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A history of the Limousin
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By: JANINE
RYAN, Farmer’s Weekly history
Born in France, refined through generations, and now an
integral part of Southern
Africa’s agricultural landscape, Limousin genetics continue
their remarkable
journey.
Where did
the Limousin originate?
The Limousin
breed originates in Limousin, situated in the West of the
Massif Central Mountains, between Central and South-West
France. This region is known for its high rainfall and harsh
climatic conditions, as well as its granite soil.
The breed
was originally used as a draught animal before being
exclusively bred for beef production. Unlike the Bonsmara,
which was a breed developed by purposefully crossing
specific indigenous and European breeds to develop a breed
with particular characteristics, the Limousin was developed
over the course of many, many years by generations of
farmers in the Limousin region, who worked to refine the
local cattle population based on their needs and the
environment.
Some sources
argue that the Limousin has been around for thousands of
years, with cave drawings of cattle, estimated to be around
20 000 years old, found in the Lascaux Caves near Montignac,
bearing a striking resemblance to today’s Limousin.
Why was the
Limousin developed?
At the
beginning of the 19th century, the Limousin region was known
for its various agricultural systems. The region was defined
by three types of districts: the productive grain-producing
areas (d’engrais), the undeveloped and marginal forested
land (forestiers), and developing agricultural land
(d’élèves). Cattle in this region were used for all types of
agricultural work.
Traditionally, farmers kept French cattle in confinement or
semi-confinement. However, Limousin cattle spent most of
their time outdoors, even in the region’s harsh climate. The
cows calved year-round outside to ensure a consistent source
of income, while heifers were bred to calve at three years
of age. During the winter, the entire herd remained outside.
The cattle
were handled daily throughout the year, and therefore,
farmers focused on selecting animals with a good nature and
temperament. They favored strong and hardy cattle capable of
pulling plows and carts, serving as draft animals.
Additionally, they chose adaptable animals that could thrive
in rugged terrain and under unpleasant weather, regardless
of temperature, while surviving on limited resources.
As time
passed and the breed developed a finer bone structure along
with ample muscle, farmers began selecting animals for their
ability to produce high-quality meat. Having already been
bred for adaptability and resource efficiency, Limousin
cattle became particularly efficient at converting forage
into meat – a characteristic that is still highly valued by
beef cattle farmers and feedlots today.
Was the
breed influenced by other breed genetics?
While the
region of Limousin was largely isolated from other parts of
the country, this did not stop farmers from buying in other
animals to crossbreed with the indigenous Limousin cattle to
improve their size and meat yield.
Farmers
crossed their Limousins with Agenais, Norman, and Charolais
cattle – breeds that were considered to have better
conformation at the time. Some wealthier farmers even used
Durham cattle from England to crossbreed with their
Limousins. This was a particularly expensive practice, as
Durham cattle could not be used for draught work, and thus
these farmers had to ‘keep’ livestock in addition to raising
their draught animals.
While the
crossbreeds resulted in progeny that were perhaps larger and
better shaped, they were less adaptable. On the
recommendation of the agricultural society in Limoges, and
with the exclusion of English breeds at shows in the 1860s,
farmers turned their attention back to breeding Limousins
with other Limousins.
How did the
shape and size of the Limousin change during the 19th
century?
At the
beginning of the 19th century, Texier-Olivier Louis, prefect
of the Haute-Vienne, was recorded as having said that
Limousin cattle weighed between 300kg and 350kg, and
measured 1,5m at the withers. This was considered a major
defect at the time.
However, as
farmers began specifically selecting and breeding animals,
Limousins began gaining weight and increasing in size. With
the introduction of fertilisers and pastures such as clover
and ryegrass in the region in the second half of the 19th
century, Limousins naturally began gaining weight and
started proving themselves as efficient feed converters.
By 1862,
sources say that Limousin cattle sold at La Souterraine
weighed around 600kg.
When was the
breed legitimised?
In 1886, the
French Limousin Herd Book was established. This was a
significant milestone for the breed, as it was the first
step in the standardising of the breed and the recording of
pedigrees.
The
establishment of the herd book also incentivised farmers to
not only breed Limousins as working or commercial animals,
but to hold back animals specifically for the purpose of
breeding.
In 1890,
herd book registrations stood at 600 000 head. By 1940, this
had grown to 800 000 head. (The apparent slow growth in the
number of animals was largely due to the disruption caused
by the First World War.)
The Limousin
is one of the most popular cattle breeds in France, and
accounts for around 30% of the total beef cow herd in
France, according to data from FranceAgriMer (the French
Agency for Agriculture and Sea Products) and Interlim (the
French Limousin Breed Organization). According to
Agriland.ie, the national Limousin herd currently consists
of around 1,1 million cows.
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