Newsletter for the week ending 2 April 2004

A short newsletter for this week to pass on the good news stories that have come in so far for this week.

Cull Cows are Worth Money (2)
Graeme and Val Wicks of the Hillsborough Limousin Stud at Kingaroy QLD emailed in to say they had sold "some even older cows for an even larger return".
They sold three L, M and N cows (11-13 years old) weighing 603kg @ 169.2 c/kg or $1021 each in the Kingaroy saleyards.
"The buyer also had to compete with another buyer who thought they were still young enough to grace his herd as breeders. Needless to say we were delighted" they said.

Another sale report from Kingaroy paper; "Kilcoy Pastoral Company was the strongest buyer for bullocks, paying 181c ($1363) for Limo bullocks from Barker Creek, 170c ($1105) for Brahman bullocks from Dangore, 168c ($1223) for Charbray bullocks from Dangore and 164c ($1178) for Murray Grey bullocks from Stuart River".
Thanks Val for this report also.

From Wangaratta (Vic)
Tony and Jill Whistler of Homestation Limousin Stud use a Red Angus bull over their young heifers to minimise calving difficulty. They sold this years' calves (mostly heifers) to Cobram Abattoirs on a carcase weight basis in January this year for an average price of $709.
Their local agent who inspected the calves decided one of the steer calves was "a bit dry" and left him behind. The calf which was actually three quarter Limousin was duly weaned onto the Homestation river flats before being sold through the Wangaratta market in early March at 11 months of age weighing 440kg selling for 205.2 c/kg or $903, the calf easily topped the market on that day. Tony said he wished the agent had left a few more "dry" calves behind!

From Tamworth (NSW)
Phil and Barbara Bricknell sold two cull cows for 160 c/kg to top the Tamworth sale for cows. They also sold a 19 month old steer weighing 540kg for 177.6 c/kg or $959 which was the top price per kilo in the steer market.

Double to Quirindi (NSW) High School
Quirindi High School scored a rare double in the Tamworth Show hoof and hook competition.
In a field of 47 steers and heifers the Quirindi High Schools' Limousin X Angus steer was judged Grand Champion Animal on the Hoof and then Grand Champion Carcase with 91 points.
St Johns School of Dubbo NSW won both the hoof and carcase sections of the Domestic/Supermarket Class with a Limousin X steer.
St Johns School also won the carcase section of the Domestic Market Class with a Limosuin X after placing third on the hoof.
Calrossy School placed second on the hoof and first for carcase in the Export Market Class with a pure Limousin steer. Neville Farrawell won this class with a Limousin cross.
Don and Sarah Riley took out first and second in the hoof with a Limousin X Saler steer in the Heavy Supermarket/Export class.

In the Show Ring at Tamworth
Tamworth is another show which leads up to Sydney Royal so attracted a strong Limousin entry.
In the All Breeds Heifer Show a Limousin heifer Oakvale Peekaboo owned by Don and Sarah Riley took out the big prize.
Other Limousin Results:
Junior Champion Heifer Oakvale Peekaboo
Reserve Champion Heifer Dry Creek Xcite
Senior Champion Female Junction Amaze
Reserve Senior Champion Female Dry Creek Money Penny
Junior Champion and Grand Champion Bull Oakvale Xerxes
Reserve Champion Junior Bull Oakvale York
Sires Progeny Oakvale (sire Kippax Valley Black Prince)
Interbreed Awards
Junior Heifer 1st Oakvale Peekaboo
Senior Female 3rd Junction Amaze
Senior Interbreed Bull 3rd Oakvale Xerxes

Toowoomba (QLD) Show
The Rosehill Stud of John and Rosemary McCarthy had a big day at the Toowoomba Royal Show. They took out four of the six champion ribbons.
Young breeder Paul Foreman won the Champion Female Calf with the McCarthy's winning Champion Junior and Champion Senior Female.
In the bull classes Jean Plaistead of the Burnstead stud won the Bull Calf Champion with the McCarthy's exhibiting Junior and Senior Bull Champions.
In the Interbreed competition the McCarthy's exhibited the Champion Bull with Rosehill X289 and their cow Rosehill Tartan 6 was high up in the interbreed female section. X289 and Tartan 6 then combined to win the Supreme Interbreed Pair of the Show.

Docility Continues to Improve
The average docility EBV of the 20 most widely used sires of 1998 born calves had increased to +1.6 with 11 of the bulls having negative EBVs for docility.
For 2002 born calves the average docility EBV of the 20 most widely used sires had increased to +16.2 with only three sires with negative docility EBVs.
I am plesed to report that the average docility EBV for the 20 most widely used sires of 2003 born calves is +20.4 with only two sires with negative EBVs for docility. One of those is a 1978 born British breed bull Harvest Olympus with a docility EBV of -19. I really think it is time breeders stopped using this sire despite the outstanding show successes of his progeny over many years.

I hope to have some more good news from Sydney Show in next weeks newsletter.

Yours in Limousin

Alex McDonald