Limousin (cattle)
Limousin cattle are a breed of beef cattle originally bred in the Limousin and
Marche regions of France. They are recognisable by their distinctive goldenred colouring.
Limousin bull and herd near Bourg d'Hem in Limousin
1 History
2 Characteristics
3 Appearance
4 Temperament
History
The first herdbook was established in 1886 for the improvement of the breed
by natural selection. However, the breed may be as old as the history of
Europe itself. Cattle found in cave drawings known to be 20,000 years old in
the Lascaux Cave near Montignac, France, have a striking resemblance to
today's Limousin cattle.
Characteristics
Limousins are a genetic source of larger weaning weights and muscle mass
while maintaining relatively low birth weights. Limousins are known for
their muscular build, feed efficiency, ease of management and comparable
calving ease to other breeds.[citation needed] Limousin cattle produce the
leaner cuts of beef that have become a staple of the modern market.[citation
needed]
Appearance
Limousin cattle have a golden-brown coloration. Although other coloration
such as black have been developed through cross-breeding with other breeds
of cattle. In addition the the alteration of natural coloration other traits such
as polled (a genetic lack of horns) has been introduced through cross
breeding.
Limousin cow in Germany
Appearance
Limousin cattle have a golden-brown coloration. Although other coloration
such as black have been developed through cross-breeding with other breeds
of cattle. In addition the the alteration of natural coloration other traits such
as polled (a genetic lack of horns) has been introduced through cross
breeding.
Temperament
Limousin breeders have worked extensively on disposition issues since their
arrival in North America and are currently the only breed with a docility
EPD. Most producers find them to be as manageable and easy to work with,
if not better, than any other beef cattle breeds available today
Limouisin
Limousin is a very old breed; it may have originated anywhere from 16000 to
13000 years ago as dated by cave drawings in the French Lascaux Cave. It
was developed in the central Marche and Limousin regions of southern
France. The area is relatively isolated and the cattle breed was allowed to
grow with little to no external influences. Due to its environment, the
Limousin attained superlative hardiness and adaptability.
In the 1700s and 1800s, there were attempts at producing a larger strain of
the Limousin. The resulting cattle while being more massive also required
increased amounts of feed. The bigger Limousin was not an economically
sound option so it was abandoned and breeding programs were allowed to
develop naturally, their aim being higher quality in the medium framed
animals. One of the key cattle breeding programs belonged to Charles de
Leobary, who through rigorous selection established a herd of cattle that at its
time was the epitome of the Limousin breed. The success of his breedings led
to the Limousin being known from then on as the French “butcher’s
animals”. The first Limousin Herd Books were written in 1886. Its entries
were chosen with such scrutiny that less than half of all animals applying for
registration were actually accepted. The adoption of a herd book, prompted
creation of Limousin exclusive cattle shows in France.
Limousin cattle form part of the European Continental cattle breeds. These
breeds of cattle are sometimes considered exotics in the United States, as
their introduction to North America was much later than most British breeds.
The Limousin entered the American continent initially in Canada in 1968.
The first Limousin bull imported into the US in 1971 was named Kansas
Colonel. Previously Limousin genetics were attained using imported semen,
mostly from Canada’s Prince Pompadour. The North American Limousin
Foundation, founded in 1968 is presently the largest Limousin association in
the world.
Limousin cattle highlight three important traits within their breed: excellent
feed efficiency, adaptability and high carcass yield. The red or golden colored
cattle are good foragers and in feedlots are well able to convert feed into
mass. The carcass of the Limousin yields good cutability and it is commonly
said that they are genetically “trimmed”. The meat is tender and fine fibered
because of their low fat levels.
The point where the Limousin could be discredited is also the point at which
its breeders have taken the initiative to dramatically improve the breed. Due
to the difficult terrains in which the Limousin originated, it developed a
volatile temperament in order to guarantee its survival. Limousins have been
known to clear high fences with great ease and to be generally rather
unpredictable. In 1998, the North American Limousin Foundation created a
temperament EPD. This EPD rates the docility of the cattle allowing breeders
to select for the calmer animals and cull those who continue with difficult
disposition. Speaking to ranchers and breeders of the cattle, it is quickly
noted that the nature of these cattle is not up to par with their reputation. The
temperament has improved significantly, so much that some have cattle that
can “eat out of their hands”. One must take into account the Limousin is a
muscular animal whose sole movements will have a more significant
impression than cattle of smaller mass. While a reputation of being volatile
may precede them, experience with these animals will paint a different
impression.
