Limousin blood for cross breeding

[Lorenzo]

It's well known that this part of the world has a long cattle breeding traditon, Argentine, Uruguay and Brazil are very important players in the international meat market so we take very seriously every item that can help us to produce more and better meat.

Uruguay has a big tradition breeding Herefords and it's said that we have the biggest Hereford genetic reserve in the world.
But since a couple of years, Aberdeen Angus, an animal that has been traditonaly breed in Argentina has made an increadible explosion here in Uruguay also, "moving the floor" to the Hereford breeders "establishment".

Despite this, it's known that cross breeding Hereford-Angus or Angus-Hereford makes better animals for the industry than pure ones, but as an interesting note, every test that the meat industry down here has done during the last two or three years was won by animals with limousin blood on them.

So I don´t understand why is not more commonly use by meat producers...what is happening with this race up there in the States ???

L

 

[Frankie]

It's well known that this part of the world has a long cattle breeding traditon, Argentine, Uruguay and Brazil are very important players in the international meat market so we take very seriously every item that can help us to produce more and better meat.

Uruguay has a big tradition breeding Herefords and it's said that we have the biggest Hereford genetic reserve in the world.
But since a couple of years, Aberdeen Angus, an animal that has been traditonaly breed in Argentina has made an increadible explosion here in Uruguay also, "moving the floor" to the Hereford breeders "establishment".

Despite this, it's known that cross breeding Hereford-Angus or Angus-Hereford makes better animals for the industry than pure ones, but as an interesting note, every test that the meat industry down here has done during the last two or three years was won by animals with limousin blood on them.

So I don´t understand why is not more commonly use by meat producers...what is happening with this race up there in the States ???

L

Limousin used to be very, very popular here in Oklahoma. They produce a lot of red meat. They also HAD a reputation for bad dispositon and calving difficulty.

The US market rewards marbling (quality grade) and lower backfat (yield grade). Limousin is not marbling breed, but their backfat percentage is very good. Here in OK, crossing them with Angus of either color has become very popular and the North American Limousin Foundation will register those cattle as a Lim-Flex. That seems to be the direction the breed is going, at least in OK. And I think that we have some of the largest Limousin breeders in the US here in OK.

 

[Lorenzo]

Thanks Frankie, it seems we are going the same way. The Hereford/Limousin or the Angus/Limousin are the ones which are winning on the carcass evaluation tests done by the slaughter houses.

The last year a couple of farmers started a VERY small Wagyou project but I understand this is more for feed-lots, something that it is still in diapers down here.

L

 

[Frankie]

Thanks Frankie, it seems we are going the same way. The Hereford/Limousin or the Angus/Limousin are the ones which are whinning on the carcass evaluation tests done by the slaughter houses.

The last year a couple of farmers started a VERY small Wagyou project but I understand this is more for feed-lots, something that it is still in diapers down here.

L

Here's a link to a USDA generic grid. As you can see Choice, Yield Grade 2 to 3 is pretty much the standard.

Anything that marbles better receives a premium. Anything that yields better (lower number is better on Yield Grade), receives a premium.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lm_ct155.txt

But this is a generic grid. There are specialized grids that will pay good premiums for high yielding cattle, Lauras Lean Beef is one. And CAB-type grids will pay more for higher marbling cattle, CAB, Sterling Silver to name a couple.

 

[Hill Creek Farm]

You take a good Limousin bull or cow and breed them to a good Angus bull or cow and you get great results. Even though I am not a good Limousin fan, crossing these two makes for some great brood cows and superior market calves.

 

[r and s peckman]

The cross breeding with Limousin is really starting to pickup. There are more shows for the Lim-Flex also. But the whole Limousin breed has been changing in many areas like Frankie said and that is good. The high headed, crazy, and other labels has hurt the breed, but that has changed also with better breeding and a knife. I would like to know more about the Lims that you are using, sires, AI, and such.

 

[Aero]

Lorenzo:
how does your country finish most of their cattle? from what i have read, there isnt much of a corn crop to grain finish and there is a lot of grass finishing there.

i wonder if the lack of high-energy finishing rations would let the reduced British blood express enough marbling when crossed w/ Limousins and finished on grass.

 

[Hill Creek Farm]

I wouldn't mind owning a few LimoXAngus cows. May be the next big beef fling. This mating of LimoXAngus I think is going to get hot with time. Around my part of the woods, a lot of Angus breeders are using limousin bulls and Simmental bulls. I will say that the Simmental and Limousin do have some great natural thickness; kind of hard to beat.