Newsletter for the Week Ending 3 September 2004

Quirindi Prime Stock Exhibition

Each year the small town of Quirindi south of Tamworth (NSW) closes off its normally busy main street to stage a Prime Stock Exhibition of cattle, prime lambs and pigs.

There is an emphasis on involvement of school students in educational and competitive events. This year there was a record 23 schools and 200 students from as far away as Sydney and Dubbo.

Limousin breeders, Les and Margaret Alcorn, have been involved with this exhibition for many years with Les being the current Chairman of the organising committee.

There is usually a good sprinkling of Limousin and Limousin X steers and heifers in the three open classes and the three junior classes. This year was no exception with Limousin and Limousin X steers taking out three of the six classes as well as the Junior, Open and Grand Champion led steer awards under the astute judging of Angus and Charolais breeder and successful steer exhibitor Chris Knox.

Individual successes for Limousin were:

Class 2 Junior Led Steer 360-410kg

1st Limousin X Hereford, Calrossy School

2nd Limousin X Angus, BWSC Umina Campus

Class 3 Junior Led Steer/Heifer 411kg & Over

2nd Limousin X Murray Grey, Eliza Newcombe

Class 4 Led Heifer 410kg & Under

1st Limousin, Calrossy School

3rd Black Limousin, Eliza Newcombe

Class 5 Led Steer 410kg & Under

2nd Limousin X Angus, St Johns College Dubbo

Class 6 Led Steer or Heifer 411kg & Over

1st Limousin X Angus, Lorna McGilchrist

2nd Angus X Limousin, Peter McGilchrist

3rd Limousin, LG, MA & Simon Alcorn

Champion Junior Led Steer

Calrossy School, Limousin X Hereford

Champion Open Led Exhibit

Lorna McGilchrist, Limousin X Angus

Reserve

Peter McGilchrist, Angus X Limousin

Grand Champion Led Exhibit

Calrossy School, Limousin X Hereford

Golden West Limousin Bull Sale Report

There was strong demand for Limousin bulls at the Golden West Limousin Sale at Roma (Qld) last week with 34 bulls selling for an average price of $3,058 with a clearance of 83%.

Top priced bull was Glenview Polled Black War selling for $4,500 to York Pastoral Company at Wallumbilla who took home 8 bulls. The 1094kg bull was one of 17 averaging $3,147 sold by Glenview, the Bell based stud of John and Coral Winning.

Second top price was shared between Glenview and Tanholm Limousins from Clifton. The first of these was Glenview Wild Turkey at 1096kg, which sold to Lochinvar Grazing Company from Augathella for $4,250.

A polled red meaty bull Glenview Polled William with an eye muscle area of 150 sq cm was the second bull to make $4,250 selling to Grant Warrian from Injune.

The last lot of the sale also making $4,250 was Tanholm Xalisbury which sold to Robert and Mary Brown of "Benalla", Roma, giving Tanholm an average of $3,400 for five bulls.

Graeme and Val Wicks sold Hillsborough Waterloo for $4,000 to volume buyer Lochinvar Grazing Company who finished up with 6 bulls.

First time vendors Jim and Helen Caird sold five bulls to a top of $3,750 and an average of $2,750.

All prices are posted on the website under "completed catalogues".

Composite/Crossbred Bulls Sell Well

Last week I mentioned an outstanding sale of Charolais X Angus and Charolais X Shorthorn bulls by Palgrove Charolais Stud.

This week's Land newspaper reports that the well known NSW Shorthorn Stud "Moombi" sold fourteen Charolais X Shorthorn bulls with the top seven averaging $3,000. They did not sell as well as the 15 Moombi Shorthorn bulls which averaged $4,866 but they added nicely to the sale gross.

At the Wombramurra Composite Sale at Nundle (NSW), 42 composite bulls sold to a top of $6,000 and an average of $3,560. The Wombramurra composite is a stabilised Simmental/Angus/Devon composite. At the same venue Wombramurra and Langton Gate sold 44 Simmental bulls to a top of $5,250 and an average of $3,040. I do not want to "beat the drum" for crossbred/composite bulls too hard other than to say there may be opportunities to sell Limousin cross bulls to commercial breeders who seem increasingly comfortable about using crossbred bulls to get the mix right for their country and markets target.

Speaking of Crossbreds and Purebreds

I have been inundated with sale toppers for both purebred Limousins and crossbred Limousins as follows.

Wagga Wagga NSW

Frank and Linda Jewkes from The Rock in southern NSW sold some cull Limousin cows described as "all in light condition due to the ongoing drought" at Wagga Wagga last week. The two top priced cows weighed 562kg and sold for 184.2 c/kg or $1036. Two lighter cows 460kg made 188.2 c/kg or $866 and the heaviest cow weighing 610kg made 148 c/kg or $903.

Two weaner steers @ 217kg made 201.6 c/kg or $483 and a weaner heifer 205kg made 185 c/kg or $379. Imagine what they could do in a good season!

Binnaway NSW

Sharon Rawlinson from Bugle Point Limousin at Binnaway reports a Limousin and a Limousin X steer sold at the Binnaway (near Dubbo) Sale, 415kg @ 219.8 c/kg or $912 to top the sale.

They also sold a Limousin X heifer 570kg @ 164.6 c/kg = $912.

"We find that premiums are paid for Limos and their crosses at our local sale" said Sharon.

Ballarat (Vic)

John and Joy Repper run a commercial high content Limousin herd at Stawell in the Wimmera region of Victoria and had a very good sale at Ballarat on Monday.  Two Limousin heifers 535kg sold for 196.2 c/kg or $1027.20.

Seven young Limousin bulls 487kg averaged 169 c/kg to make $823 per head and four Limousin steer weaner calves weighing 244kg sold for 196.2 c/kg or $478.

Korumburra (Vic) 27 August

2 Limo X steer vealers 327kg @ 208 c/kg = $683, acc N Geary, Boorool

1 Limo X steer 350kg @ 210 c/kg = $735, acc L Bolding, Lance Creek

Warragul (Vic) 25 August

1 Limo X steer 385kg @ 232.6 c/kg = $895, acc Willowgrove

1 Limo X steer 385kg @ 225 c/kg = $866, acc D Budd, Bona Vista

1 Limo X steer 340kg @ 224 c/kg = $762, acc C & D Kent, Lillico

1 Limo X steer 305kg @ 223.6 c/kg = $681, acc Tanjil South

1 Limo X steer 320kg @ 215 c/kg = $688, acc M Fry, Longwarry

Trafalgar (Vic)

1 Limo X steer 400kg @ 216.2 c/kg = $864

1 Limo X steer 410kg @ 214.2 c/kg = $878

1 Limo X heifer 380kg @ 234.2 c/kg = $889

Thorpdale (Vic)

1 Limousin cow 515kg @ 185.2 c/kg = $953, acc S Carpenteri

Semen For Sale

63 straws Glenlea Zeus (Tanhill Rumpus X Ashfield Jotau)

30 straws Shelomi Kintyre (imported embryo Hartside Branston X Hartside Buttercup)

Very reasonable price. Contact Thomas and Jose East on 07 4630 8101.

Melbourne Show

Judging commences at 10.00am on Sunday 19th September.  Victorian Region extends an invitation to join them for lunch, drinks, presentations and fellowship at 1pm in Shed 1 after judging.

Yours in Limousin

Alex McDonald