News for the week ending 31 October

Dalby Female Sale

Don't forget the Dalby Limousin Female Sale on 7 November. Contact details are in last weeks newsletter.

Web Performance Input

It is now possible to input weights, docility scores and muscle scores using the web. As for registrations you need a pass word and once logged in you got to Online Transactions and then create a batch. This will give you the option of Weights and traits.

Then proceed to add the weights etc for each calf.

At this stage you need to put the date in for each weight but this can be simplified by using Control/C (copy) after highlighting the date of the first calf and then using Control/V (paste) to enter the same date for each calf after that.

Give me a call at the office if you have any trouble or have suggestions for changes to the input screen. There will be a small prize for the first member to submit weights and scores via the web.

Web registrations

Once you have created a batch you can go back into that batch as many times as you like prior to submitting it to add more calves or make changes. Unless you are in a hurry to get the registrations done try to get the batches as large as possible before you submit them.

Woollies like Limos??

As the following feedback from members John & Helene Rae shows, the large (25,000 head capacity) Elders owned Killara feedlot at Quirindi NSW has no problem getting high content Limos to the minimum 5mm of rump fat depth required by Woollies and Woollies obviously like them. Probably because they get high retail yields and their customers don't want to buy fat or marbled beef !

Our cattle go to Killara Feedlot (Elders) from 280-350kg. Required entry fat score from 3-8mm. Our cattle went in from 2-4mm.

Cattle go out for Woolworths from 5-17mm but they prefer 7-12 mm and for Primo from 5-12mm.

Unfortunately, that has a downside as the purchaser doesn't know what they are getting especially at store sales (as anything which looks like it has a touch of Limo is called a Limo cross).

Regards,

John and Helene Rae

Dry Creek Limousin Stud and commercial herd

Manilla NSW

Complete Clearance of Females for Tobias

Tobias Limousin Stud had a complete clearance of 40 Limousin females at their annual female sale.

Seventeen cows and calves sold to $2650, paid by Joe Stanbi of Camden, to average $1816.

The 23 unjoined heifers sold to $1150 and averaged $890. It appears that the sale was underpinned by commercial breeders prepared to pay good money for Limousin cows and calves as well as heifers to go into commercial herds.

The sale which grossed $51,350 was conducted by Kevin Miller & Co of Forbes and William Inglis & Sons of Camden.

Good Limousin Sale at Windsor NSW (The Land 30 October)

Limousin cows and bulls topped the market in an all breeds stud sale conducted by National Livestock Brokers at Windsor on the outskirts of Sydney last week.

Three Limousin cows with calves at foot sold for $4000, $1600 and $1550 in an all breeds offering which averaged $1214.

A Limousin bull topped the market at $3100 in the bull offering which averaged $1446.

Not sure who the vendors were but that is quite a premium for Limousin.

Success at North Coast National Show

Supreme Champion Interbreed Junior Bull at the large North Coast National Show at Lismore NSW was a 17 month old black Limousin, Oakvale Xerxes, exhibited by Don and Sarah Riley of Duri near Tamworth NSW. This success follows the win as Junior Champion by the same bull at Brisbane Royal in August.

Hoof and Hook

The Grand Champion Steer on the hoof at the North Coast National was a 530kg Limousin X Shorthorn exhibited by Robert, Melanie and Scott Dull of Toowoomba Queensland from 68 entries. Class results from hoof are not to hand.

To complete the double a Limousin X Hereford steer exhibited by Neil and Rachel Goetsch of Kalbar Queensland was the Grand Champion Carcase after winning the Heavyweight class. In this class a Limousin exhibited by Shedden Pastoral Greenridge was second and another Limousin exhibited by John Nicholls from Casino was third.

In the Lightweight Carcase class an Angus X Limousin from Dalby Agricultural College placed second.

The Middleweight class was won by Don and Sarah Riley with a Limousin X with third place going to John Nicholls with a Limousin.

Shedden Pastoral and John Nicholls combined to win the pen of three steers for combined hoof and hook points to complete a very successful showing for Limousin.

Yanco Wins Gippsland Beef Challenge

The Gippsland Beef Challenge at Sale in Victoria is a unique competition as the most prestigious award is for the overall hoof, hook and hide value.

Limousin X Murray Grey cattle exhibited by Yanco Agricultural High School dominated the hoof and hook sections taking out Grand and Reserve Champion on hoof and Grand and Reserve Champion carcase from 66 entries.

In the hoof section the six Yanco Agricultural High School entries took out first and second in three of the four classes (they did not have entries in the Heavyweight class). Not surprisingly they were also placed first and second in the Matched Pairs and Pen of Three classes.

In the carcase classes they placed first and second in the Light Domestic class (180-220kg), first and third in the Supermarket class (221-240kgs) and first and fourth in the Restaurant class (241-280kg). Results of the hoof, hook and hide section not yet available. Well done Yanco Agricultural High School.

Geelong Show Update

A few more details on the Geelong Show Hoof and Hook competition. As well as Grand Champion on Hoof and Grand Champion Carcase, Limousin X cattle had considerable success in the classes.

In the hoof section Limousin cross cattle took all three placings in the Lightweight class and the Mediumweight class as well as first in he Heavyweight class.

In the carcase section, Limousin cross also won all three classes as well as second in the Lightweight class and second in the Mediumweight class.

The Stock and Land (p25 of 23 October edition) quote "the use of Limousin sires over other beef breed females again proved to be the winning combination" was something of an understatement as I think Limousin cross cattle have won the carcase section of the competition for at least the last five years.

Limousins clean up at Brunswick WA

Thankyou to Sean & Sandy Kornaus for the results of the hoof and hook competition at Brunswick WA Show Hoof & Hook which had 80 entries.

CHAMPION ON HOOF; Limousin X; Mosca Family Farm Trust; Wokalup

CHAMPION CARCASS - VEALERS; Pure Limousin; CG & RJ Hurst; Boyanup

CHAMPION CARCASS - GRASS FED STEER; Pure Limousin; G & RM Telini; Dardanup

Grand Champion at Dubbo National

A Limousin X Angus steer bred by Kaludabah Limousin Stud at Mudgee and exhibited by St Johns School at Dubbo was judged the Grand Champion Crossbred Steer on hoof at the Dubbo National Steer Show on Thursday after winning the 371-425kg Lightweight class and Champion Lightweight on hoof.

Another school which has had great success showing Limousin steers, Brisbane Waters Secondary College at Umina NSW, won the under 370kg class with a Limousin cross steer.

The first three places in the two Lightweight classes were filled by Limousin X steers. Congratulations to Kaludabah, St Johns School and Brisbane Waters Secondary College.

Breedplan Interest

I had a call from a commercial breeder at Trentham in Victoria looking to buy "Limousin bulls with EBVs".

I was able to fax him a list of 23 Victorian members who are Breedplan members.

Sale Toppers

Terry Joy of Singleton sold a Limousin cow and calf for $1100 to top the cow and calf section of the Maitland NSW store sale last Saturday.

Sale toppers at the Wodonga Vic market on 21 October included:

1 Limousin X steer 510kg @ 193.6 c/kg = $987 acc. R & P Martin, Albury NSW.

1 Limousin X heifer 538kg @ 168 c/kg = $904 acc. JPF Smith, Albury NSW.

3 Limousin X yearling heifers 397kg @ 190 c/kg = $754 acc. M & G Walker, Holbrook NSW.

(next best prices were 180 c/kg for Limousin, 175 c/kg for Charolais and 170 c/kg for Angus).

1 cull Limousin bull 935kg @ 177.2 c/kg = $1657 acc. S Morant, Tallangatta Vic.