Generating Profit With Limousin - Let's Count the Ways
by Kyle Haley, Editor of the Limousin World
While
most breeds of beef cattle would love for cattlemen to believe
they are the answer, the fact is one breed cannot be all things to all
people. Each of the more than 50 breeds currently in North America have
distinct advantages and disadvantages. However, some breeds are
definitely in a better position than others when it comes to serving in
a variety of roles within our complex beef industry.
The Limousin breed for instance, can't lay claim to having the highest
milk output or the most pounds of weaning growth. What the Limousin
breed can do is pack a multitude of economically relevant traits into a
single package, while keeping the balance and flexibility needed to
succeed in the beef industry of the future. A claim very few other
breeds can substantiate.
Let's count the ways.
Calving-ease-Without a doubt, calving-ease is one of the traits upon
which the Limousin breed was founded on this continent. Relative to
growth, the Limousin breed remains a calving-ease leader. What's more,
genetic trends indicate that as a whole, the Limousin breed has
increased weaning and yearling growth while keeping its advantages in
calving-ease. Which is important because any cattleman will tell you a
calf born dead doesn't weigh much at weaning.
Calf Vigor-Once calves are safely on the ground, the main objective
becomes growth. Limousin-influenced calves are born easily and hit the
ground ready to nurse and begin growing. Cattlemen the world over have
commented about how much their Limousin-sired calves develop in the
first 30 to 60 days.
Uniformity-Go to any sale barn in the country and you'll see just how
important uniformity is. Limousin genetics are both non-spotter and
non-diluter, resulting in no spots, no grays, etc. Whether its red or
black, Limousin-influenced cattle provide the solid color pattern
buyers look for.
Feed Efficiency-Feedyard managers and owners of Limousin-fed cattle can
attest to the advantages in feed efficiency inherent to
Limousin-influenced cattle. Limousin's advantages in feed conversion
come as a result of lower levels of feed consumption coupled with
comparable or higher levels of lean, dressed carcass weight and retail
yield. Simply stated, unless you are selling feed, it's not how much
feed is consumed, it's how efficiently that feed is converted to pounds
of red meat. Table 1 evaluated the efficiency of post-weaning gain of
the steer progeny of pure breeds of cows when fed to different market
endpoints. Limousin was the most efficient at three of the four
endpoints.
Red Meat Yield-While dressing percentage can be misleading (fat counts
too), Limousin is recognized as an industry leader when it comes to
yielding the most saleable red meat. Table 2 shows the Limousin
advantage, both in terms of dressing percentage and percent retail
product, while maintaining sensible carcass weights and ribeye areas.
With the implementation of instrument grading to more closely predict
yield grade, and with the growing popularity of case-ready beef, many
industry experts predict more emphasis and larger premiums will be
placed on red meat yield in the near future.
The Limousin advantage in feed efficiency combined with their industry
leading levels of red meat yield can best be summed in three
words-Muscle Growth Efficiency.
Maternal Efficiency-Many cattlemen currently using percentage Limousin
females in their herds know just how underrated the Limousin female is
in terms of her production capability. When looked at in terms of
biological efficiency, the Limousin-influenced female under varying
feed conditions is unsurpassed. Table 3 shows the differences in
efficiency of purebred, mature cows bred to have purebred calves, when
levels of dry matter change. In the five-year study, the Limousin
females fluctuated the least and finished second in terms of
efficiency, regardless of available feed. When combined with
calving-ease, optimum milk, moderate size and longevity, the
Limousin-cross female has a well-earned place in the herds of
commercial cattlemen.
Market Flexibility-The variety of Limousin genetics found within the
breed allow producers to build products which will fit virtually any
marketing avenue. High percentage Limousin calves fit many of the
industry's lean beef niches, while the percentage Limousin feeder calf
fits the programs where both grade and yield are rewarded.
Selection-As the third largest beef breed and the largest Continental
breed in the United States there is strength in numbers. Dependable
Limousin genetics are available from thousands of reputable firms
around the country. Additionally, genetics are available for producers
wishing to utilize Limousin either as a terminal sire or in a situation
where females are retained as replacements.
Palatability/Tenderness-Research has shown that marbling has less than
a 15% effect on tenderness and palatability. Further research has shown
that while Limousin may lack the high levels of marbling found in other
breeds, tenderness and palatability of Limousin beef remain at high
levels. This is due to the finer muscle fibers found in
Limousin-influenced beef as compared to other breeds. It also explains
the Colorado State University research which reveals an edge in
tenderness for Limousin beef. That study, conducted in the mid-'90s,
produced data showing Limousin beef in the Select grade was more tender
than other beef of the same grade. Furthermore, CSU research showed
that Limousin beef was substantially more tender when compared to the
results of the National Beef Tenderness Survey.