The heavy musculature of the Limousin is a highly heritable trait. One of the
most successful crosses involves the Angus—it is an ideal cross for
consumers and producers. The hybrid will benefit from heavier Limousin
muscling, high efficiency and Angus polledness and marbling. From a
consumer point of view the resulting beef will include the highly desired
Angus taste and the leaner cuts of the Limousin.
All in all, the Limousin cattle have much to offer ranchers. They are excellent
source for introducing mass into the lighter breeds while maintaining
relatively low birth weights. The days of the legendary wild Limousin have
drawn closer to an end as selection has favored the more reliable animals. In
an era where leaner cuts of beef are the standard, the Limousin should not be
overlooked as an excellent choice of beef cattle.
http://cattle-today.com/Limousin.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limousin_(cattle)
Comparison with other Breeds
Characterizing the Limousin Breed in the USA
The Limousin breed is being compared with six other breeds at the Meat Animal Research
Centre in Nebraska, USA.
Preliminary results for the first calf drop were published in the June 2001 issue of the Journal of
Animal Science.
The breeds being compared are Angus, Red Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Simmental, Gelbvieh
and Limousin. All of these breeds except Red Angus were originally compared at MARC in
1970-74.
In the current comparison, about 20 sires from each breed are being used, of which about half are
sires in the top 50 sires for progeny registrations and the remainder were young unproven sires.
In the 1970 evaluation of Limousin all sires were French Pure but in the current evaluation most
of the sires were North American Pure sires.
From the preliminary results Limousin still ranks the highest for dressing percentage and retail
yield percentage. Limousin X cattle produced 3.5% more retail product than Hereford, 4.2%
more retail product than Angus and 5.3% more retail product than Red Angus. The Limousin
crosses produced about one per cent more retail product than the other breeds. The Angus breeds
have maintained a clear dominance over Hereford and the European breeds for marbling.
Table 1 Sire Breed Least Squares Means for Estimated Retail Product, Fat
Trim, Bone Yields and Shear Force of F1 Steers in Cycle VII of the GPE
Programa,b (1999 Calf Crop, 448 days)
Retail product
Fat trim
Bone
Breed
N
%
lb
%
lb
%
lb
Hereford
39
59.5
486
27.7
228
13.8
113
Angus
45
58.8
491
28.7
242
13.3
111
Red Angus
40
57.7
477
29.7
248
13.3
110
Simmental
41
62.1
530
24.8
212
13.9
119
Gelbvieh
40
62.3
515
24.2
200
14.4
119
Limousin
43
63.0
510
24.4
199
13.8
112
Charolais
43
62.2
526
24.9
212
13.9
118
1.8
24
2.1
23
0.6
6
LSD.05
a
Wheeler et al.
Wheeler et al.
b
Estimates from wholesale rib dissection prediction equations (Shackelford et al., 1995).
a
For meat tenderness and sensory characteristics the Limousin breed has lost nothing. Measured
by the mechanical shear test Limousin had similar tenderness to the British breeds and
Simmental but were clearly ahead of Charolais and Gelbvieh. The sensory taste test panel also
ranked Limousin similar to the British breeds and Simmental but clearly superior to Gelbvieh
and Charolais for tenderness.
Similar rankings applied for flavour and juiciness. (one more bit of research which shows the
minimal effect of marbling on eating quality).
Table 2 Sire Breed Least Squares Means for Meat Tenderness and Sensory
Characteristics of Rib Steaks aged 14 days (adjusted to average age at
slaughter, 448 days, 1999 Calf Crop)
Sensory panel
Sire
Breed
No
WB Shear
forcea
lb
Tenderness
Score
Flavour
Score
Juiciness
Score
Hereford
39
8.9
5.63
5.18
5.47
Angus
45
8.4
5.80
5.15
5.42
Red Angus
41
9.1
5.66
5.13
5.43
Simmental
41
8.8
5.83
5.17
5.34
Gelbvieh
40
9.8
5.30
5.02
5.32
Limousin
43
9.0
5.75
5.11
5.38
Charolais
43
9.4
5.23
4.89
5.20
0.9
0.44
0.21
0.21
LSD.05
a
Lower shear values reflect greater tenderness.
