Thirty-one years of outstanding Limousin genetics will be on display at Talana Limousins’ annual bull sale at the Emerald Ag-Grow sale complex on Thursday, 19 September.
All 30 bulls on offer are JBAS-7, performance-recorded, genetically-docile and easy to finish.
Since 1993, Talana Limousins has sought to produce better-suited cattle to Queensland conditions and has steadily adapted them to the local environment markets.
Stud founder Gary Graham said they started with the best females they could find.
“We flushed and AI’d them for many years,” he said.
“Although those were wonderful cows at the time, and we received many accolades and sold many high-priced stock from them, our herd has progressed so far that if any of those originals were born today they would be culled in the weaner pen.”
Throughout the years of Talana, the Grahams changed the type of Limousin cattle to determine what was best suited.
Any problems the Grahams faced were dealt with ‘head-on’, the majority being docility and cover/finish.
Furthermore, they wanted to improve their herd’s fertility and milk production.
Gary and his son Anthony were so successful with their research, that they were able to support the use of their genetics for first cross and second cross commercial females.
Using performance recording, Gary and Anthony determine their herd’s breeding decisions by the traits they portray.
“We have seen so many examples of herds that make their breeding decisions almost solely on the traits they are able to measure to the neglect of others that are not recorded and the animals become impractical in one way or another,” Gary said.
“EBVs are an indicator – not the result – and are but a small, but important, subset of what makes a good animal.”
No matter what, Gary and Anthony have made it clear they only want reliable, predictable performance in all traits of a beast.
Talana’s female base is grown on grass and joined to calve at around 24 months.
Their females are expected to rejoin on time, raise a heavy calf and repeat annually.
“They have a strong early growth rate and influence the type of bulls we produce,” Anthony said.
“They have strong early growth with early- to mid-maturity with large scrotal, calving ease and ease of fleshing and finish.
“We know Talana Limousin bulls will work well in Central and North Queensland conditions, well, they already do.”
