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The large Limousin cattle breed are a French breed of cattle that are primarily used for the good beef and as sire cattle or suckler cows.
They have a meat that gives a really good yield and is naturally low in saturated fats. They are a popular sire for dairy farms it is not uncommon for them to be bred with Friesians.
They are an active breed that is quite alert but is very easy to both manage and maintain.

LIMOUSIN BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW

The Limousin breed of cattle is known for the good quality meat and are popular sire cattle.

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Conservation Status:
Not listed by the *ALC
Status/Rarity: Not at risk

Cattle Associations:
North America Limousin Foundation, Limousin UK, Limousin Canada, and Limousin Australia

Cattle Clubs:
Please refer to the North America Limousin Foundation, Limousin UK, Limousin Canada, and Limousin Australia for more information on the Limousin cattle breed

Where to buy them?
Please refer to the North America Limousin Foundation, Limousin UK, Limousin Canada, and Limousin Australia for more information on the Limousin cattle breed

General Information:
The Limousin breed of cattle can be found in over 70 different countries around the world.

They are well suited and highly adaptive to a variety of climates and environments. They efficiently turn feed into weight gain quite quickly.

The Limousin cattle breed has a very high immune system and is immune to most bovine illnesses. Although cattle should still get all their vaccinations.

They are very easy to both hand and maintain which make them ideal for smaller farmers or homesteaders that do not have too many farm hands to help them. They also do not need much assistance with birthing their calves.

The Limousin Frenc Herd book is the book that logs all the pure breds and ensures the purity of the breed insists that the Golden Limousin have not other pigmentation such as white or black.

The Limousin cattle are a rich gold color with light shading around the eyes, muzzle, and legs. They have a small head with a broad forehead often capped with a few locks of curls. They have a short neck and medium sized sturdy legs. The males tend to be a bit more robust in stature than the females with more muscling and thicker chunkier necks.

Most Cattle produce milk but not all of them are used in the dairy Cattle capacity for their milk. Cows only calve once a year and should have 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. They are not bred for the milk qualities which are rather low in quantity but enough to efficiently feed her young until they are weaned. They are very fertile cattle with easy birthing that usually does not require help and they have excellent maternal instincts.

Breeding Period/cycle:
Usually lasts 6 to 24 hours
Most ave. 12 to 16 hours
Cows usually come on heat every 21 days.

Estrous cycle:
Ave. 17 days to 24 days
Heifer - usually ave. 20 days
Cows - usually ave. 21 days

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CATTLE MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

The Limousin cattle breed has a reputation as the "carcass" breed as their beef is well known for the low proportion of bone and fat. The carcasses have around an 80% meat yield with excellent marbling quality to ensure tenderness. Their dress out percentages is around 58 to 63%. Their meat is low in saturated fats making it quite sought after in today's consumer markets of health conscious.

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CATTLE SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most meat Cattle will have a skin by-product, and these are usually used in some form or just as a hide. Their hides are a known by-product of their meat production and are used for various high-end leather products.

Limousin cattle is said to be quite an old breed of cattle that's origins may have begun in the Pleistocene period (around 2.6 million to 12000 years ago). This was a period where many megafaunas roamed the earth and one of the breeds of megafauna that survived up until the 17th century was the aurochs. The aurochs are believed to be distant relatives to modern day cattle.

There are cave paintings that are estimated to be around 17 300 years old that depict many bovine type figures such as the aurochs. These paintings were discovered in 1940 in Lascaux in the Dordogne region of south-western France.

Limousin cattle evolved in the French region, Limousin. This region encompasses the historic Limousin and Marche. It was in these areas that the Limousin cattle adapted to the hilly environment, acidic soils and mineralized granite. The country also had large variations in temperature which made the breed able to withstand various temperature changes with little to no problems. All these factors led to the breed evolving into a hardy, adaptative breed suitable to many regions and farm management techniques as well as an animal with unusually thin but solid bones.

Up to the 18th centuries Limousin cattle were well used for their draft qualities as they were able to pull their fair share in weight. It was around this century that the farming community began to realize the quality in the animal's meat

Canada was the first country on the American continent to import the Limousin cattle in 1968 and was then sent through to North America in the same year. The very first Limousin bull to be imported directly to North America was named Kansas Colonel and was imported in 1971.

The North American Limousin Foundation was started in North America in 1968 and is the largest Limousin cattle association in the world.

