The Luing Breed
10/04/2006 ( Beef, Industry )Reproduced from The Luing Cattle Society literature.
The Luing was developed as a cow breed – a truly commercial breed – to help fill a gap in Beef Production – the need for a suitable cow which could be bred pure or crossed and which could rear a well grown calf under adverse conditions.
It is a breed which was developed for the modern requirements of the Beef industry:
- to suit the hill and upland environments encountered in many parts of the world;
- to be a self propogating breed;
- to be a good roughage converter, therefore requiring less costly feeding and thus making it a commercially viable breed;
- and to produce a female which is efficient as a mother.
History Of The Luing Breed
The Luing Breed was evolved by the Cadzow brothers on the island of Luing which is situated off the West Coast of Scotland and was officially recognised by the British Government as a breed in its own right in 1965. There are now herds of Luing throughout Great Britain and Ireland, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South America.
Full credit must be given to the two great beef breeds which were the foundation of the Luing – the Beef Shorthorn and the Highlander of the 1940’s. No two British breeds are more complementary to each other, with both of them having contributed something of great value to the Luing. Among these qualities are the ruggedness and hardiness gained from the Highlander and the fleshing qualities from the Shorthorn.
The herd on Luing was started with the selection in 1947 of some of the best first cross Shorthorn/Highland heifers that could be procured. These heifers were bred to the Shorthorn bull, Cruggleton Alastair. Two sons of this breeding were kept and mated to their half sisters: Luing Mist in 1952 and Luing Oxo in 1953. From then on, by following up this in-breeding with line-breeding, the Luing breed was firmly established and with many generations sired by Luing bulls, they proved themselves as breeding true to type. The British Government officially recognised the Luing as a breed in its own right in 1965.
Characteristics – Hardiness, Docility, Longevity, Foraging Instinct, Fertility.
- Coat: The Luing has a type of coat in keeping with its need to be hardy enough for the hill and upland country for which it was bred.
- Colour: The colours of the breed are those common to the Beef Shorthorn and the Highlander.
- Growth Potential: This is a characteristic which is kept to the forefront and has been ensured by the introduction of a Minimum Stature Measurement for all bulls licensed by the Society.
- Fertility: The Luing has a record for high fertility.
- Soundness: Soundness of bone structure and good feet are looked upon as an essential part of the breed.
Luings are not polled cattle but a few herds have been developed through the grading-up register.
Being great foragers and roughage converters, Luings require less costly feeding than the average and are easily reared in extensive conditions. Adding this fact to the advantages of being able to be a self-contained and acclimatised herd which therefore eliminates the expense of buying herd replacements and the problems which that can entail, the Luing can include as one of her more important attributes that of being a low cost breed.
The milking qualities of the Luing female are excellent and even kept in a harsh climate and on rough ground, they have one of the highest ratios of calf weaning weight to cow weight recorded for any cow type, suggesting efficient calf production.
The Luing Female
The Luing has earned her reputation as a cow breed and whether bred pure or crossed, she will be an efficient cow for the sire of your choice.
The Luing Cow
- is bred for extensive farming, easy to winter outside, requiring little supplementary feeding;
- has weather instinct – the ability to find shelter in coarse conditions;
- has foraging ability
- has a long enough body for her offspring to weigh well, but not so long that she is difficult to keep in condition during the winter;
- has a good record of breeding performance, breeding 9 to 10 calves or more;
- has a strong mothering instinct;
- must have a correct udder with milking qualities to enable her to make a good job of her calf;
- is docile;
- has good conformation and correct feet and legs;
- is long living;
The Luing Bull
As the Luing has been bred to suit the environment of hill and upland country, nearly all bulls are reared outside. The Luing Bull is renowned for its docility and ease of handling.
The Bull Licensing Scheme operated by the Luing Cattle Society gives buyers an assurance that they are of pure Luing breeding, and that at 13 months of age they have attained the standards of soundness, growth and conformation in accordance with the Society’s regulations.
The Luing Steer
Luing Steers can perhaps be surpassed by some other breeds for weight gain, but for food conversion and thus profitability, they are one of the most effective extensive breeds in Britain today. The versatility of the Luing Steer means that it can fit into individual feeding systems.
Luing Crosses
It has been established that the main role of the Luing is as a cow breed. The Luing female gives the option of either being bred pure with the advantages of maintaining a self-contained herd and producing Luing Heifers for selling for breeding and at the same time producing a steer which is an economically viable product; or the alternative option of being bred to the terminal sire of one’s choice, in particular to continental sires.
The ability of the Luing as a mother and to produce well reared calves has established her as a popular choice of dam for breeding to Simmental, Charolais, Limousin and Saler. Of these crosses the first cross Simmental/Luing female has proved over the years that she is highly suitable for suckler herds on lower ground. To give buyers of these ‘Sim-Luings’ a guarantee of the breeding, a register was established in 1984 with all heifers accepted into this register being from registered pedigree and Appendix ‘A’ Luing dams and by registered Simmental sires. This register is operated by the Luing Cattle Society in conjunction with the British Simmental Cattle Society.
