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Final round of Limousin Visions Quest posts 72-cent cost of gainThe data-collection phase of Visions Quest Round 3, the North American Limousin Foundation's cattle-feeding and carcass-discovery project with Colorado State University, concluded July 23 at the JBS Swift and Co., packing plant in Greeley, Colo. With data analysis continuing, the final chapter of the three-year VQ endeavor promises to provide critical lessons for the breed's long-term success in providing the most profitable genetics and crossbreeding solutions for commercial cattle producers. "These cattle demonstrate the benefits of complementarity to be had with Limousin genetics," said Frank Padilla, director of member and commercial relations for NALF. "They are an example of how Limousin and Lim-Flex producers are addressing the needs of today's beef industry." The third round's 158 head (including a "control group" of 20 Angus steers) gained, on average, 3.5 pounds per day. On an "as fed" basis, they converted 8.6 pounds of feed to a pound of liveweight. The average dry-matter (DM) conversion stood at 6.5-to-1. From a feed-only perspective, they posted a 72-cent cost of gain. The Limousin steers finished the heaviest at 1,360 pounds, followed by the Lim-Flex steers (1,338 pounds), then the Limousin heifers (1,270 pounds) and the Lim-Flex heifers (1,248 pounds). Overall, the cattle averaged 1,388 pounds of liveweight at harvest, with an 876-pound average carcass that dressed at about 66 percent. With backfat and ribeye area (REA) averaging 0.5 inch and 15.5 square inches, respectively, the typical Yield Grade (YG) was 2.5. NALF created VQ as follow-up to the Limousin Visions Symposium, which it conducted in December 2004. The project's primary purpose was to provide an educational experience in retained ownership. Meanwhile, it also generated critical performance and carcass data for genetic evaluation and ongoing breed improvement. Round 3 would not have been possible without the support of the Limousin breeders and commercial cattle producers who enrolled cattle. --Running Creek Ranch, Elizabeth, Colo., 20 head; --Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., 10 head; --Ochsner Limousin, Kersey, Colo., 5 head; --Magness Land and Cattle, Platteville, Colo., 9 head; --Linhart Limousin, Leon, Iowa, 9 head; --Mormon Trail Farm, Weldon, Iowa, 5 head; --Wulf Limousin Farms, Morris, Minn., 30 head; --Potterosa Limousin Farms, Redwood Falls, Minn., 5 head; --Bullis Creek Ranch, Wood Lake, Neb., 1 head; --Vaughn Farms, Cavalier, N.D., 10 head; --Rocking S Limousin, McLeod, N.D., 5 head; --Buckhorn Creek Ranch, Sulphur, Okla., 10 head; --Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla., 20 head; --H&T Bies Cattle Co., Fairburn, S.D., 10 head; --Spring Creeks Cattle Co., Wauzeka, Wis., 4 head; --Waddle Limousin Ranch, Pine Bluffs, Wyo., 5 head. The North American Limousin Foundation (www.nalf.org), headquartered in Centennial, Colo., provides programs and services--including genetic evaluation of 5,000 active sires--to more than 4,000 members and their commercial customers. The Limousin breed and its Lim-Flex hybrid lead the beef industry in muscle-growth efficiency and ideally complement British breeds. 9/22/08 Date: 9/18/08
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