USEFUL LINKS

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Limousin Cattle Breed - Everything You Need to Know

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The large Limousin cattle breed are a French breed of cattle that are primarily used for the good beef and as sire cattle or suckler cows. They have a meat that gives a really good yield and is naturally low in saturated fats.

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https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.WYeahFBVJc6izDBji5TJ3gHaLI&w=120&h=160&c=8&rs=1&qlt=90&dpr=1.5&pid=3.1&rm=2

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Limousin

History

The history of Limousin cattle may be as old as the European continent itself. Cattle found in cave drawings estimated to be 20,000 years old in the Lascaux Caves near Montignac, France have a striking resemblance to today's Limousin.

Limousin originated in the West of the Massif Central between Central and South West France, a rather rainy region with harsh climatic conditions and poor granite soil. Consequently, the growing of field crops was very difficult at best and emphasis was placed on animal agriculture.

As a result of their environment Limousin cattle evolved into a breed of unusual sturdiness, health and adaptability. This lack of natural resources also enabled the region to remain relatively isolated and the farmers free to develop their cattle with little outside genetic interference.

During the early times of animal power, Limousin gained a well-earned reputation as work animals in addition to their beef qualities. Rene Lafarge reported in 1698. "Limousin oxen were universally renown and esteemed both as beasts of burden and beef cattle." At the end of their work life these animals were then fattened for slaughter.

Since those early days the breed has developed from a working meat animal into a highly specialised beef producing animal and are referred to as the "butcher's animal" in France.

Characteristics

The Limousin is large, fine and has a strong boned frame. Mature Limousin females should average 650 kilos and mature males 1000 kilos. The head is small and short with a broad forehead, and the neck is short with a broad muzzle.

Coat colour is golden-red and a lighter colour under the stomach, inside the thighs, around the eyes and muzzle, and around the anus and end of the tail. The skin is free of pigmentation.

Limousins with black genetics show a variation in colour. Calves can be light fawn or brown in colour graduating through different ages to a deep black at a fully mature age. Mature black animals can often display black coats fully tinged with brown hairs.

Horns are yellow at the base and darken towards the tips; they are at first horizontal, then curve forwards and upwards.

Statistics

An early-maturing breed, Limousins naturally produce young, but mature, lean beef in the medium weight range demanded by supermarkets and for intervention supply.

The Limousin has built a reputation for being The Carcase Breed. It produces beef with a low proportion of bone and fat, a top killing-out percentage and a high yield of saleable meat (73.3%). Half and three-quarter-bred carcases have excellent conformation well-suited to the market, which demands a consistent, lean beef product. A Reading University study into beef production highlighted the fact that suckled three-quarter-bred Limousin calves produce 98% of carcases classified -U or better. The meat quality of the Limousin carcase remains high whatever the animal's age at slaughter.

Limousins guarantee excellent productivity at a low cost. The bulls are extremely fertile and their good conformation is passed on to all progeny, whatever the dams' breeding, while their lighter frame ensures ease of calving.

The Limousin is a profitable converter of all feeds. Commercial producers around the UK testify that Limousins cross-breds demonstrate a higher live weight gain per kilo of food consumed than those of any other breed. Beef producers rearing Limousin cattle can expect bulls and cross-bred cows to do well on marginal land and their progeny to finish faster. In an age where profit margins are determined by production costs, this trait is of tremendous benefit.

Limousin cross Holstein Friesian suckler cows play a dominant role in commercial beef production. When crossed back to Limousin bulls, their three-quarter progeny produce carcases of similar quality and conformation to pure-breds.

Pure-bred Limousin females are top class suckler cows and provide a viable commercial option for producers with a closed herd policy. They demonstrate high fertility, a good milking ability, high conception rates and ease of calving. Use of the breed guarantees vigorous calves stamped with Limousin quality and home-bred replacements ensure total traceability from birth to slaughter.

Comparative
Comparrison of Charolais and Limousin as terminal cross sire breeds by Oklahoma State University
Comparrison of Gelbvieh and Limousin Sires in a terminal crossbreeding system by Oklamhoma State University

Distribution

Increasing demand for quality beef production has witnessed the breed becoming established all around the world including Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Hungary, Russia, South Africa, USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.

References (the above information was cited from the following sites)

www.limousin.co.uk
www.irishlimousin.com
www.dyfrilimousin.co.uk
www.thomlinson.co.uk

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The history of Limousin cattle may be as old as the European continent itself. Cattle found in cave drawings estimated to be 20,000 years old in the Lascaux Caves near Montignac, France have a striking resemblance to today's Limousin.

