THE Keystone Limousin stud provides the perfect breeding ground for the latest in genetics.
Initially, it allows Tim and Melissa Keys, who farm at Springhurst in Victoria’s North East, to showcase the heavily muscled, high-yielding Full French Limousin genetics they import through a network of partners across Europe and the UK and sell to Australian stud and commercial operations.
Secondly, it provides them with the opportunity to maximise genetic progress using leading sires in their own herd.
Founded in partnership with Mr Keys’ father, Alan, and brother, Jonathan, in 1997 with females bought from Limousin studs Homestation, Tanholm and The Pines, Keystone has evolved into an artificial-breeding business offering semen, embryos, livestock and consulting services.
Semen sires are from proven performance and maternal lines in Europe and the UK, and embryos, domestic and imported, represent outcross female genetics.
The stud herd of 40 females, which also includes lines from imported genetics, produces stud and commercial bulls and pedigree heifers for other breeders.
“One of the primary attributes of the stud is to promote the genetics from the Keystone Genetics business, which focuses on Full French Limousin cattle from Europe and the UK, which contrast the North American Red Angus-type Limousin cattle,’’ Mr Keys said.
While running the farm takes time, Mr Keys concedes the AI business, which appeals mainly to studs but also has a small commercial following, provides greater returns.
“They both started as glorified hobbies and have developed to the point of becoming quite sustainable businesses,’’ he said.
Sourcing the AI sires requires extensive research and relies on connections with breeders and agents abroad, including KBS Genetics in France – one of the two key providers of Limousin genetics in that country – with who Keystone have maintain exclusive Australian access.
“We seek out high-muscling, high-yielding cattle, which obviously have efficiency advantages over other cattle; they produce more meat for less feed,’’ Mr Keys said.
His awareness of the importance of feed efficiency and utilisation is heightened through his off-farm work, managing the Rivalea Feedmill at Corowa for Rivalea, Australia’s largest pork producer.
“Limousin cattle have the proven advantages in yield and muscle, the benefits of hybrid vigour, without the calving difficulties associated with other European breeds,’’ he said.
Springhurst, just off the Hume Highway between Wangaratta and Wodonga, has endured its fair share of dry years, emerging from four years of severe drought this year.
“But, with heavy muscle types, when things do improve, the cattle respond, converting energy into muscle rather than fat,’’ Mr Keys said.
Established practices might be hard to change for dyed-in-the wool British beef breeders, but the benefits of hybrid vigour were there for the taking, he said.
“To remain competitive, the beef industry has to keep up with the pork and chicken industries by adopting breeding efficiencies where ever possible and I think our Limousin cattle can play a role in that.’’
Coles supermarket’s decision to stop selling beef produced with hormone growth promotants at the start of this year is one of the increasing challenges the beef industry faces, he said.
“Beef has gotten away with it by using HGPs, but we are not going to be able to keep getting away with it; we are going to need some of this genetic progress to compensate. It’s a bonus for the Limousin breed and it will potentially force people into the change they have been avoiding.’’
Already, change is slowly occurring, thanks in part to the work of the Limousin Muscle Alliance, which holds a “Muscle Sale’’ online each March and works to promote the F94L gene, which is found primarily in Full French Limousin cattle.
It has been proved the gene has been proven to deliver 19 per cent more weight in prime cuts and 7 per cent more yield with no extra feed.
Discovered by the University of Adelaide in 2008, the gene is “the genetic verification of the benefits we have been talking about’’ Mr Keys said.
Clients Colin and Pam Willmont, who farm near Leongatha, switched to Limousins from dairying in 2000 and haven’t looked back.
Last month, they sold Keystone-blood Limousin-cross heifers, aged seven months old and weighing 335kg for 287.6c/kg ($963) at Pakenham’s prime market. Steers from the same drop, 390kg, sold up to 284.6c/kg or $1110.
If it wasn’t a Victorian record price, it was certainly very close, Mr Willmont said.
“We use Keystone genetics, sourced from all over the world, in an embryo – transfer program. One cow has grossed me more than $40,000 and I haven’t sold a calf out of her for less than $3000.’’
