|
Limousin
French
EFABIS Data
 |
International Name |
Limousin |
|
Local Name |
Limousine |
|
Location |
Massif Central |
|
Breeding females
(year) |
283.000 |
|
Trend of population size |
Decreasing |
|
Flock book established |
|
Origin – history
The upgrading to
pure-bred status took place at the end of World War Two, and formed
the basis for the development of Limousin flocks. Today attempts are
being made to increase the quality of the lamb carcasses, by
improving both their intrinsic qualities and the quality of their
production system.
Breed description
The breed has
great hardiness and excellent adaptability in very varied regions,
notably on non-chalky, acid soils. The breed is primarily farmed on
the Millevaches plateau, at an altitude of 600-900m. The climate is
harsh and varied, with high rainfall in winter, dry summers and
light acidic soils. It is a breed noted for its early sexual
maturity, with some ability for out of season breeding, and for its
fertility and good milk quality. The breed’s aptitude for life in
the open air ensures its success both in mid-range mountain areas (northern
Massif Central, western Vosges) and in warm, dry areas (Aude,
eastern Pyrenees).
Both pure-bred and cross-bred lambs are used in meat production,
with 50% of ewes pure-bred. The prolificity rate of 1,44 per ewe and
good milk qualities allow breeders to obtain pure-bred carcasses
weighing 16 - 18 kg from lambs raised in “sheepfold”, and 18 - 20 kg
from grass-fed lambs. Lambing usually takes place over Winter,
between December and March.
The breed is white with horns on both males and females. The mature
rams weigh 90-110kg, and the ewes weigh 60-65kg.
Conservation activities
There is a
selective breeding plan run by UPRA aimed at improving the milk
value, proflicacy, lambing interval and growth potential of the
breed. Using registered flocks, the best young rams are selected
following on-farm and station testing of speed of growth, muscle
development and fattening. The rams are then progeny tested for
maternal aptitudes and distributed via the AI Centre at Croze (Creuse).
This approach allows for assessment of reproductive qualities and
slaughter qualities, whilst improving the communication between
breeders with a view to improving the genetic value of the breed.
Contact: UPRA
Races Ovines des Massifs Route de Thiers site de Marmilhat 63370
Lempdes
Telephone : 0473927407
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