This newsletter will be short
as I am currently in Rockhampton at the spectacular 2006 National Beef
Expo. Held every three years the 2006
Expo has attracted an estimated 50,000 people to Rockhampton including 500
overseas visitors largely from South America, South East Asia and New
Caledonia.
The six day event includes a
huge trade show, numerous conferences and seminars, a massive showing of over
2,000 stud cattle from 31 breeds and a range of breakfast presentations and
awards dinners. A truly spectacular
beef cattle event in Australia's
"Beef Capital".
The highlights for Limousin
so far are listed below:
Australian Beef Cattle
Championships
This competition consists of
pens of 10 steers, 12 heifers or 10 cows in twelve classes finished on grain or
crop/pasture.
Eddie Nolan of Moonie (Qld)
won the class for 10 heifers 500 – 630 kg grain or pasture fed suitable for the
EU market with an outstanding pen of Limousin X Droughtmaster heifers.
Nobbs Cattle Co Pty Ltd took
out third place in each of the class for 10 grain fed steers 560 – 740 kg
minimum 4 teeth and 10 grain fed steers 560 – 740 kg with a minimum of 6 teeth
with Limousin X Droughtmaster steers.
The younger pen of steers made the second top price of 242 c/kg at the
auction of the steers behind only the winning Droughtmaster steers.
The Champion pen of
Droughtmaster steers included a number of steers exhibiting Limousin
characteristics as did several other successful pens entered as Droughtmaster
steers.
National Beef Carcase
Competition
In a first a truly National
Beef Carcase Competition was conducted with groups of three steers judged in
eight abattoirs in three states over six months using the new eating quality based
judging system. There were two pasture
finished classes and two grain finished classes.
Groups of Limousin X
Shorthorn steers exhibited by the Mouritz family from WA took out first and
second places in the pen of three grainfed steers 180 – 300 kg carcase weight.
Three pure Limousin steers
exhibited by Bill and Nancy Gross of Warwick won the grain fed steers 301 – 420
kg with a combined score of 249 points.
This was the champion overall pen of steers.
Led Steer Competition
The light weight class was
won by a Limousin X steer bred by Bill and Nancy Gross of Warwick and exhibited
by Warwick High School.
The heavy weight class was
won by a Limousin X Hereford exhibited by A and K Barron. This steer was also the Champion Led Steer.
Stud Limousins
Eighty-five high standard
Limousin cattle from 10 studs will be judged today by Ron Short, a Limousin
breeder from Quirindi, NSW.
Len Rodman from Sprent in
Tasmania bought Willow Park Expo at the 2004 National Show and Sale. As the following comments show he is very
pleased with the results.
"On March 10 this
year, we sold the first ten vealer steers at the Quoiba sale, the eldest was
born on the 14th May 2005, and the youngest was born on 11th
June 2005. The ten average live weight
at home was 440.8kg. The heaviest was
468kg and the lightest was 411kg. They
would lose about 11 kilos each travelling to Quoiba, some 24km from home, they
made $860 per head. They were purchased
by Hardwicks in Victoria. The sale was back a few cents per kilo, we
felt they would make between $875 and $880, they were a lovely line of calves,
the remaining 20 which includes about 13 heifers are going to be put over the
scales later this month or mid May."
Entries are now being called
for this year's Hunter Valley Limousin sale to be held at the Singleton Selling
Complex on Saturday 2nd September.
Should you be interested in entering cattle in the sale please contact
the Sale Secretary on 02 4996 5640 or email lenhampton@hotmail.com for an entry
form and sale conditions. All breeders
are welcome. Please note entries will
close on 9/6/2006.
Graham and Lorraine Brand
sold six bulls at the Traralgon All Breeds Sale held 5th April
2006. The bulls averaged $3,200 and
topped twice at $3,500. Five of the
bulls were only 16 months of age. These
were the only Limousins entered in the sale.
L1 forms will be posted to
all members who have paid their female inventory early next week.
Limousin and Limousin X
cattle topped most sections of the Moreton (Qld) sale on Tuesday.
Six month old Limousin calves
from Len Profke of Lowood topped the open auction calves at $550/head.
Reg Trim of Mutdapilly topped
the heifer section with grain finished Limousin heifers at 228 c/kg or
$866. The same vendor sold grain
finished Limousin steers at 220 c/kg or $858.
Len Profke also topped the
cow sale with Limousin cows at 163.6 c/kg or $1,045.
19th – 21st May: National Beef 2006, Bendigo, Vic.
27th May: Tramahler Female Sale, Gympie Qld. (catalogue on the web).
17th June: Talana Heart of the Herd Female Sale, Kingaroy, Qld (catalogue on
the web).
23rd June: Homestation Breeding Female Dispersal Wangaratta, Vic.
7th July: Donna Valley Christmas in July Female Sale, Holbrook, NSW.
14th July: Greenacres Limousin Bull sale, Gunnedah, NSW.
11th August: Northern Limousin Breeders' Sale, Scone, NSW.
29th August: Birubi On Property Sale, Borambola, Via Wagga Wagga, NSW.
1st September: Glenview Western Bull Sale, Roma, Qld.
2nd September: 16th Annual
Hunter Valley Limousin Sale, Singleton, NSW.
26th September: QTL Tramahler Bull Sale, Rockhampton, Qld.
29th September: Stevens Limousins Female and Bull Sale, Birriwa, NSW.
Yours in Limousin
Alex McDonald