Hobbies And Interests
Appearance
The Limousin has a deep-chested body that is either black tinged with brown hairs or reddish-gold with lighter shading around the eyes and nose and inside the thighs. The head and neck are both short, and the muzzle and forehead are broad. The horns emerge horizontally from the head and then curve forward and up. They are yellow at the base, darkening toward the tips. The skin is not pigmented.
Meat
The Limousin are robust, with strong bones and heavy muscles. The adult cows have an average weight of about 1,430 lbs., and the males weigh an average of 2,205 lbs. --- considered within a medium weight range among cattle breeds. Meat from the Limousin is of high quality, with an extremely high proportion of salable beef (about 73 percent) and a low proportion of fat and bone. Because the muscle fibers are finer compared with those of other breeds, the meat is tender without extensive marbling from fat.
Early Maturity
Before it was raised strictly for beef, the Limousin was also considered a highly desirable work animal. They mature quickly and have a strong body. In addition, the cows calve readily at any time of the year and can breed at three years at the earliest. The bulls are reliably fertile. The calves gain weight quickly and efficiently on all types of cattle feed, lowering beef production costs.
Widespread Production
Because of its ability to adapt to a wide range of conditions and the quality of its beef, the breed has spread to countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Uruguay. The Limousin has also been bred with other cattle such as Angus, Holsteins and Friesians to improve hardiness, early maturity and weight gain in relation to food consumption.