Kuda Limousin Ranch

Kuda Limousin Ranch Raising Registered Black Limousin Cattle

This is a great example of what 6 months can do. These full brothers are only 6 months apart in age. Sometimes people wa...
05/30/2026

This is a great example of what 6 months can do. These full brothers are only 6 months apart in age. Sometimes people want to come pick out a bull right at weaning, but I usually have them wait until the calves are closer to a year old because they can change a lot in just a few months.

What a great picture captured by Kim Hansen. This isn’t Photoshop — she just happened to be in the right place at the right time and has an eye for capturing great pictures.

www.kudalimousinranch.com

I love weaning off calves that look like this. Such a thick chunky monkey. This one is sired by my herd bull KUDA Lock...
05/29/2026

I love weaning off calves that look like this. Such a thick chunky monkey. This one is sired by my herd bull KUDA Lock N load 182L out of CELL Envision 7023E.
CELL Envision helped me reach a goal in my herd that I can see being passed down generations. Bulls make a big impact on your herd, let me help you choose one to reach your goals.

www.kudalimouisnranch.com

Day 3 of reading EPDs. This last section we have Mature and Indexes Values.MWT - Mature Cow Weight-Body weight of cows ...
05/21/2026

Day 3 of reading EPDs. This last section we have Mature and Indexes Values.

MWT - Mature Cow Weight-Body weight of cows adjusted to six years of age at body condition score 5.
CERY - Cow Energy Requirement (Yearly)-Mature body weight, lactation potential, and birth weight are primary predictors of energy requirements of a 6 years old cow to raise a calf.
$TPI -Terminal Profit Index, constructed to identify terminal sires that produce the highest profit potential on fed cattle.
$G - Dollar gain is an index to reflect an animal’s feed conversion capability, and identify animals that are superior in feed efficiency.
$MPI - Maternal Profit Index - which is an economic selection index used in Limousin cattle breeding to help producers select animals that will improve the profitability of their cow herd.
$IPI - Index Profitability Index - which is a measure used to evaluate the economic value of a Limousin bull's progeny based on various traits. It helps breeders make informed decisions by predicting the potential profitability of the offspring.

These EPD numbers are fairly new so if you would like more information about these you can go to:
http://nalf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MPI-IPI-MWT-CERY-catalogue-inserts5.pdf
https://nalf.org/learn/understanding-epds/

A few words of advice- don't single trait select. Don't focus on one number, like calving ease, for example. You will end up not being happy with the end result. Look at the broad spectrum, fill in the gaps where your cows might be lacking.

Your herd bull is your most important purchase and is the biggest part of your budget. Your bull is 1/2 of every calf bo...
05/20/2026

Your herd bull is your most important purchase and is the biggest part of your budget. Your bull is 1/2 of every calf born every single year. A good bull should improve your herd, and provide you with replacement heifers that are at a minimum equal to, but mostly better than their dams.
CELL Envision 7023E is one of many bulls we have used in our program that has made a powerful impact in our herd. You can see the difference he has made in every one of his calves, thickness, muscle, growth, and power.

www.kudalimousinranch.com

Day 2 of reading EPDs. This section is on Intake and Carcass. I hope this break down of Expected Progeny Differences (...
05/09/2026

Day 2 of reading EPDs. This section is on Intake and Carcass.
I hope this break down of Expected Progeny Differences (EPD) helps on understand all these numbers.
These are the Limousin breed EPD numbers. I know other breeds of cattle have some different numbers and letters, but this will help to get an understanding of all of them a little better.

YG- Yield Grade- Yield grades range from 1 through 5, with lower values being more favorable, indicating great yield of lean beef from the carcass.

CW-Carcass Weight -Higher value means heavier actual hot carcass weight

CREA- Ribeye area-Differences in ribeye area in inches, measured between the 12th and 13th rib. Greater ribeye areas are preferable. This bull is long bodied and is in the top 25% for CREA.

MARB- Marbling-Predicts the differences in the degree of intramuscular fat within the ribeye. Greater marbling numbers indicate higher carcass quality grades.

