AFTER a lifetime of dairying and breeding stud Jerseys, Robert Reid could have been forgiven for hanging up his work boots.
But the 70-year-old has re-invented himself as a stud Limousin breeder, supplying bulls into the fertile North East valleys for vealer production.
"I've got to have a reason to get out of bed every day - you can't play bowls all the time," Mr Reid said.
The Reid family have farmed in the Kiewa Valley at Gundowring for generations.
Robert and his wife Thelma founded their Rolma Jersey stud in 1960, peaking at 300 registered cows in partnership with neighbour Ken Jones.
They were show ring stalwarts, with Robert missing only one show in 54 years at Tallangatta.
A dairy career highlight was when Jersey female Rolma Ferns Gem 18th won the Great Southern Challenge in 2003-2004.
A labour shortage brought their dairy farming to an end and the couple had a staged herd dispersal from 2006-2008.
Thelma occupied herself with breeding miniature horses while her job as a dance band pianist took her away to country halls each weekend.
Robert moved on to raising Angus-Friesian heifer calves and decided to join them to a Limousin bull to supply the vealer market.
"We had up to 50 crossbred females at one stage but have started cutting them back to build our pure French Limousin numbers," he said.
"I have always loved breeding good cattle and after dairying I know there is a big place for crossbreds.
"But there is a need for people to breed top seedstock."
The Reids bought females - all apricot and pure French - at the White Lakes and Donna Valley dispersals, and at the Limousin Muscle Alliance sale to found their stud, Rolma Limousins.
"Being an old dairyman I like them quiet, so I have culled on temperament," Mr Reid said.
"I like to wander out and pat most of them."
Thelma likes to keep an eye on udder attachment, teat placement and milking ability.
She believes beef producers are now only starting to place emphasis on these traits. Last year the couple sold eight bulls in North East Victoria to go over mainly F1 vealer mothers.
They are now running 50 registered Limousin cattle after an embryo transfer program to build numbers.
Complementing the breeding program is an extensive artificial insemination sire program, including Sympa, Ryde Uranos, Junior, Malibu, Panda, Millbrook Alistair and Viking. Purebred bull and heifer calves are weaned in October at nine to 10 months of age at an average liveweight of 394kg.
The calves are yard-weaned on to pellets and then grazed on the undulating pastures of phalaris, ryegrass and clover.
Heifers are artificially inseminated at 18-20 months to pure French sires.
Mr Reid chooses his bulls on muscle pattern, shoulder placement, calving ease and temperament.
Aiming to breed bulls with carcass yield and adequate fat cover, they are members of the national network of breeders called Limousin Muscle Alliance.
Founded in 2009 by breeders, the alliance aims to return to the traditional breed standards of the Limousin.
Research since the mid-1990s has shown that French pure cattle have two copies of a muscling gene known as myostatin variant F94L.
In a grading-up process, one or even both copies of the gene can be lost.
Alliance members are dedicated to breeding cattle with two copies of the gene.
A Limousin sire must carry two F94L genes to pass on at least one to the calf, producing extra muscling and carcass yield.
Market research by the alliance a year ago revealed a demand for Limousin weaners and yearlings.
The hospitality sector and butcher trade require carcasses 180-240kg dress and with 2-8mm of fat.
A survey showed a weekly slaughter demand of more than 4000 Limousin steers and heifers in Victoria, 3000 in NSW and 1000 in Queensland.
"Recently we sold Limousin-Angus-Friesian weaners in the fat pens at Wodonga at 9-10 months of age to average $822," Mr Reid said.
"In October we sold Limousin-cross steers weighing 331-425kg for $801-$986 or 232-242c/kg.
"Our Limousin-cross heifers weighed 350kg and sold for $833 or 238c/kg. The total consignment averaged $853."
The couple are taking part in the Limousin Muscle Alliance sale III on AuctionsPlus.
Their two lots are direct from the embryo transfer program and represent two foundation cow families from the White Lakes and KLG stud herds.
The Limousin Muscle Alliance sale is in its third year and will feature 70 bulls, females, semen and embryo packages on AuctionsPlus on March 2.
There are 12 vendors from Victoria, NSW and Queensland focusing on "muscle" genetics.
Tim Keys, of Keystone Genetics, at Wangaratta, has organised the sale on behalf of the alliance.
Last year's sale topper was a $6900 bull offered by the Bogong View Limousin stud at Mt Beauty.
"AuctionsPlus is seen by vendors as a great way to market cattle and enable potential purchasers to view the offering at their own convenience," Mr Keys said.
"The system is low stress on vendors, the buyer and the cattle."
