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breed standard / breed commentary

Breed Commentary 2007/8
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British Limousin is the largest numerical beef breed in the United Kingdom accounting for 34% of the 1.9 million cattle registered with the British Cattle Movement Service. Each year over 640,000 Limousin sired cattle are registered representing an annual industry value of around £400 million. In the twelve years since BCMS was established, more than 7 million calves, sired by Limousin bulls, have been registered.

First imported into the United Kingdom from France in 1971, the Limousin breed has built its reputation on being ‘The Carcase Breed’, a breed able to produce quality beef with a low proportion of bone and fat. Its influence on British Beef production has been borne through its advantages in calving ease, growth, milk, fertility, feed efficiency, killing-out percentage and meat yield.

The Limousin breed enjoyed a momentous 2007. Some facts from the past year included pedigree Limousin sales approaching the £5 million barrier. Top prices of the year were the 52,000gns paid for Limousin bull, Queenshead Altea, from the Varleys of Yorkhire and the 28,000gns paid to the Pennies of Montgomery for the Limousin heifer Sarkley Arriana.

A string of Championship titles were secured at the four principal “Royal” Shows, including the Blue Riband Burke Trophy and Nat West Team of Five at the 2007 Royal Show. Limousin bull Samy re-wrote the record books by becoming the first animal to win three consecutive Burke Trophies. In the commercial primestock arena, a clean sweep of overall championship titles were gained at the Scottish Winter Fair in addition to the Supreme Championship at the Welsh Winter Fair.

The Limousin’s ability to produce ½ bred and ¾ bred carcasses with excellent conformation, a top killing out percentage and a top yield of saleable meat (73.3%) make it well suited to the market needs of a consistent, quality beef product. An early maturing breed, the Limousin provides young but mature beef in the medium weight range demanded both by butchers and supermarkets.

Limousin bulls are known for their fleshing qualities, lighter bone, fertility, and for the extra conformation they pass to all progeny, whatever the dam. Limousin suckler cows can be found on both upland and lowland systems. They are renowned for ease of calving and ease of management, vital factors in today’s farming economy. A good milking ability and excellent fertility is complemented by a natural hardiness and thriftiness.

As a spin off of the breed’s popularity, membership of the Society is now a record 2,595 and the 18,000 mark of pedigree calf registrations was reached for the third consecutive time in 2007 when hitting 18,348. In September 2005, the Society reached its landmark 250,000th pedigree registration – with the last 100,000 registrations coming in the last six years alone!