Performance
Since we introduced luings to our herd in 1982 we have found that our productivity has increased in a number of ways:
1. Cow survival – since the introduction of the Luings our cow survival rates have improved dramatically. The most obvious way this has occurred is a dramatic drop in the incidence of grass tetany – a big killer across much of Southern Australia.
We surmise that the very heavy hide and thick coat of the Luing makes them more resistant to weather stress than thinner-skinned breeds. The same ‘overcoat’ also helps to conserve body heat, meaning in cold conditions less feed is needed for converting to heat energy so more of the food intake is available for productive purposes.
British Milk Marketing Board trials showed the Luing Cow to be the most efficient of all breeds trialled, ie Luing cows weaned the greatest weight of calf per kg of cow exposed (ie cow mated). Our experience with them confirms their excellent mothering capabilities.
2. Carcasses – Our steers and heifers have shown consistently higher slaughter weights since the introduction of the Luings.
In two consecutive years we exhibited three steers, one in the first and two in the second year, in the Carcass Competition run by the Royal National Show Society of Launceston, for 1 blue ribbon and 1 red ribbon. The two-tooth steer we exhibited was the heaviest British breed steer in his class. All these steers we fattened solely on grass and had never had hand feeding in their lives.
In 1979 a ¾ Luing steer won Grand Champion Carcass at the pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver Canada. A pen of 5 Luing cross steers awarded “Champion pen of feeder steers” at ‘Round up 79’, Calgary, Canada.
It is interesting to note that in the UK they suffer from heat stress when fed in barns during Winter! A claim made by UK breeders is that they will continue to grow in a feedlot without putting on excessive subcutaneous fat. We cannot recall being penalized for over fat steers. We have no experience with grain feeding here, but Victorian breeders sold steers to Charlton Feedlot, which performed very well, and Charlton had indicated that they would buy all that could be supplied. They appear to marble well.
3. Calving – We have found the Luing calves are great survivors – our calving percentages have consistently been better than in pre-Luing days. The Luing calves are typically small but very active, alert and agile with a great will to live. In twelve years of calving Luing heifers I can only recall assisting 3 heifers to calve, and one of those was a breech birth. We usually calve between 30-50 heifers a year, starting calving at 23 months of age. In pre-Luing days we would have assisted more than that nearly every year.
Our current semen supplier, Dr R B (Bob) Church from Canada told me the year before last nearly all his bulls had been sold as weaners and nearly all had gone for use over first calvers – obviously the Canadians appreciate their easy calving attributes. He also said their best commercial cows were half Luing, quarter Hereford and quarter Simmental, growing out to 1400-1600Lb (they still speak English!) – a fair lump of a cow! In 1974 a Luing bull sold for $23 000 at Calgary bull sale.
The two most important economic factors in the cow/calf enterprise are cow survival and calving percentage – the Luing excels in both spheres.
Several years ago we had a visit from Ray Oliver, a New Zealand Luing breeder and he told us of his first experience with the breed.
Roger James (who introduced the breed to NZ) had persuaded Ray to inseminate some cows, so he had 10 shorthorn cows, 5 with shorthorn calves and 5 with Luing calves, in a small hedge bordered paddock adjacent to his home. Getting up one morning he found they had had a very heavy overnight fall of snow, followed by a frozen fog, giving a complete whiteout. He set out to feed the cattle, following the hedge with his tractor. The cows and the 5 shorthorn calves were found backed into the hedge with their backs humped and looking pretty miserable. He fed them and thought “so much for Roger and his Luings!’. Anyway he thought he’d better see if he could find the 5 calves and possibly he could save one or two. Driving slowly down the hedge to the bottom of the paddock he was amazed to find the 5 Luing calves playing ‘ring-a-rosy’ around a gorse bush and having the time of their lives!
Ray’s been a breed enthusiast ever since.
1. Cow survival – since the introduction of the Luings our cow survival rates have improved dramatically. The most obvious way this has occurred is a dramatic drop in the incidence of grass tetany – a big killer across much of Southern Australia.
We surmise that the very heavy hide and thick coat of the Luing makes them more resistant to weather stress than thinner-skinned breeds. The same ‘overcoat’ also helps to conserve body heat, meaning in cold conditions less feed is needed for converting to heat energy so more of the food intake is available for productive purposes.
