The Limousin Assurance Program

January 2005

Introduction

The Limousin Assurance Program has the following objectives:

1. To differentiate Limousin members from commercial breeders who sell unregistered bulls.

2. To provide members with a uniform method of providing information, assurance and warranties to potential buyers.

The basic requirements for members to participate in the Limousin Assurance Program are:

The Limousin Assurance logo would be presented as follows in advertisements or sale catalogues.
Assured
  Pedigree Registered
Docility Scored
Fertility Warranty
Docility Warranty

Members may provide additional assurance levels for the following under the guidelines outlined.

Growth EBVs
Carcase EBVs
Fertility EBVs
Docility EBVs
$Indexes
Structural Soundness Warranty

These additional levels may be noted by additional ticked boxes under the Limousin Assurance logo. The growth, carcase, fertility and docility EBVs can be presented as one box if some or all are approved. The warranties can also be presented as one box.

Further assurance levels such as semen testing, serving ability testing or herd health status can be stated in the advertisement or catalogue but not as a ticked box under the Limousin Assurance logo.

How to apply for use of the logo

A written application must be made to the General Manager of Australian Limousin Breeders Society a minimum of 14 days prior to any use of the logo in advertising material. The General Manager will determine which assurance levels can be used for the following 12 months and communicate this to the applicant within seven days of receiving the request. Click here for application form.

Minimum Standards for each Category of the Limousin Assurance Program

1. Pedigree Registered

All seedstock animals offered for sale must be registered or recorded with the Australian Limousin Breeders' Society, and transferred on request by the purchaser.

2. Docility Scored

Docility scores must be submitted to ALBS for all of the live registered and recorded calves for the previous year's calf drop. There must be a minimum range of one whole score for groups of larger than 4 calves.

3. Growth EBVs

EBVs for birth weight, 200, 400 and 600 day weights are available in the catalogue or from the breeder for those animals for sale.

4. Carcase EBVs

EBVs for fat depth, EMA and retail beef yield are available in the catalogue or from the breeder for those animals for sale.

5. Fertility EBVs

EBVs for scrotal size are published in the catalogue or available from the breeder for those bulls for sale.

6. Docility EBVs

Docility EBVs are published in the sale catalogue or are available from the breeder for those animals for sale.

Note: One box would be ticked for any combination of Growth, Fertility, Carcase and Docility EBVs.

7. $Indexes

Dollar indexes for the three Society indexes are published in the sale catalogue or are available from the breeder.

8. Fertility Warranty

Females

Females over 12 months and catalogued as unjoined are warranted fertile to natural service within 12 months. The purchaser is to have the right to a full refund of the purchase price of the female (excluding any costs and expenses of the purchaser) on submitting a veterinary report after the expiration of 12 months to the effect that the purchaser has been unable to get the female in calf to natural service. The veterinarian must state that in his opinion there is no evidence that the female has suffered any injury or illness since being sold to the purchaser which could have affected her breeding ability. The veterinarian must also state that in his opinion there is no evidence that the female has been subjected to embryo transfer procedures. The veterinary report (together with a statutory declaration by the purchaser to the effect that the substance of the report is true and correct) must be forwarded to the vendor (with a copy to ALBS) within 14 days of the first anniversary of the sale date.

Bulls

All bulls are to be sold as fertile and capable of natural service. The purchaser is to have the right to a full refund of the purchase price of the bull (excluding any costs and expenses of the purchaser) within six months of the date of the sale subject to submitting a veterinarian's report stating that the bull is infertile or incapable of natural service. The veterinarian must also state that in his opinion the bull has not suffered any injury or illness since being sold to the purchaser which could have affected his breeding ability. The veterinary report (together with a statutory declaration by the purchaser to the effect that the substance of the report is believed by the purchaser to be true and correct) must be forwarded to the vendor (with a copy to ALBS) within 14 days of the date being six months after the sale date.

9. Soundness Warranty

All animals are sold as being free of major structural problems and any trimming of feet must be notified to the intending purchaser. The purchaser is to have the right to a full refund of the purchase price of the animal (excluding any costs and expenses of the purchaser) within six months of the date of sale or a replacement animal of similar quality and price to be supplied by the vendor. Subject to submitting a veterinarian's report stating that the animal is unsound due to a structural problem. The veterinarian must also state that in his opinion the animal has not suffered any injury or illness since being sold to the purchaser which could have affected his soundness. The veterinary report (together with a statutory declaration by the purchaser to the effect that the substance of the report is believed by the purchaser to be true and correct) must be forwarded to the vendor within 14 days of the date being six months after the sale date.

10. Docility Warranty

All animals are sold as having acceptable docility as defined by scores 1, 2 and 3 of the official scoring system used by the Australian Limousin Breeders' Society. The purchaser is to have the right to a full refund of the purchase price of the animal (excluding any costs and expenses of the purchaser) within 28 days of the date of the sale or a replacement animal of similar quality and price to be supplied by the vendor subject to submitting a veterinarian's report stating that the animal is of unacceptable docility defined as score 4 or 5 in the official scoring system of the Australian Limousin Breeders' Society.

The veterinarian must state that in his opinion the animal has not been mistreated in a way which would have affected its behaviour since being sold to the purchaser. The veterinary report (together with a statutory declaration by the purchaser to the effect that the substance of the report is believed to be true and correct) must be forwarded to the vendor within 14 days of the date being 14 days after the sale date.