Tanholm Rating System

Below are facts about the Limousin breed characteristics used in the “Tanholm Rating System” for type and quality.

Limousin is one of the true European beef breeds. There seems to be a perception among some cattle people that European breeds are all the same – this is a long way from the truth.

Characteristics

Limousin is a fine boned, heavy muscled animal, the benefit of which is ease of calving and a high yield of meat. They are low in maintenance and superior feed converters. In the structure, the hip to pin should be on a slight sloping angle, this also secures easy calving. The Limousin calf is not born heavy muscled, but develops this quickly as it grows.

As Limousin is “THE CARCASS BREED” the focus is on the red meat yield with a fat cover of around 3 to 6mm. The breed is well known for lean meat. While there are other breeds that lay down more fat, this is not a characteristic of the Limousin breed.

The Limousin is golden brown in colour, often referred to as apricot, with lighter areas around the eyes, inside the legs, and the muzzle.

In Australia and some other countries a black or red colour is accepted in the breed. However this is a result of cross-breeding with other cattle, usually Angus or Holstein-Friesian.