Newsletter for the week ending 26 November 2004

Extra Docility Analysis

The ALBS Board resolved to run a mid year update of EBVs for docility in 2005 at their recent meeting. This decision was made to provide docility EBVs for Spring born calves which are too young to be scored when the normal December analysis is conducted. It will also update the docility EBVs for all sires and dams which is especially important for the imported AI sires from France and the UK which do not have docility EBVs in their home countries. The sooner we can get an indication of their genetics for docility based on their progeny born in Australia, the sooner we can avoid using any that might have poor docility.

Please note; for spring born calves to be included in the mid year analysis they must be registered or recorded before we run the December 2004 BREEDPLAN analysis. Docility scores can be added at a later date. The December BREEDPLAN analysis will be delayed by one week to give you a little more time to get these animals on file. This means registrations/recordings submitted on paper must be received by Monday 6 December but web registrations will be accepted until Friday 10 December if you want to submit docility scores for the mid year analysis.

Horned Status

It is often difficult to determine the horn status for calves registered or recorded at young ages. If in doubt I suggest you record the calves as horned when they are initially submitted. Horn status can be changed on the ALBS database at any time at no charge but if you want the certificate reissued there is a reissue fee of $11.00.

The best way of getting the horn status correct on your certificates at no extra cost is to initially record (not register) the calves which means that you can submit performance data but certificates will be issued. Once you are sure of the horn status this can be submitted as a list and the calves upgraded to registered and certificates issued at no cost.

It is very important that if a calf initially registered as polled then develop scurrs that ALBS is notified to ensure that potential buyers of clean polled cattle have an accurate description of the horn status of animals on the web and in sale catalogues.

Limousin in Tasmania

I have spent the last couple of days in the island state of Tasmania. The markets for Tasmanian cattle are very similar to the mainland with the major markets being the the Japanese market, the domestic market and exports to the USA.

There is only one registered feedlot but it is impressive with 13,000 predominantly Angus cattle on a 230 day feeding program before slaughter at the Longford abattoir and export to parent Japanese company Jusco where the beef is used to stock one kilometre of shelf space in Jusco supermarkets.

The specifications include that cattle must be born in Tasmania, no hormone growth promotants and no use of antibiotics while in the feedlot, which provides a "clean green" image to Japanese consumers. (HGPs are completely banned in Tasmania) Tasmania feedlot Pty Ltd is also developing a purebred Wagyu herd which when it reaches a cow herd of 1200 cows will supply one container (74 carcases) per week to Jusco.

With a relatively small cattle population of around 400,000 the demand for 20,000 Angus steers from Tasmania Feedlot has had a significant influence on the breed composition in Tasmania causing a major decline in the Hereford breed.

However the domestic market is keen on Limousin X cattle as you will see from the story on Tasmanian vealer producer Ray Piper in the next issue of Limousin Australia. A major Victorian export processor is also a regular buyer in Tasmania and prefers Limousin X cattle. This processor instigated a small shipment of Limousin bulls from the mainland earlier this year for his suppliers as there did not appear to be enough Limousin bulls available from the 10 Tasmanian Limousin breeders.

The future is bright for Limousin Tasmania .

Sale Toppers at Korumburra (Vic)

Limousin breeders Ron and Ellen Atherton also run a commercial herd of HolsteinX cows joined to Limo bulls. They sold the first cut of 22 mixed sex calves a couple of weeks ago at the Korumburra sale. The calves averaged 388 kg @ 199.2 c/Kg or $748 which has reinforced their faith in the Limousin breed (if that was needed).

High Quality Beef for the US Hamburger Market.

Sheresse and Trevor Tramacchi sold a young bull, which missed their bull sale due to injury over the hooks to AMH at Dinmoore recently. Weighing 568.5 kg carcase weight at 330c/kg the bull returned $1,876. Not as much as it would have made in their very successful sale but a pretty good salvage value and sure to provide some high quality beef for a lot of US hamburgers.

We tend to assume that all of the beef sold to the USA is manufacturing beef from cows and bulls but a recent MLA report showed that around 44,000 tonnes of high quality chilled beef went to the USA over the last 12 months to help satisfy the sustained increase in consumer demand for beef in that country. Only Japan takes larger amounts of chilled beef from Australia.

Korumburra Sale Toppers 10/11/04

1 Limousin bull 880kg @ 172 c/kg = $1513, acc C Blogg, Bena

1 Limousin bull 850kg @ 168 c/kg = $1428, acc J Geary, Leongatha

Warragul 10/11/04

4 Limousin vealers 209kg @ 237.2 c/kg = $495

1 Limousin vealer 365kg @ 222.6 c/kg = $812, acc J Fry, Bunyip

1 Limousin vealer 310kg @ 218.2 c/kg = $676, acc A Vidotto

1 Limousin vealer 425kg @ 215.2 c/kg = $914, acc N Renshaw, Warragul

1 Limousin X steer 485kg @ 199.2 c/kg = $966, acc F Murray, Drouin

1 Limousin X heifer 470kg @ 189.6 c/kg = $891, acc T Renshaw, Warragul

1 Limousin bullock 690kg @ 178.2 c/kg = $1229, acc M Deleeun, Poowong

1 Limousin X cow 560kg @ 161.6 c/kg = $904, acc D Hunter, Trafalgar

Wodonga 16/11/04

3 Limousin yearling steers 406.7kg @ 204.2 c/kg = $830.41, acc D O'Donnell, Wodonga

13 Limousin X vealer steers 345kg @ 215.6 c/kg = $743.82, acc R & D Snaith, Tallangatta

6 Limousin X vealer steers 352.5kg @ 214.2 c/kg = $755.06, acc R Waith, Chiltern

6 Limousin vealer steers 336.7kg @ 213 c/kg = $717.10, acc G Weldon, Yackandandah

3 Limousin X vealer steers 318.3kg @ 213 c/kg = $678.05, acc AG & JV Condon, Yackandandah

Warragul 17/11/04

3 Limousin X vealers 328kg @ 212.6 c/kg = $698, acc G Callanan, Tanjil Sth

5 Limousin X vealers 396kg @ 212 c/kg = $839, acc J Britt, Lillico

1 Limousin X vealer 410kg @ 212 c/kg = $869, acc J Britt, Lillico

Korumburra 19/11/04

1 Limousin bull 860kg @ 178 c/kg = $1530, acc C Blogg, Bena

Yours in Tasmanian Limousin

Alex McDonald