30/04/2026
📍The importance of bull selection
The breeder decides I like that bull in the photo … il try him this year , gimme 10 straws ..
So lets look closer at this selection method , the bull in the photo is a serious carcass bull , small , average calving ease , and very poor milk line if any at all . ( infact he may have 7/8 generations of Terminal bloodlines behind him
everyone eroding maternal traits bit by bit)
The breeder in question, his cows on average are already getting smaller , have lots of muscle but are not able to rear there own calf well …
The bull hes just selected is going to put him further away from where he needs to be , he may breed a few nice bull calves but his females wont be suitable for breeding as such .
The breeders in France using Crealim genetics have a different selection policy .
With there own Knowledge , performance data , genomics , Bloodlines and help from the Crealim advisor they select the bulls to suit the individual cows needs .
Small muscular cows get taller bulls , cows that need bit more milk get milkier bulls etc ..
Always trying to come back to producing a cow medium sized with shape , with Milk , Docile and fertile .
Always trying to fix faults ..
Important points ..
They never use a bull with no Milk , as it will take 3 generations (12 years to correct )
Never go small muscly type on small muscly type - it takes i cross to lose size .. 3 crosses to add it back in .
If you have size in the female you have many options .. if you dont your options are limited .
Calving ease + Milk must go hand in hand … for a number of reasons
The limousin breed has massive useage on maiden heifers , many farmers might use a terminal sire stock bull on the cows and then the limousin ai on the heifers these will end up as his replacements … they must deliver maternally
If a farmers use an ai Limousin sire on heifers and he is easy calving that bull will have massive usage way and above harder calving bulls .. Grenache , Loyal , Proper etc thats where the volumes of semen are sold these bulls daughters will come back into the suckler herd in massive numbers … again the must deliver maternally .
If a high usage easy calving bull hasnt the maternal genetics .. he chips away at the breeds credibility .
If you need advice on individual matings or any help in selecting sires from our growing Prestige Limousin range please contact Philip on 00353860743931 .