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Moriarty's in the Gap of Dunloe, Co Kerry, this month celebrates 50 years in business. It has thrived on its stunning location, its commitment to a quality product offering and its great service over the past half-century.

Working with Irish producers of handmade knits, tweeds and jewellery and developing strong relationships with tour-bus operators have also been key to its success.

Denis Moriarty is managing director of the company, his father, Michael Moriarty, having died in 2003. Michael was born 100 yards down the road from the site of the existing business in 1926 "with nothing", and went on to develop one of the most successful enterprises in the area.

The company has just added an 85-seater restaurant to the gift shop. The addition of polytunnels and kitchen gardens to the 4.5-acre gardens will add to the offering of fresh, local food in the restaurant. The new gardens and walkways were designed by Tim Austen, Bloom gold medal winner and mentor on RTÉ's Super Garden show. They take full advantage of the business's location at the entrance to the Gap of Dunloe, one of the State's most popular tourist destinations.

Loan approval
The development cost about €750,000, and it was largely self-financed with some help from the bank.

Moriarty says he found the process of getting loan approval relatively painless: "Obviously we've loans for the new project and it was quite an easy thing to bring over the line. That was, of course, based on having had no previous loans for the past 30 years and funding half of it ourselves."

With the new restaurant and gardens, the company now employs 22 people, two of whom have been working there for 30 and 40 years respectively.

Moriarty says the Celtic Tiger years and their demise had little or no impact on the business, which focuses almost entirely on the US coach-tour market, though this is likely to change with the new developments. If the events of September 11th, 2001, had an impact on tourism globally and US tourist numbers in particular, Moriarty says Ireland never lost its gloss as a safe tourist destination.

And now 2014 looks likely to be the company's strongest performing year in recent history. "We never enjoyed any great benefit from the Celtic Tiger and we never really suffered when the bubble burst but there has been a huge bounce- back of American visitors for 2014 and looking towards 2015. Those figures and predictions have also given us the confidence to invest what we have invested here."

Product offering
Consultation on the business in 2009 led Moriarty's to hone its model rather than change it. A close inspection of the company's product offering has seen gross sales since then increase from €900,000 to €1.35 million annually.

"We have quite a niche market," says Moriarty. "We were thinking at the time that we needed to alter things radically from where we were but we discovered that what we were doing was good and unique. We didn't want to deviate too much from what we were doing but wanted to add to what we already had. Our customers still want good-quality woollens, tweeds and jewellery."

Moriarty's specialises in the sale of traditional items such as handmade tweeds, knits and symbolic jewellery. While there had been a move away from such products by other well-known Irish retailers during the boom years, Moriarty says this product offering very much works for the company and its customers.

"We have tried to carry the more contemporary ranges such as Paul Costelloe and Jean Butler and it hasn't lasted six months with us - it still goes back to Claddagh, Trinity knots and Celtic crosses. In Ireland, we have an instantly recognised symbolic brand, which is still in demand and there is no getting away from that."

Irish tweed is selected by Denis Moriarty's mother, Margaret, from John Hanly & Co in Nenagh, Co Tipperary; jewellery is made in Dublin; and sweaters are handknitted in Co Donegal.

"The trends in the past few years were to get stuff made quicker and cheaper in China or Cambodia. We never did that and always strove for quality," says Moriarty.

Sourcing local produce for the restaurant has proved easier thanks to the variety of artisan producers in the region.

Moriarty adds: "With a change in visitors over the coming years, our product offering will probably evolve but we will still make sure that we are catering for our existing market."

That Moriarty's has remained a family business is something it has focused on in-store recently. Moriarty's wife, Ailish, has been involved for a number of years, and his mother and sister Mary Anne both work in the business. The company's motto is "courtesy, consideration and good value", and Moriarty believes these qualities have helped maintain the business over the years.

He describes his father as having been an "extraordinary man". "What we are doing now with all our new developments is really based on the 48 years of hard work and commitment that has gone before us," he says. "To do it justice we wanted to go big and bold to honour that, and I think we have achieved it."

moriartys.ie

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Finding a gap in the market for traditional Irish products

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Moriarty's in the Gap of Dunloe, Co Kerry, this month celebrates 50 years in business. It has thrived on its stunning location, its commitment to a quality product offering and its great service over the past half-century. Working with Irish producers of handmade knits, tweeds and jewellery and developing strong relationships with tour-bus operators have also been key to its success.