Sensory scores: 1 = extremely tough, bland or dry through 8 = extremely tender, intense or
juicy.
b
Whereas the British breeds have lifted their growth rates to be similar to current European
breeds, the European breeds have considerably improved calving ease and fertility.
Although based on only the 1999 calf drop the percentage of Limousin cross females reaching
puberty by 18 months of age was much higher than in 1970 although still slightly lower than the
other breeds. The pregnancy rate when mated as yearlings was also much better than in 1970 and
very close to that of the Angus breeds.
Table 3 Sire Breed Least Squares Means for Growth and Puberty Traits of
Heifers in Cycle VII of the GPE Program (1999 Calf Crop)
400
day
18 month
Frame
Puberty
Puberty
Age at
pubertyc
Preg.
No
wt
lb
wt
lb
ht
cm
scoreb
sc
expressed
%
wt
lb
Act.
d
Adj.
d
rate
%
Hereford
46
829
958
128.8
5.6
93.5
715
337
342
96
Angus
47
877
956
127.3
5.3
100.7
728
324
324
86
Red
Angus
50
872
973
126.2
5.1
100.6
724
325
325
87
Simmental
56
848
975
130.4
6.0
99.6
742
327
328
91
Gelbvieh
62
812
938
129.3
5.7
92.4
700
317
322
78
Limousin
51
835
964
130.6
6.0
84.0
779
352
362
83
Charolais
53
830
964
129.9
5.9
89.0
728
337
344
94
Sire breed
of female
LSD.05
44
48
2.3
0.5
15.8
47
19
20
20
a
Estimates for Hereford, Angus and Red Angus were adjusted to the level of heterosis expected
in 3-way F1 crosses (estimates of 23.9 lb was added for 400-d weight, and 15.0 lb was added for
550-d weight) to provide for unbiased comparisons to 3-way F1 crosses by Continental sire
breeds.
b
Frame scores were calculated from height using the equation recommended in Guidelines for
Uniform Beef Improvement, Beef Improvement Federation (BIF, 1996).
c
Actual age at puberty (ranging from 84 to 100%) and adjusted age at puberty, adjusted to
remove bias due to differences in percentage expressing first oestrus when observation of oestrus
was discontinued in early May by adding i(s) where i is the expected negative deviation from the
true mean in standard deviation (s) units.
These preliminary results suggest that the Limousin breed in the USA has made significant
progress in fertility traits while losing very little, if anything, in carcase yield and dressing
percentage over the last 30 years.
From Germplasm Evaluation Program Progress Report No. 21 on www.marc.usda.gov under
Online Information.
Comparison of Limousin with British, Continental and
Tropical breeds in Australia.
Presented at the International Limousin Conference
September 2000
Background and Industry Context
This project is part of an overall Co-operative Research Centre breeding strategy to
identify, by progeny test, the sires, breeds and crosses of Australian beef cattle best
suited to the meat quality specifications of our domestic and export markets.
The experiment used nine sire breeds (Brahman, Santa Gertrudis, Charbray, Belmont
Red, Charolais, Limousin, Hereford, Angus and Shorthorn) mated to Brahman cows.
Belmont Red is a composite breed derived from Africander, Shorthorn and Hereford.
The offspring from each sire were allocated to finishing on pasture in northern
Australia or to feedlots in northern and southern Australia. They were fed to three
market end points; Domestic (180 - 260 kg. carcase wt.) Korean Export (220 -280 kg.
carcase wt.) and Japanese Export (280 - 400 kg. carcase wt.). Twelve sires per breed
were used with a target of 15 progeny per sire. The CRC experiment was designed to
achieve these targets over three years of mating. Approximately half the sires were
replaced each year to provide links between years and increase calves per sire from
some sires.
