LimMark Program Sells 1,400 Tags in FY ’07

In its recently completed fiscal year (FY) 2006–2007, the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) sold 1,400 LimMark ear tags to 16 herds in 10 states. The 2-year-old LimMark tagging program provides a simple, flexible means for identifying quality Limousin-influenced feeder calves and replacement females in commercial settings.

“Cattle buyers want to know more about their purchases – including animal identification; source, process and age verification; feedyard performance; and carcass data,” said Bo Sexson, NALF co-director of member and commercial relations. “LimMark helps Limousin users identify their cattle and position themselves for greater returns by coupling reputable genetics with documented information.”

Commercial cattle producers may order up to 50 LimMark ear tags for every registered and transferred bull in their inventories that is at least half Limousin blood. Limousin breeders also can order tags to offer to their commercial customers.

The sky-blue Allflex tags are available from NALF in quantities of 50 or 100, and producers can order visual tags only or match them with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. They may choose preprinted tag numbers that include the appropriate year-letter code or blank tags for handwritten numbers.

Producers can use the LimMark tags with a number of data-recording services to provide age and process verifications, feeding and carcass histories, and traceback information.

The LimMark program and participation requirements, enrollment form, tagging instructions, and EID (electronic identification)-number lookup are available in the “Programs” section of the NALF Web site (www.nalf.org). For more information or to order tags, contact Sexson in the NALF office, (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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