About Talana
 |
Talana is family operation that commenced in 1993 with the purchase of some elite donor females. Determined that we would not be just another stud following the leaders, we were resolute that the breeding program would be carried out using the best possible practices, even if they involved more effort, more heartbreak and more time. Convinced that the best way forward was to slowly and carefully propagate a battery of females from these original donors, we set out in earnest. |
Using semen from Australia, the US, Canada, France, Denmark and Britain we quickly realised which sires and donors could produce the right article. We initially figured that maybe 20% or even 30% of donors would not live up to expectations and would be culled. However, we ended up culling 50% of the donors and almost all of their progeny.
Why such a high attrition rate for females that are supposedly at the leading edge of the breed? The answer is simple. Most studs operate on the assumption that an animal has to have a defect or perform badly in order to be culled. Our cattle must prove that they are good enough to stay. Every trait, especially disposition, must be exactly in order. We have a simple motto - "If they lift their head, it comes off".
It has been a long, slow process, but we now have a core herd of about 150 limousin females that we cannot find a reason to cull. We expect this number to bloom in the next few years to around 300 females.