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SUPERVALU IRISH FOOD PRODUCERS AWARDS 2010:THE SUPERVALU Irish Food Producers Awards 2010, in association with The Irish Times and Enterprise Ireland, are designed to recognise excellence, quality and innovation within the food and beverage sector in Ireland.

The overall winner will be awarded the title of the SuperValu Irish Food Producer of the Year. In addition, awards will be made in the following categories:

Quality Commitment; Innovation; Local Producers; Best Newcomer; Best Fresh Produce and People's Choice Award.

Below are the three shortlisted candidates in the Local Producers and Innovation categories.

The finalists in the remaining categories will be profiled in The Irish Times over the coming weeks.

SOME OF the country's best-known indigenous food companies have been shortlisted in the innovation category of the Supervalu local foods award.

The judges were looking for producers "who have demonstrated an awareness that innovation is a key competitive differentiator and thus crucial to business success".

One of the successful candidates is a company that has succeeded in merging tradition and innovation throughout its 200- year history. Flahavan's is one of Ireland's best-known brands.

Founded in the 1790s, it was incorporated as a limited company in 1940. The sixth-generation family business continues to operate from Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford, where it has its oat mill.

The company, which has 65 per cent of the hot oats cereal market, sources its oats locally from a registered panel of growers. It employs 52 people.

Turnover at the company has grown in recent years, with the increase in popularity of porridge among consumers. As well as being the market leader in the traditional porridge oats market, in 2005 the company launched a new product, "Quick Oats". This microwaveable porridge was one of the first Irish-produced quick oats range on the market.

Marketed at both families and office workers, the aim of the range was to introduce porridge as a "convenience" food, one that could be prepared with minimal time, which, it was hoped, would attract new customers.

Quality Green Producers Limited is a producers' organisation that was established in 2005, when eight growers from the east came together and decided to pool their resources.

Eight equal partners now head the business, which is based in Dublin, Waterford, Wexford and Louth. The main products are tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. The company employs approximately 70 staff and has a turnover of €8 million.

The products for which the group has been nominated for the innovation category of the Supervalu awards are two specific brands of tomatoes.

In 2006 one of the members noticed that two types of imported tomatoes - sunstream and piccolo - were becoming more prevalent on Irish supermarket shelves.

"It was clear there was a market for these varieties, so we looked at the possibility of producing them domestically," says Matt Wallace, chairman of Quality Green.

The tomatoes, which Wallace says have a "noticeably better flavour" than other tomatoes, were being imported from the Netherlands and Italy. Quality Green broke new ground when it began producing these varieties in Ireland.

After producing a limited supply of the new product in 2006, the trial proved a commercial success and the company scaled up production in Grantstown, Co Waterford, and Rathbeale, Swords, Co Dublin. Today it supplies some of the country's main supermarkets, including Musgraves, with the product.

Carton Brothers Ltd is an eighth-generation family business, and one of the biggest poultry producers in the county.

Established in 1775 by the Carton family, the company is now run by Vincent and Justin Carton. At 225 years, it is one of the oldest companies in Ireland and it employs about 600 people in 26 counties.

The company's Supervalu/ Centra Garlic Part Bone Chicken Breast has been nominated for the innovation award.

The company launched this home-made chicken Kiev product in January 2010 after conducting market research and focus groups, which found that customers needed a quick "meal-time" product that could be prepared easily and quickly at home.

The product, which is produced in Shercock, Co Cavan, uses 100 per cent Irish chicken. The chicken is fed by the company's "crunch feed", which has been developed at its dedicated poultry-only feed mill - something that the company says is crucial in light of recent livestock and poultry scandals stemming from issues to do with animal feed.

Although its early days for the product, sales represent 16 per cent of the company's value-added chicken business.

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SUPERVALU IRISH FOOD PRODUCERS AWARDS 2010:THE SUPERVALU Irish Food Producers Awards 2010, in association with The Irish Times and Enterprise Ireland, are designed to recognise excellence, quality and innovation within the food and beverage sector in Ireland. The overall winner will be awarded the title of the SuperValu Irish Food Producer of the Year.

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Like other sectors of the economy in 2020, the Irish agri-food sector has been grappling with the impact of COVID-19. Farmers are relatively powerless in the face of market disruption and as the extent of COVID-19 emerged in the spring of 2020, it appeared that the impact on the agricultural incomes could be quite severe.

Given the challenges presented to the sector by the virus, assistance for the beef sector has come through additional government supports and in the dairy sector via price stabilising payments from milk processors.

