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LEONARD LIMOUSIN
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“While you own the calves,” still maintain same body con-
Leonard said, “they will gain dition scores and raise calves
weight with less consumption that grow.”
of feed. By even eating a little Most cattlemen share the
less grass, your carrying ca- idea that a 1,500 pound cow
pacity will increase. But the eats more than an 1,100
big advantage comes from the pound cow. Leonard likes to
replacement heifers you keep shake up that line of think-
back. Those females will eat ing.
less every day of their life, but “We show our customers
The Midwest Cattleman · April 20, 2023 · P22
the data that proves that to realize that the cost of main-
not always be true,” Leonard tenance and the cost of gain
said. “A major agricultural are about as important as
university did research on the anything you pay for. Even-
most efficient cow size. When tually, I believe, the industry
the results came back, the will make feed conversion
most efficient cow is the one testing essential, because the
who weans the biggest calf, whole point is to figure out
whether she weighs 1,800 or how to make the customer
1,100 pounds. In our own re- make more money, because
search, I've got some big cows, they did business with us.
but on a daily basis, they don't “I remember reading in
eat as much as some 1,200 high school that the most
pound cows. The customers likely way to achieve dreams
who keep replacement cows is by helping others achieve
out of our feed efficient bulls theirs. That's kind of how it
will find that those cows eat feels when we select for effi-
less in feed. The important ciency in our herd.”
lesson here is that selecting For Leonard, there's one
herd bulls for feed conversion more value-adding element –
will allow you to select cows hybrid vigor.
that wean the biggest calves “I do not know why every-
and not have increases in an- body with commercial Angus
nual cow carrying costs.” cows don't have Limousin
Leonard gets pretty excited bulls breeding them,” Leon-
about the significant advan- ard said. “No two groups work
tages when calculating feed better together. There's noth-
conversion. “Can you imagine ing better than an Angus cow
saving $300 bucks on every to raise a calf, but nothing
calf fed out!” he said. will give her a better calf than
“In time,” Leonard said, a Limousin bull.”
“the beef cattle industry will
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