I recently purchased a three-year-old Limousin bull and five Brangus crossbred cows. What kind of offspring will result from this cross?

Mating a Limousin bull to Brangus crossbred cows should produce muscular calves that grow well with substantial hybrid vigor. The combination of breeds creates near maximum hybrid vigor in the cows and also in the calves. The cows should be especially heat tolerant, and fertility of Brahman cross cows has been viable as far north as south-central Nebraska.

The calves should not be limited by their genetics for lean growth; however, the combination of Limousin and the Brahman (3/8) component of Brangus on average could result in below-average quality grades.

The actual performance realized in the cows and calves will depend greatly on the available feed resources, the health program, and many other management decisions. For example, the choice of calving season, weaning program, and marketing strategy will have a direct effect on profitability. The single most important key to profit is to manage so that each cow has a healthy calf born unassisted each year and that the calf lives to weaning time. Beyond the above, the level of profit will depend on how well costs are controlled and the implementation of a planned marketing program.