Cattle targeted for the domestic market were fed for 70 days on a commercial feedlot
ration. For the Korean Market they were fed for 100 days and for the Japanese market
they were fed for 150 days.
The trial includes a comparison of Limousin X Brahman with pure Brahman and also a
comparison of Limousin X Brahman with Charolais X Brahman.
Results
The breeds were compared for a wide range of traits including weights, carcase traits
and meat quality traits.
Table 1 shows the effect of sire breed on birthweight, weaning weight and yearling
weight.
The Charolais sired calves were heavier at all weights than the other breeds. Limousin
X Brahman were 25 kg heavier at yearling age than Brahmans.
Table 1. Effect of Sire breed on birthweights, weaning weights and yearling
weight.
Birthweight
Weaning Weight
Yearling Weight
Charolais
36.6
212
279
Limousin
34.6
199
267
Hereford
34.4
204
266
Shorthorn
34.3
202
262
Santa Gertrudis
33.3
195
256
Angus
31.8
201
256
Belmont Red
31.9
189
256
Brahman
32.6
182
242
Charbray
33.0
183
230
Breed
Table 2 shows the effect of sire breed on carcase weight, rib eye area, fat depth and
retail yield averaged across all market end points.
While Charolais X Brahman had slightly heavier carcases than Limousin X Brahman the
Limousin X Brahman had the highest weight of retail cuts due to their higher
percentage yield
Table 2. Carcase results for sires progeny retail Yield (kg)
Breed
Carcase
Weight
Rib Eye area
No.
Rump Fat
Depth
Retail
Yield
Retail
Yield
(mm)
(%)
(kg)
(sq cm)
(kg)
Limousin
300
82.1
9.3
69.6
209
Charolais
302
80.6
9.3
68.7
207
Hereford
290
76.2
10.5
67.8
197
Angus
295
75.3
11.8
66.5
196
Shorthorn
289
79.3
10.8
66.5
192
Santa
Gertrudis
274
75.4
12.9
66.6
182
Belmont Red
262
76.7
11.6
67.5
176
Brahman
250
76.3
10.8
67.2
168
Table 3 shows the effects of sire breed on measures of meat quality in steers.
Limousin X Brahman cattle had the lowest levels of intra muscular fat percentage
(IMF%), were intermediate for cooking loss (%) and ultimate pH. They were low for
peak force and instron compression which both indicate greater tenderness.
Limousin X Brahman were slightly better than Charolais X Brahman for all objective
meat quality measurements except IMF%. They were significantly better than
purebred Brahmans for all objective meat quality measurements except IMF%.
Table 3. Effect of sire breed on intramuscular fat percentage (IMF%), cooking loss,
ultimate pH, peak force and instron compression in steer progeny.
Sire breed
IMF%
Cooking
loss (%)
Ultimate
pH
Peak
force
(kg)
Instron
compression
(kg)
Angus
2.66
22.5
5.57
4.58
1.72
Belmont Red
2.62
22.7
5.55
4.78
1.70
Brahman
1.95
23.7
5.55
5.89
1.81
Charolais
1.98
22.8
5.57
4.90
1.79
Hereford
2.41
22.0
5.58
4.64
1.84
Limousin
1.89
22.5
5.56
4.63
1.75
Santa Gertrudis
1.96
23.1
5.56
5.01
1.80
Shorthorn
2.62
21.3
5.59
4.76
1.73
Eating Quality
To test the objective measurements of eating quality a striplion sample from each
animal was tested by untrained consumer panels.
Breed effects on the eating quality (MQ4) scores are shown in figure 1. The MQ4 score
was made up of tenderness x 0.4 + flavour x 0.2 + juiciness x 0.1 + over all
acceptance x 0.3.
Angus X Brahman carcases were assessed to have the highest eating quality. Limousin
X Brahman had similar eating quality to all other breeds except Brahman which had
substantially lower eating quality.
It is clear from these results that marbling has little impact on objective measures of
tenderness or eating quality as assessed by Australian consumers.
The eating quality of Brahman cattle is substantially improved by crossing with
Limousin.
