Breed with a background

ACCORDING to the Australian Limousin Breeders’ Society website, the history of the breed goes back more than 15,000 years to an area surrounding the French city of Limoges.
It’s there that cave paintings showing the characteristics of the breed have been discovered and carbon dated.
The breed today can be found in more than 70 countries across the world, from Finland, to Cuba, South Africa, China and Australia.
The Limousin breed is the largest in the United Kingdom, the third largest in the United States, the fifth largest in Canada and the seventh largest in Australia.
The animal, itself, is a rich, golden colour with lighter circles around the eye and muzzle. The head is small and short, with a broad forehead and a short neck.
The breed was accepted into the United Kingdom in 1971 and that paved the way for its importation into New Zealand and Australia.
Limousins are extremely hardy – having adapted to a wide range of climates and landscapes over the years – and they have low birthweights, meaning they rarely pose calving problems. Limousin bulls are used over other breeds.
The animal is also known for the quality of its meat, which is tender and low in saturated fats and cholesterol.
For more information, visit www.limousin.com.au.