Fears about the extent of commodity price reductions have abated in recent weeks, with a recovery in dairy and beef prices taking place more quickly than had been anticipated. There has been a more rapid emergence from the strict lockdown in Europe, though the risk of a resurgence of the virus and possible return to restrictions on economic activity in Europe remains. Were a second wave of the virus to occur, then commodity prices could again come under pressure.

For pasture based systems, a protracted period of dry weather through May and into June, had an adverse impact on grass growth in many areas in Ireland. Soil moisture deficits were widespread, but were eventually addressed through higher rainfall levels over the summer.

On a positive note, relative to 2019 input prices movements have been favourable from a farmer perspective in 2020. Feed, fertiliser and energy are all cheaper than was the case in 2019.

For dairy, cattle and sheep farms, input usage should be relatively normal in 2020 and costs are likely to fall slightly due to lower input prices. For tillage farmers, input usage is likely to be down due to the large decrease in winter cereal plantings and an increase in spring plantings, with a demand for lower input usage. Hence, tillage farmers will benefit from volume and price reductions on the input side.

The dairy cow population has continued to increase in 2020, and a further increase in Irish milk production of about 3 to 4 percent is likely if normal weather persists through the rest of the season.

While cattle prices have staged a recovery, 2020 will remain a challenging year and the additional support provided to the sector via announced pandemic support payments will provide support to cattle incomes.

Sheep prices in 2020 have been stronger than in 2019, with prices forecast to be more than 5% higher than in 2019. Lower UK exports to key continental EU markets, reduced imports from New Zealand and a contraction in EU production combined to leave EU and Irish prices higher despite the disruption to demand caused by COVID-19. With lower direct costs of production on Irish sheep farms due to lower feed, fertiliser and energy prices, margins and incomes for Irish sheep farmers are forecast to grow strongly in 2020.

For cereals, adverse winter weather meant that there has been an increase in the area allocated to, typically lower yielding, spring crops in 2020. Due to adverse weather at a critical stage in plant development, expectations are that yields for cereals in 2020 will be down on those achieved in 2019.

Given international supply and demand dynamics, cereal prices are expected to increase slightly at harvest 2020 for wheat, but very little change in feed barley price is expected. Forward contract prices on offer at present will not be sufficient to offset the significant reduction in cereal volumes that are expected this harvest. While straw prices are expected to increase in 2020, much reduced straw volumes will also likely result in a decrease in straw output value on tillage farms.

Whilst there will be some relief from lower input expenditure and slightly higher wheat prices in 2020, these factors will be insufficient to balance out the projected volume decline in cereals. A large drop in cereal margins and incomes in 2020 is expected, with the average tillage farmer struggling to make an income of €30,000.

While a portion of the peak milk delivery season remains, if weather conditions remain favourable and milk prices hold, then the average income on dairy farms in 2020 could be close to the €67,000 achieved in 2019.

The additional COVID-19 related support to be provided to cattle farmers should offset some of the negative impact on farm incomes of lower cattle prices. The average income on Cattle Rearing farms is forecast to increase by 5% (€9,700) in 2020, while incomes on Cattle Other farms are forecast to contract by 4% (€13,300).

Incomes on sheep farms are set to be up by over 15% in 2020, to more than €17,000, due to growth in output value, stable direct payments and lower total costs of production.

Overall, while the worst case impact of COVID-19 on the agricultural sector in Ireland would appear to have been avoided, farm incomes in 2020 are still likely to be lower than would have been anticipated at the outset of the year.

Teagasc has also released its Farm Enterprise Factsheets for 2019 based on the Teagasc National Farm Survey, which provide a detailed breakdown on the financial and technical performance of the main enterprises in Irish agriculture for 2019.

The Mid Year Outlook for 2020 can be downloaded at https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2020/Situation-and-outlook-for-Irish-Agriculture.pdf and the Enterprise factsheets can be downloaded at www.teagasc.ie/publications

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Impact of COVID-19 on farm incomes in 2020 'limited'

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At present, fears of a sharp COVID-19 related drop in Irish farm incomes in 2020, seem to have been averted following a gradual recovery in commodity prices and the provision of additional supports to the sector, according to Mid Year Outlook for 2020 produced by Teagasc economists.

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COVID-19 Initial Economic Assessment of its Impact on Irish Agriculture

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COVID-19 Initial Economic Assessment of its Impact on Irish Agriculture