest priced pen of 15
Angus X Friesian heifers were mated to Angus bulls and sold for $1080.
The premium for using Limousin bulls is quite astounding. If the average
premium was $100 for heifers mated to Limousin bulls and the bull mated 100
heifers over four years this works out at a profit of $10,000 just for using a
Limousin bull. That makes a purchase price of $4,000 with a
salvage value of $1,000 look very cheap. And if the premium was $200 or
the bull works for more than four years, which most Limousin bulls do, the
rewards are even greater.
Wodonga Sale
Neville Watkins topped the Wodonga sale
with 10 Angus X Friesian cows with young Limousin X calves at foot selling at
$1,510.
Close behind were specialist F1
producers R & J Pyle who sold Angus X Friesian heifers with young Limousin
sired calves at foot for $1,440. Their 40 heifers with Limousin calves
averaged $1,362.
The premium for Limousin sired calves
or matings was not as high at Wodonga as it was at Camperdown but it was
at least $100.
Both these sales were up by around $300
per head on last years sales.
Tanholm Female Sale
Kel Sorensen called to say that Tanholm
Limousins will be holding a production sale of approximately 100 females in
early to mid April - more details once the actual date is set.
Genestar High Scorers
Anthony Graham of Talana Limousins
emailed with the news that Talana will be offering two five star Limousin
bulls at the Rockhampton All Breeds Sale in February. One bull is 3 star
tenderness and 2 star for marbling, and the other is 4 star for tenderness and 1
star for marbling. (These bulls have not been tested for the two
additional marbling markers released recently).
Help at Sydney Royal
Matt Jones of Badger View Limousins in
Tasmania won the State Junior Judging competition so will be representing
Tasmania in the National Junior Judging competition at Sydney Royal.
He is going to stay on for Limousin
Judging and offered to help any exhibitor who needs some help. He can be
contacted via his family on 0418 140 207 or (03) 6491 1471.
Success at Albion Park
Reg and Margaret Bower of Lavender Farm Limousins
at Luddenham NSW had a very successful day at the Albion Park Show
recently. With three females they won three classes in the European
section.
They then went on to take out Junior and Senior
Interbreed Champion Female and Supreme Beef Exhibit. An excellent result
for relatively new Limousin members.
Victorian Beef Week
Victorian Beef Week gets underway on Friday 28
January with a total of 17 Limousin herds on show over the eight days (well up
on last year).
Some of these studs have already had strong enquiry
from buyers "getting in early".
Moss Vale Sale Toppers
Commercial breeder Mal McDouall from Crookwell had
an outstanding sale of pure Limousin steer vealers at Moss Vale this
week. The top calf made 253 c/kg or $803 and the pen averaged over $700.
Korumburra 14/01/05
2 Limousin X vealers 380kg @ 212.2 c/kg =
$806
Acc J Wilson, Glen Alvie
6 Limousin X vealers 385kg @ 206.2 c/kg = $795
Acc J Wilson, Glen Alvie
Warragul 19/01/05
3 Limousin X vealers 418kg @ 207.2 c/kg = $866
Acc R & B Dickinson, Iona
4 Limousin X vealers 465kg @ 195.6 c/kg = $909
Acc P Degrandi, Ellinbank
1 Limousin X vealer 495kg @ 195.2 c/kg = $966
Acc C Peachy, Cloverlea
1 Limousin cow 675kg @ 155 c/kg = $1046
Acc G Hasthorpe, Tanjil
1 Limousin bull 910kg @ 172 c/kg = $1585
Acc J Beaurepaire, Labertouche
Yours in Limousin
Alex McDonald