Newsletter for the Week Ended 4 June 2004
Feedlot Interest
I had a phone call from an influential livestock agent in Toowoomba who is heavily
involved in the lot feeding business last week.
They recently fed a pen of high content Limousin cattle which performed very
well.
He is of the view that some of their clients who breed purebred Brahman cattle
could make a lot more money if they used Euro bulls such as Limousins.
The CRC crossbreeding project run in the late 1990's certainly supports his
view. Limousin X Brahman steers fed for 100 days had carcase weights 50 kg heavier
than straight Brahmans. With similar amounts of fat on the rump 9.3 for the
Limousin and 10.8 for the Brahmans the Limousin cross cattle had retail yields
of 68.5% compared to 66.6% for the straight Brahmans.
There is a large potential market for genetically docile Limousin bulls in northern
Australia.
Casino Champions
Limousin and Limousin cross cattle took out the double at the prestigious Casino
(NSW) Beef Week led steer competition held last weekend.
Grand Champion led steer was a high content Limousin paraded by St Johns College
of Dubbo NSW. The Grand Champion Carcase was a Limousin X Angus exhibited by
Greg and Leonie Ball of Singleton (NSW).
St Johns College under the guidance of teachers Ben Toll and Kerry Lynn Strain
took seven steers to Casino of various breeds to win two of the four classes
but the Limousin went on to be champion.
The Champion heavyweight steer was also a pure Limousin exhibited by Grant Shedden,
a Limousin breeder and Casino butcher.
McIntyre High School of Inverell (NSW) placed third in the lightweight class
with a Limousin X Murray Grey in a very successful show for Limousin.
Gunnedah Sale Toppers
Warren and Carlene Scifleet of Coonabarabran (NSW) had an outstanding sale of
twelve milk tooth Limousin steers at Gunnedah this week. The 595 kg steers raised
on grass, sold for 189 c/kg or $1124 per head.
A scan of sales from Wodonga (Vic) to Toowoomba (Qld) reported in this weeks'
The Land suggests they were the top priced steers in Australia for this weight
range. The nearest price I could find for this weight range of steers was 177.2
c/kg at Inverell with the next highest price in Gunnedah being 173.4 c/kg.
To top it off the Scifleets topped the cow market at Gunnedah with two Limousin
cows 747.5 kg @ 161 c/kg = $1206.
The nearest price I could find for cows over 520 kg was 145.2 c/kg at Armidale
so they may have also been the highest priced cows in Australia this week by
a good margin.
Rumour has it that Warren who also runs an abattoir at Binnaway NSW has bought
himself a new car on the strength of the sale (probably a Limousine!) Carlene
is still driving the old Toyota!
More Cows at Gunnedah
Tony and Vivienne Hayne also topped the Gunnedah (NSW) market with two Limousin
cows sold on 4th May. Their cows weighing 627.5 kg made 150 c/kg or $941.
This price is comparable with the Scifleet sale as cow prices have risen about
10 c/kg since early May.
And Vealers at Cobram
Rowan and Karen Creighton who run about 100 cows joined to Limousin bulls near
Cobram (Vic) also had a great sale of three steer and two heifer milk vealers
at Cobram this week. Two steer vealers weighing 430 kg sold for 203.2 c/kg or
$874 with the lighter steer weighing 385 kg made 200 c/kg = $770.
The heaviest heifer vealer weighing 400 kg made 190 c/kg or $760 and the lighter
heifer 395 kg @ 185 c/kg = $731.
The five vealers averaged $802!!
Esk Feature Show
Some 63 cattle were paraded before the judge Dougal McDougal at the Esk (Qld)
Limousin Feature Show last Saturday.
Results were as follows.
Champion Bull Calf Tramahler Yuzoo
Reserve Champ Bull Calf Rosehill Y346
Champion Junior Bull Rosehill X319
Reserve Champ Junior Bull Rosehill X338
Champion Senior Bull Rosehill X289
Reserve Champ Senior Bull Tramahler Xterior
Champion Heifer Calf Rosehill Uno 2
Reserve Champ Heifer Calf Rosehill Savannah 5
Champion Junior Heifer Rosehill Querida 2
Reserve Champ Junior Heifer Stanley Park Xyris
Champion Senior Female Rosehill Tartan 6
Reserve Champ Senior Female Tarampa Downs Ultra
Grand Champion Limousin Female Rosehill Tartan 6
Grand Champion Limousin Bull Rosehill X289
Champion European Breed Female Rosehill Tartan 6
Champion European Breed Bull Rosehill X289
Supreme Exhibit Rosehill Tartan 6
All Breeds Sires Progeny Group Tanview Limousin Stud
All Breeds Dams Progeny Group Tanview Limousin Stud
Wanted
Five straws of PJBB Polled Talisman.
Contact Gary Hedger 02 6029 8640
Yours in sale topping high omega-3 Limousins
Alex McDonald