Farmer’s Weekly – 23 August 2019

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y ea rsago
TheLimousinis a well-knownbeef
cattlebreedinSouthAfrica.Thisarticle
focusedonthebreed’scharacteristics.
TheLimousinis knownforthehigh-qualitybeefit
produces.Itscarcasshasa finebonestructureand,with
itsexceptionalconformationandmuscling,it hasan
outstandinglean-to-boneratio,a highpercentageof edible
beefandwhatthebutchersterm‘idealcutability’.
It is alsoindemandbyfeedlotownersforitsrelativelygood
rateof growth,outstandingfeedconversionandthealmost
unparalleleddressing-outpercentageof itscarcass.The
lastattributehaspeoplecallingit ‘theno-wastebreed’.
TheLimousinoriginatedintheHaute-Limousinregionof central
France,anareaknownforpooracidsoils,harshclimateand
highsummerhumidity.Throughtheages,farmerstherebrought
togetherthesalientcharacteristicsfoundinthebreedtoday.
Thebreedhasa fairlyuniformcolourina rangefrom
wheatto chestnut-brown.TheLimousin’sbodyhasgood
lengthandis wellmuscled.It is classifiedintheintermediate
massrange,withbullsaveraginga massof 900kgto
1 200kg,andcows600kgto 800kg.Althoughnotbigin
size,theLimousin’sdailymassgainis impressive.
TheLimousincowhasa highmotheringability.She
protectshercalfwithgreatdeterminationforthefirstfour
weeksafterbirthandproducesamplemilkwitha good
butterfatandproteincontentonwhichsheraiseshercalf.
Thecowis aneasycalver,mainlybecausethecalfis smallat
birth.Theaveragebirthweightof a bullcalfis 39,5kg,andof a
heifer36,7kg.Researchhasshownthatevenif theLimousincowis
bredto large-framebullsof otherbreeds,shestillcalveswithease.
Thephysicalstructureof theLimousinsimplydoesnot
allowforexceedinglyheavycarcasses.Thebreedhasbeen
developedorusedmainlyfortheproductionof baby-beef
animalsagedeightto 14months,witha slaughtermassof
350kgto 545kg.Youngsteersslaughteredbetweennineand
19 monthsgenerallydressoutbetween68%and70%.
Fertilityinthebreedis excellent,withevenbullsof 15
monthsproducinggoodresultswhenmatedto cows.The
matureLimousinbullis a goodworkerandhasa highlibido.
InSouthAfrica,heiferscaneasilybemated
at 18monthsunderveldconditions.
Thebreedis alsoknownforitslongevityanditshardiness.It has
adaptedwellinmanyareas,includingtheNorthernCapeandFree
Statewiththeirhotsummers,aswellasKwaZulu-Natalandthe
EasternCape.TheLimousinalsoexcelsasa terminalcross.▪FW
ThisarticlehasbeeneditedtoadheretothecurrentstyleofFarmer’sWeekly.

18 November 1988

Limousin for


baby-beef


devotedtosaFarmiNg siNce 1911


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10 farmer’sweekly 23 august 2019

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