Limousin cattle

The French breed of beef cattle Limousin is one of the oldest continental breeds of cattle. It is documented that cattle from the Limousin region were valued for their well-muscled beef characteristics in the 1700s and were in strong demand in the Paris market. By the ХVII century, these “forest” animals were used mainly for work due to their large size and strength, despite the fact that even back then, the oxen, aged 8-10 years were fattened and sent walking to big cities like Bordeaux and Paris.’

The Limousin breed originated in the province of Limousin, now the departments (provinces) of Haute-Vienne and Corrèze, in west central France. It is believed that the Limousin may share some ancestry with the Blonde d’Aquitaine breed.

The Limousin is remarkable because of its fine meat texture, its good muscular devel-opment, its excellent yield of lean, market-able beef.

According to the English standard, the animals of the Limousin breed must be long-shaped, the anterior part of the body must be well-built, the chest must be deep and wide, with well-structured and rounded ribs, the back must be wide, straight and well-muscled.

The longevity of Limousin cows is considerable. The morphology of female cows reaches its full development between 6 and 8 years of age, and remains relatively constant until 10-12. This asset enables females to produce high quality beef up to an advanced age, and after rearing several calves, they provide remarkable added value in quality categories.

The Limousin has enjoyed broad acceptance throughout North America primarily because of its efficient production of red meat. It is not a high growth breed when compared with three other major Continental breeds (Charolais, Gelbvieh, and Simmental).
Limousin cattle