These results were extracted from "Producing and Processing Quality Beef from
Australian Cattle Herds" 2000 edited by P Dundon, B Sundstrom and R Gaden. The
complete paper is available from Alex McDonald, PO Box 262, Armidale NSW 2350,
email limo@northnet.com.au.
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Effects of Diet, Breed and Slaughter Endpoint on Growth Performance,
Carcase Composition and Beef Quality Traits in Limousin and Charolais
Steers
Authors I.B. Mandell, E.A. Gullett , J.W. Wilton, O.B. Allen and V.R. Osborne
Source Can. J. Anim. Sci. (1997) 77:23-32
Abstract: Ninety-six Charolais and Limousin steers were used to evaluate 75% grain
(whole barley or corn) diets and two slaughter endpoints (7 mm backfat or 568 kg
liveweight) in an experiment designed to constrain carcass weights to under
approximately 341 kg yet produce optimal beef quality. Each breed was represented
by eight progeny from each of six sires. The trial was terminated after 281 d feeding
regardless of individual steers attaining designated slaughter endpoints. Limited
availability of dietary energy in whole-barley diets resulted in decreased (P<0.01)
average daily gain and increased (P<0.01) dry matter intake, feed/gain and days on
feed for barley- vs. corn-fed cattle. Charolais outgained (P<0.05) Limousin but dry
matter intake was similar.on a g BW0.75 basis. Feeding to 568 kg liveweight was
associated with high (P<0. 10) ADG and decreased (P<0.05) feed/gain compared with
feeding to 7 mm. Corn feeding increased (P<0.001) carcass weights, fat deposition
and longissimus muscle area. Lean deposition was greater (P<0.01) in Limousin than
Charolais. Taste panel assessment of tenderness, flavour and juiciness in longissimus
muscle was generally not affected (P>0.10) by diet, breed or slaughter endpoint.
Twelve primal ribs from each of Agriculture Canada's marbling classifications (A, AA,
AAA) were purchased and processed identically to ribs from the test cattle. Shear and
tenderness scores were similar (P>0.10) across test cattle and purchased ribs, despite
intramuscular fat contents of 20.2, 27.1, 3 5.6 and 49.7 g kg- 1, respectively, for test
cattle and trace, slight and small marbled ribs. Slight and small marbled ribs did have
higher (P<0.05) taste panel scores for initial juiciness and flavour than ribs from the
test cattle. While 26% of carcasses from test cattle graded Canada B I due to either
inadequate finish or marbling, similar tenderness and shear scores were probably due
to age of test cattle at slaughter which averaged 481+45 d plus the fact that all roasts
were aged 7 d prior to freezing.
Comparison of Feed intake and milk yield of Limousin, Simmental and Hereford
cows in Denmark
Presented at the International Limousin Conference, France, September 2000
by Anton Birk Jensen, Secretary of the Danish Limousin Association
In Denmark, suckler cows used to be fed according to the standards laid down for dairy cows.
Based on information retrievals in the 1990s the energy standards for suckler cows were adjusted
and the feed intake capacity of suckler cows was laid down. These standards applying to both
suckler cows and young animals stipulate the same needs and intake capacities irrespective of
beef breed even though the breeds probably differ.
It was also important to study how the different types and breeds of suckler cows manage under
different environmental conditions, e.g. feed level which may be due to varying amounts of
grass.
To study how the production results of different breeds depend on feed quality, an experiment
was conducted, involving Herefords, Simmentals and Limousins. For this experiment a number
of heifer calves were purchased at the age of 6 months, evenly distributed on Limousins,
Herefords and Simmentals. These three breeds each represent a beef cattle type and it is assumed
that results, applying to e.g. Herefords, also apply to other British breeds.
Broadly, the three breeds represent the following traits: hardiness, mothering instincts and
production results.
During the experiment the animals were fed two types of feed - one type contained much straw,
i.e. a low-energy diet and the other type contained less straw and included rapeseed cake, i.e. a
high-energy diet. All animals were fed ad lib. During the drying period all animals were fed the
same type of feed. To simulate a grazing situation the calves were fed the same types of feed as
their mothers but from a separate feeder in order that the feed intake of each individual animal in
the experiment could be measured.