Given its acceptable levels of tenderness and palatability, in concert
with its low levels of fat and cholesterol relative to many of the
other available beef products, Limousin beef is perfectly suited for
today's health conscious consumer who still demands a good eating
experience. If fact, several growing branded beef programs featuring
lean products rely on Limousin genetics to supply their demands and
satisfy their customers.
NALF Marketing Programs-NALF's commercial marketing program has a
myriad of marketing options aimed at helping users of Limousin genetics
garner a profit for their Limousin-cross calves. DTN, feeder fax and
special Limousin feeder-calf sales have each proven that substantial
premiums are available when sellers meet up with buyers seeking
Limousin genetics.
NALF Genetic Evaluation/Performance and Research Programs-The North
American Limousin Foundation is a leader in the beef cattle industry in
terms of both defining and improving the genetic predictability and
performance from conception to consumption. From the generation of
economically relevant EPDs, to progeny testing and ultrasounding for
carcass traits, to participating in multi-breed research projects, the
Limousin breed's national organization is dedicated to making certain
the breed remains an industry leader.
Serving Capacity-Serving capacity, which is defined as the number of
services a bull performs in a pasture mating situation, is economically
important for several reasons. First, bulls with high serving
capacities can be placed in higher than normal cow-to-bull ratios and
still produce acceptable pregnancy rates. Second, in single-sire
breeding situations, a bull with a higher serving capacity can generate
higher pregnancy rates in the first 25 days of a 60-day breeding
season. Therefore, using bulls with high serving capacities result in
both, higher pregnancy rates as well as tighter calving seasons.
In a study conducted in Australia in the early 1990s, a veterinarian
and noted animal reproduction specialist made the statement, "I know of
no other breed with a higher serving capacity than Limousin."
This statement has been backed by scores of cattlemen whose Limousin
bulls share pastures with bulls of other breeds.
Also, relative to semen quality, a noted individual at a reputable
semen company serving all breeds has often commented on how Limousin
semen on the whole exceeds the others in terms of overall semen quality
with higher numbers of live cells, better motility and morphology.
Longevity-While the majority of the data regarding the longevity of
Limousin bulls and females can be traced back to "cowboy comments"
about how long their bulls and females remain active, the Limousin
breed is one of only two breeds to utilize an EPD for Stayability.
The Stayability EPD predicts genetic differences in the likelihood that
daughters will remain in production past six years of age.
Size-Optimum is the key word when it comes to frame size. Two separate
research projects conducted by the Meat Animal Research Center, show
Limousin cattle stack up favorably when compared to the other major
beef breeds. When actual weights and hip heights were compared among
females 2-7 years old, Limousin females weighed less and were smaller
in stature than each of the females representing the major Continental
breeds. In a separate study looking at carcass traits measured in the
cooler, Limousin produced larger ribeyes with smaller carcasses as
compared to their Continental counterparts. In addition to having
smaller carcass weights, the Limousin steers also had lower live
weights which would indicate they were also more moderately sized
individuals.
Milking Ability-Again, optimum is the key word when discussing milking
ability. While the problems associated with low levels of milk are
obvious, extremely high levels of milk can be equally detrimental to
the bottom line. Beef females who milk like Holsteins are known to have
higher maintenance requirements, are harder to breed back on schedule,
and have more incidence of teat and udder problems, all resulting in
females not as likely to remain in the herd as long as their
moderate-milking counterparts. Genetic trends for the Limousin breed
suggest that tremendous strides have been made improving milking
ability with the biggest increases being seen in the last 10 years.
Furthermore, when MARC measured 12-hour milk yield and 200-day milk
yield among six of the top 10 beef breeds, Limousin females fit nicely
in the middle of both milking ability categories.
Self-Scrutiny-People within breed circles, as well as those looking in
from the outside, have always said the real strength of the Limousin
breed is its people. In fact, the breed's biggest strength may be the
willingness of Limousin breeders to take a good, honest look at the
breed as a whole, identify both strengths and weaknesses, then vow to
make a unified effort to make improvements where needed. The Limousin
breed arrived in this country 30 years ago with much to offer the beef
cattle industry. However, with the good came some bad. But for the last
30 years, Limousin seedstock producers have not been shy about
confronting those weaknesses head on and then doing something about
them. The result is a Limousin animal that has changed for the better
and one somewhat different than what your father or grandfather might
recall from three decades ago.
The ways in which Limousin can be an integral link in the beef
production chain are many. Is Limousin the perfect breed? No. There is
no such breed. Is there work yet to be done within the breed?
Definitely. But, the Limousin breed of today brings a host of
economically important traits to the table while avoiding the extremes
which can rob profit. As a breed, Limousin continues to strive to
maintain its advantages in certain areas while improving upon other
facets relative to overall profitability. The result is a breed very
much in balance with the demands of our future beef industry. A breed
which has the necessary tools to help cattlemen, feeder, packers and
retailers generate a profit.