A major goal for Elke Lissenden of the Mount Teken Limousin Stud at Vesper in the Gippsland area of Victoria is to win the annual Gippsland Field Days' Steer Trial with a pair of Limousin cross steers. This is some challenge as the steers must enter the 100 day grass fed trial at low enough weights not to exceed the domestic carcase weights by growing "too fast".

While the pair of Limousin x Murray Grey steers entered by Elke did not have the highest liveweight gain they won the more important combined growth and carcase evaluation with 166.3 points. This follows a similar success last year.

Congratulations Elke.

Had a call from Barry Nott who manages Kaludabah Stud near Mudgee NSW to tell me a commercial breeder from Tottenham west of Nyngan in western NSW had found Kalrural on the web and subsequently arrived at Kaludabah and bought two bulls.

The bulls will go over Santa x Hereford cows and the progeny will be finished in a feedlot for Woolworths.

Have heard on the "grapevine" that there is an order out for 20 quiet Limousin bulls to go over Braford cows on a central NSW property. No details of the potential buyer are available but it is good news for Limousin.

There is a listing on our website under Sale Catalogues for 14 "Y" heifers offered by Alan and Sue Padman of the "Burnside" Limousin Stud at Donnybrook WA. "They are beautiful heifers surplus to our needs but too good to slaughter" Sue Padman said.

Check the details of these heifers on the web and contact Alan and Sue if you are interested.

A new semen catalogue has recently gone up on our website under Semen Catalogues.

ABS Australia have listed full details and photos of the polled/scurred, black sire DJ Gentleman in Black and the polled apricot sire Tubb Crown'n 7 660L. They will have Australian EBVs in the near future.

A new AI sire Timor Choice Poll Tailor has recently been added to the Agrigene semen catalogue.

A new facility has been added to our web online system. It is now possible to make females inactive by selecting the "cow fate" facility, entering the ident. of the cow and providing the reason the cow is being made inactive (died, sold for slaughter, culled for fertility etc.)

However, it is not possible to undertake transactions such as transferring to other Limousin breeders or reactivating inactive cows because there is a cost involved. I will expect this will come in the future.

The annual Limousin BREEDPLAN analysis was run this week (except for docility). After checking for "bugs" and "surprises" the new EBVs (except for docility) should be on the website prior to Christmas.

The production of herd reports (electronic and paper) will not occur until the docility analysis is run early in the New Year.

Charles and Vicky Carmichael have faxed in some outstanding prices for cull cows and heifers sold over the hooks to Australia Meat Holdings at Dinmore QLD in early December as follows.

5yr old cow 825kg live, 476kg carcase (57.7% DP) @ 295 c/kg = $1404 (wow!)

2 x 3yr old cows 709kg live, 406kg carcase (57.4% DP) @ 320 c/kg = $1328

1 March 01 born heifer 704kg live, 401.5kg carcase (57% DP) @ 325 c/kg = $1305

2 March 01 born heifers 649kg live, 370.5kg carcase @ 330 c/kg = $1222.60

The comment from Charles was "Quite a result considering three were penalised for fat (too much!) and two were penalised for weight (too much!).

The five year old cow was penalised 7 cents for being over 420kg and 13 cents for being over fat (26mm). Had she not been penalised she would have made $1499 (for a cow!)

I have a feeling that the least of Charles and Vicky's worries will be producing cull Limousin cows and heifers that are "too fat" or "too heavy" when they get prices like that.

Mike Harvey of the Land reports that Jim Hindmarsh and Co. sold five Limousin cows in the Moss Vale saleyards for a local client. The top priced cow weighed 785kg and at 155.8 c/kg made $1223. The lot averaging 739kg made 150 c/kg or $1109.

Four Charolais cows in the same sale averaged $1037. The heaviest Charolais cow weighed 920kg but made only 138.8 c/kg. That is 17 c/kg less than the top priced Limousin cow.

As the milk vealer season peaks around Wodonga Vic, the three top priced pens of steer milk vealers were Limousin cross and made 187.2 c/kg to 188.2 c/kg or $645 to $708. The top three pens of Angus and Angus cross steer vealers made 186.0 to 187.2 c/kg or $613 to $649.

Six of the seven top priced pens of heifer milk vealers were Limousin cross and made 176.2 to 185.2 c/kg or $546 to $643.

Jamie Inglis of William Inglis & Sons reports some outstanding sales at this weeks' Camden NSW sale.

Eddie Pace of Badgery's Creek sold pure Limousin yearling steers 420kg @ 203.2 c/kg = $853

Sam Pace of Londonderry sold pure Limousin steer calves 355kg @ 235.2 c/kg = $835

C. Zalva of Rouse Hill sold Limousin steer calves 355kg @ 226.2 c/kg = $803

Note the premium paid for the pure Limousin calves.

A comparison of sales of Limousin bulls at auction in 2003 compared to 2002 is very encouraging.

2002 316 $3,294 $1,040,800

2003 359 $3,499 $1,256,000

I estimate that at least twice this number of bulls are sold privately.

Our magazine went into the post on Thursday so you should get your copy just prior to Christmas. It will provide good reading over the Christmas holiday period.

The ALBS office will be closed from 3.00pm on Friday 24 December to 8.30am Friday 2 January.

Alex, Fran and Lisa at the Limousin office wish all Limousin members and friends a very happy and safe Christmas and a prosperous Limousin Year in 2004.

Yours in Limousin

Alex McDonald