Each cow and calf were housed in the same box with partly deep litter. The calf was weaned at
the age of 6 months and then left the experiment. During the suckling period the cow's milk
production was measured once a month by means of machine milking. Both cow and calf were
weighed every month.
The experiment showed that all cows irrespective of breed ate more of the high-energy diet than
of the low-energy diet - measured in both Scandinavian feed units (SFU) and kg feed. This had
the effect that the cows on the high-energy diet grew heavier during the experiment whereas the
weights of the cows on the low-energy diet remained unchanged even if they were first calvers
and should have been putting on weight. The measurements of degree of fatness (determination
of body condition) showed that the cows on the high-energy diet had an almost unchanged
degree of fatness during the whole experiment whereas the cows on the low-energy diet got
thinner. These results are also shown in the table. There was generally no difference in the
weights of the individual breeds, except that Herefords grew somewhat heavier in the second
lactation compared to the two other breeds.
Breed
Simmental
Hereford
Limousin
Energy level of feed
high
low
high
low
high
low
Feed intake of cow,
15
6
13
6
12
6
Weight, kg
689
540
708
582
659
549
after 1st lactation
778
578
857
657
768
579
SFU/day
after 2nd lactation
The milk yield of the cows varied a lot from one breed to another, see figure 1.
Fed the high-energy diet, the Simmental cows not surprisingly produced the highest milk yield
whereas Herefords and Limousins did not differ much. The yields of the three breeds were
almost identical when the cows were fed the low-energy diet. For the Limousin cows the
difference between high- and low-energy diets was not significant. This means that Simmental
cows produce large amounts of milk if they get ample amounts of good quality feed whereas
Limousin cows do not produce more milk even if they get better feed. On the other hand,
Limousin milk is more concentrated than both Hereford and Simmental milk, no matter whether
they are fed high-energy or low-energy rations.
The intake of the calves differed as well, depending on whether they were fed high- or lowenergy diets, see figure 2.
Both Simmental and Hereford calves ate much more of the high-energy diet than of the lowenergy diet whereas the difference was smaller for Limousins. All the calves irrespective of
breed ate very little of the low-energy diet which is probably due to the fact that the feed was
very rough so the calves could not digest it.
The growth rates of the calves differed both as regards breed and type of feed, see figure 3.
Due to the high milk yields of the Simmental cows and their calves' relatively large feed intake
the Simmental calves also had high growth rates relative to both Herefords and Limousins. There
was no difference between the performance of the Limousins on high-energy and low-energy
diets because the cows yielded largely the same amount of milk irrespective of feed type.
Based on this experiment it can be concluded that Simmental cows pay for good-quality feed by
ample amounts of milk and thus calves with high growth rates. On the other hand, it does not pay
to give Limousin cows high-quality feed if looking exclusively at milk yield because this is
nearly constant, irrespective of feed type. It is to be expected, however, that the growth rates of
Limousin calves will improve considerably if they are fed an high-energy calf mix. Hereford
comes in between the two other breeds as regards both milk yield and growth rate of calves.
Net weight gain and carcass quality
All cattle in Denmark are registered in the official national cattle database. All Danish
slaughterhouses return data on carcass quality (EUROP scale), shape, colour etc. for each
individual animal. Based on birth date, carcass data and carcass weight the net weight gain of the
individual animal is calculated.
The following table shows the results of the last four years for the three beef breeds which have
most purebred animals and from which most semen is used for crossing on dairy cows.
Classification and net weight gain of purebred animals
Year
1999
1998
1997
1996
shape
net gain
shape
net gain
shape
net gain
shape
net gain
LIM
12.3
689
12.2
688
12.1
685
12.1
663
SIM
8.9
671
9.0
677
8.9
663
9.0
658
HER
7.1
569
6.9
561
7.0
571
7.1
560
Classification and net weight gain of dairy crosses
Year
1999
1998
1997
1996
shape
net gain
shape
net gain
shape
net gain
shape
net gain
LIM
8.8
639
8.1
608
7.9
588
7.9
603
SIM
7.8
656
7.0
600
7.3
609
7.6
617
BBK*
8.5
614
7.9
605
7.9
618
8.4
606
* Belgian Blues
It is gratifying to see that in recent years the results of especially the Limousin breed have
improved as regards classification and net weight gain for both purebred Limousins and dairy
crosses where Limousin has been used as sire breed.
