Focus Dams Top Limousin Breed

Maternal efficiency is a hallmark of profitability in the cattle business. Each year, the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) honors the elite mother cows in its registry with inclusion on the Focus Dams list. Only 127 proven cows and 204 prospect females, together representing less than 1 percent of the breed’s active dams, earned mention during the fall 2007 evaluation.

Proven Focus Dams must have at least six calves reported to NALF within contemporary groups, while Prospect Focus Dams are those with three to five calves properly reported. Depending upon the actual number of progeny, females then must meet certain criteria for maximum age at last calving. Further, the cows must have complete production histories, and their calves had to weigh 5 percent more than the average weaning weight in their contemporary groups.

With 20 daughters on the latest lists, COLE First Down 46D repeats as the leading sire of Focus Dams. Other sires with five or more daughters named were COLE Wulf Hunt, Wulfs Guardian 5074G, Wulfs Rambler 8400X, CHAZ First Choice 6004F, LVLS Farmer 4G and Waddles Clear Choice 360.

The breeding programs at Coleman Limousin Ranch, Charlo, Mont.; Wulf Limousin Farms, Morris, Minn.; Running Creek Ranch, Elizabeth, Colo.; Symens Brothers, Amherst, S.D.; and Doug Christiansen and family, Balaton, Minn., each produced 10 or more of the current Focus Dams.

For the complete Focus Dam lists or more information about maternal efficiency in cattle production, see the “Programs” section of the NALF Web site (www.nalf.org) or call the NALF office at (303) 220-1693.

The North American Limousin Foundation (www.nalf.org), headquartered in Centennial, Colo., provides programs and services – including genetic evaluation of 5,000 active sires – to nearly 4,000 members and their commercial customers. The Limousin breed and its Lim‑Flex® hybrid lead the beef industry in muscle-growth efficiency and ideally complement British breeds.

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