British Milk Marketing Board trials showed the Luing Cow to be the most efficient of all breeds trialled, ie Luing cows weaned the greatest weight of calf per kg of cow exposed (ie cow mated). Our experience with them confirms their excellent mothering capabilities.
2. Carcasses – Our steers and heifers have shown consistently higher slaughter weights since the introduction of the Luings.
In two consecutive years we exhibited three steers, one in the first and two in the second year, in the Carcass Competition run by the Royal National Show Society of Launceston, for 1 blue ribbon and 1 red ribbon. The two-tooth steer we exhibited was the heaviest British breed steer in his class. All these steers we fattened solely on grass and had never had hand feeding in their lives.
In 1979 a ¾ Luing steer won Grand Champion Carcass at the pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver Canada. A pen of 5 Luing cross steers awarded “Champion pen of feeder steers” at ‘Round up 79’, Calgary, Canada.
It is interesting to note that in the UK they suffer from heat stress when fed in barns during Winter! A claim made by UK breeders is that they will continue to grow in a feedlot without putting on excessive subcutaneous fat. We cannot recall being penalized for over fat steers. We have no experience with grain feeding here, but Victorian breeders sold steers to Charlton Feedlot, which performed very well, and Charlton had indicated that they would buy all that could be supplied. They appear to marble well.
3. Calving – We have found the Luing calves are great survivors – our calving percentages have consistently been better than in pre-Luing days. The Luing calves are typically small but very active, alert and agile with a great will to live. In twelve years of calving Luing heifers I can only recall assisting 3 heifers to calve, and one of those was a breech birth. We usually calve between 30-50 heifers a year, starting calving at 23 months of age. In pre-Luing days we would have assisted more than that nearly every year.
Our current semen supplier, Dr R B (Bob) Church from Canada told me the year before last nearly all his bulls had been sold as weaners and nearly all had gone for use over first calvers – obviously the Canadians appreciate their easy calving attributes. He also said their best commercial cows were half Luing, quarter Hereford and quarter Simmental, growing out to 1400-1600Lb (they still speak English!) – a fair lump of a cow! In 1974 a Luing bull sold for $23 000 at Calgary bull sale.
The two most important economic factors in the cow/calf enterprise are cow survival and calving percentage – the Luing excels in both spheres.
Several years ago we had a visit from Ray Oliver, a New Zealand Luing breeder and he told us of his first experience with the breed.
Roger James (who introduced the breed to NZ) had persuaded Ray to inseminate some cows, so he had 10 shorthorn cows, 5 with shorthorn calves and 5 with Luing calves, in a small hedge bordered paddock adjacent to his home. Getting up one morning he found they had had a very heavy overnight fall of snow, followed by a frozen fog, giving a complete whiteout. He set out to feed the cattle, following the hedge with his tractor. The cows and the 5 shorthorn calves were found backed into the hedge with their backs humped and looking pretty miserable. He fed them and thought “so much for Roger and his Luings!’. Anyway he thought he’d better see if he could find the 5 calves and possibly he could save one or two. Driving slowly down the hedge to the bottom of the paddock he was amazed to find the 5 Luing calves playing ‘ring-a-rosy’ around a gorse bush and having the time of their lives!
Ray’s been a breed enthusiast ever since.
In Summary.... |
Luings can thrive where others survive – they can survive where others don’t!
The two most important factors affecting cow/calf profitability are the percentage of calves weaned per cow exposed, and weight of calf weaned per cow exposed. The Luing excels in both.
- Luings are probably the easiest calvers of the available commercial breeds
- Luings have demonstrated to us a high level of grass tetany resistance.
- Luings have excellent temperaments
- Luings are excellent mothers
- Luings cross very well with all commercial breeds in use in Australia
- Luings produce excellent finished carcasses, whether you are producing local trade cattle or exporters
- Luings are sexually mature early – no problems mating at 14 months
- Luings are bred for the environment found in much of the premier cattle breeding areas of Southern Australia
- Luings were one of the few commercial breeds being exported in substantial numbers to the Continent before the BSE ban on UK exports. NOTE: BSE has never been found in Luings
The two most important factors affecting cow/calf profitability are the percentage of calves weaned per cow exposed, and weight of calf weaned per cow exposed. The Luing excels in both.