CFAT- Fat Thickness - Differences for fat thickness, in inches, for a carcass over the 12th rib. Smaller numbers are preferred for fat thickness, as excess fat can be detrimental to yield grade.

DMI- Dry Matter Intake - is expressed in difference in pounds of daily dry matter intake. A lower EPD is representative of genetic potential for progeny to consume less feed.

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This is why we raise Limousin cattle. The muscling — oh, muscles always look good, plus they add pounds. Higher carcass ...
05/08/2026

This is why we raise Limousin cattle. The muscling — oh, muscles always look good, plus they add pounds. Higher carcass yield. Leaner meat. Docility..... And these mommas keep having and raising calves for many, many years. Their longevity is amazing! So many positives about Limousin cattle.

www.kudalimousinranch.com

This week we will talk about cattle EPDs. (Expected Progeny Differences) EPDs helps to predict the performance of the fu...
05/06/2026

This week we will talk about cattle EPDs. (Expected Progeny Differences)
EPDs helps to predict the performance of the future offspring of the parents. The numbers are based on data from the animal’s pedigree, and performance, plus the performance of its relatives and offspring.

I will do a section at a time to explain what the letters and numbers mean.
Here we are looking at Growth and Maternal EPD numbers on a Limousin bull.

CED -Calving Ease direct -Higher the number is greater calving ease, less assistance needed. This Limousin bull is in the 45th percentile of his breed.
BW- Birth Weight -Lower number means lighter progeny at birth.
High is 9.5 Low is -7.1 to give you a reference. This bull is a touch above average. 2.0 is not a calving ease concern to me.
WW- Weaning Weight- Higher number means calves will be heavier at weaning
This is a number to watch for good growth in the calves. This bull is in the top 15% in WW.
ADG- Average Daily Gain- How fast the calves grow. Top 4% in the breed for this bull. His calves should gain pounds fast.
YW- Yearling Weight- Higher number means calves will be heavier as yearlings. Top 10% of the breed for this bull. His Sire is #1 in all 3 categories of WW, ADG and YW.
MILK- Higher value means heavier weaning weight due to milk production. High is 46 low is -3, for reference. I would match this bull with a cow that has a higher milk number. My goal is to have the progeny above 25 in milk, which relates to heifers having a good supply of milk to raise a calf.
TM-Total maternal An index, combining growth and milk information as a predictor of weaning weight performance of calves from a sire’s daughters. A greater TM value means a mother that returns comparatively higher weaning weights on her calves.
CEM- Calving Ease Maternal- Higher value predicts more of his daughters will calve unassisted
SC- Scrotal Circumference - a good indicator of age at puberty in a bull’s daughter. This bull is in top 1% in SC, which means I shouldn’t have any problems breeding heifers at 14 months of age or young bulls passing their semen test. I like to see SC numbers above .65 on any bull I pick to use.
STAY- predicts the genetic difference, in terms of percent probability, that a bull’s daughter’s will stay productive in the herd to at least six years of age.
DOC- Docility- Higher number of docility represent genetics for calmer behavior.

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A little funny for laughter day. Everybody knows what "the look" from mom means.
05/01/2026

A little funny for laughter day.
Everybody knows what "the look" from mom means.

The battle with ticks are real. I have chatted with several veterinarians about the Asian tick disease, to be proactive...
04/29/2026

The battle with ticks are real. I have chatted with several veterinarians about the Asian tick disease, to be proactive.
What I have learned, is the strong will survive. Keep mineral and salt out for our cattle. Do what we can to keep their immune systems strong, and keep ticks off of them or at a minimum.
Here is a link to learn more.

https://www.rfdtv.com/asian-longhorned-ticks-raise-concerns-for-kansas-cattle-producers

04/29/2026

We have one dairy cow on our place, Ole Hattie. She is an Ayrshire and has done an excellent job being a recipient and raising embryo babies. She just had another embryo heifer for us in March.
I'm watching her "clean" her calf and wonder what her calf might be thinking. You can hear Hattie, "talking" to her calf as she is cleaning her.
What do you think the calf might be thinking?

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Russellville, MO

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