Anton Birk Jensen
Secretary
The Danish Limousin Association
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Breed Effects, Dietary Energy Density Effects, and Retained Heterosis on Different
Measures of Gain Efficiency in Beef Cattle.
Authors: K.E. GregorT, L.V. Cundiff, and R.M. Koch.
Source: Journal of Animal Science. 1994. 72:1138-1154.
Abstract: Breed effects were evaluated in nine parental breeds (Red Poll, Hereford,
Angus, Limousin, Braunvieh, Pinzgauer, Gelbvieh, Simmental and Charolais). Gain
efficiency was evaluated in time constant (0 to 207 d), gain constant (310 to 540 kg),
carcass weight constant (333 kg), and retail product weight constant (225 and 210 kg)
end points and to different marbling score and longissimus muscle fat end points.
Significant differences were observed among breeds in all measures of gain efficiency.
Key points related to Limousin include:
* Even though Limousin had relatively low initial weight, their high live weight gain
per megacalorie of Metabolizable Energy (ME), their high dressmg percentage and
high percentage of retail product resulted in the highest values for retail product per
megacalorie of ME.
* Limousin were clearly superior in terms of retail product per Mcal of ME when
evaluated over a constant time on feed of 207 days. Limousin were 14% more efficient
than Charolais, 17% more efficient than Gelbvieh, 20% more efficient than Simmental,
and 29% more efficient than Angus when measuring retail product with 8 mm of fat.
At 0 mm fat the differences are greater with Limousin being 18% more efficient than
Charolais and Gelbvieh, 24% more efficient than Simmental and 34% more efficient
than Angus.
* Another very important finding is that Limousin and Hereford were clearly superior
in terms of estimated net energy for maintenance, with approximately 8.5% less
maintenance energy than the other continental breeds.
* When efficiency was compared on a gain constant basis there was a tendency for the
fastest growing breeds to be the most efficient. The exceptions were Limousin which
had below average gain and above average efficiency and the Gelbvieh which had
above average gain and below average efficiency.
* When compared at constant marbling scores, Limousin were inefficient compared to
other breeds because so much maintenance was involved when the cattle are fed to
achieve the higher intramuscular fat levels.
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Breed Effects and Retained Heterosis for Growth, Carcass and Meat Traits
in Advanced Generations of Composite Populations of Beef Cattle.
Authors: K.E. Gregory, L.V. Cundiff, R.M. Koch, M.E. Dikeman, and M. Koohmaraie.
Source: Journal of Animal Science. 1994. 72:833-850.
Abstract: Breed effects were evaluated in nine parental breeds (Red Poll, Hereford,
Angus, Limousin, Braunvieh, Pinzgauer, Gelbvieh, Simmental and Charolais). Breed
effects were significant for carcass weight, dressing percentage, fat thickness and
marbling score; for retail product, fat trim (8 and 0 mm); and for carcass lean, fat
and bone percentages and weights at two levels of fat trim (8 and 0 mm); and for
carcass lean, fat and bone percentages and weights (see attached tables). Key points
related to Limousin included:
* Limousin exhibited significantly less growth in terms of average daily gain than all
breeds with the exception of Red Poll.
* Limousin had a significantly higher dressing percent than all other breeds (Carcass
Wt/Live Weight).
* Limousin had a significantly larger rib eye area than Charolais and Simmental; and a
significantly lower percentage grading USDA Select or better than all breeds except
Gelbvieh.
* Limousin had significantly less bone than all other breeds.
* Limousin had significantly less fat trim than all breeds except Gelbvieh;
* Limousin had a significantly higher % retail yield (trimmed to 8 and 0 mm) than all
other breeds.
* While slaughter weights were 54.7 kg greater for the Gelbvieh, Simmental, and
Charolais breeds, there was no significant difference in retail product weight or
carcass lean weight because of the higher dressing percent, lower fat trim percentage
and lower bone percentage of the Limousin.