Your reading list

Luing breed’s calm nature complements Limousin herd

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Published: October 10, 2013

Scottish breed | Luings are good weight gainers and feed efficient

When Dane Guignion decided to modify the genetics in his cow-calf operation near Pine River, Man., he was hoping to find a British breed with thicker hair and a hearty appetite for forage.

About three years ago, after considering the options to amend the mostly Limousin genes in his herd, Guignion bought bulls from a Scottish breed with an Asian sounding name.

The Luing (silent u, rhymes with ring) is a Scottish highlands breed known for its ability to thrive on marginal pasture, as well as its longevity and maternal instincts.

Read Also

It takes practice to differentiate a parasite from detritus in a sample while under the microscope, which producers received during the Ontario Sheep Farmer Fecal Egg Count workshop in Lindsay on June 18, 2025. Photo by Diana Martin

Smart deworming starts with individualized fecal egg counts

Fecal egg count tests are one step to managing dewormer resistance and managing sheep parasites on Canadian sheep farms to maintain flock health.

On top of those traits, the Luing genetics also improved the temperament of calves on Guignion’s farm.

“I was getting too much Limousin in my herd…. The Limousin calves had AC/DC playing in their heads. The Luing calves had John Denver playing in their heads,” he said to illustrate the improvement in disposition.

Guignion bought his Luing bulls from Iain Aitken, a cow-calf producer in Rimbey, Alta., who runs a herd of 150 primarily Luing cattle.

Aitken immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 2000 with a plan of raising cattle and reviving the Luing breed in the country.

“It was kind of my intention to carry on the Luing breed here because I had Luings in Scotland,” he said.

Luing cattle first arrived in Canada around 1973, brought here by Alberta ranchers.

The breed never caught on beyond a core group of ranchers in B.C. and Alberta. Aitken said numbers likely peaked in the 1970s at several hundred head in Western Canada. By the time he emigrated from Scotland, the Luing breed had probably shrunk to a few dozen animals in Canada.

Aitken was determined to resuscitate the breed in North America because he thought it was perfectly suited for conditions in the West.

Luings have a long outer coat of hair and an inner layer of short hair, which provides protection from severe weather on the Scottish Highlands or a typical January day on the Prairies.

“They’re (also) a very feed-efficient type of cattle, in terms of making use of lower quality feed, lower quality bush pastures and that type of thing,” Aitken said.

In comparison to Highland, another Scottish breed, Luings gain weight more rapidly.

“The Highland has some important characteristics, like foraging ability, exceptional longevity and meat quality, but they just grow too slow to be practical,” Aitken said.

“I doubt many people would have the ability to get them fat at a viable weight before (three years). The strength of the Luing is that it combines the best of the Highland characteristics with the best of the old Shorthorn genetics in a package that is commercially viable.” 

While numbers haven’t skyrocketed since his arrival from Scotland, the Canadian Luing Cattle Association lists four breeders on its website. Aitken estimated there are several hundred Luing cattle in Canada.

Nonetheless, ranchers — particularly grass-fed operators — are intrigued by the breed, Aitken noted.

“They’re better adapted to grass. To my knowledge, they’re probably the only breed in North America that hasn’t been selected for feedlot performance on grain,” he said.

Guignion said the Luing offspring have performed well on pastures around Pine River.

“They fit in pretty good in this country, being a forage based animal. It’s pretty washy type grass and cows need a lot of gut capacity to do well.”

Aitken hasn’t set a goal for the size of the Luing herd in Canada, but he has sold bulls into Saskatchewan and Manitoba and believes the breed could gain traction.

“Realistically, we’re not going to compete with Angus numbers anytime soon. But these cattle have the potential every bit as much as the Angus. Largely, it’s a matter of fashion… that factors into cattle breeding. Whether you are the ‘in’ thing.”

About the author

Robert Arnason

Robert Arnason

Reporter

Robert Arnason is a reporter with The Western Producer and Glacier Farm Media. Since 2008, he has authored nearly 5,000 articles on anything and everything related to Canadian agriculture. He didn’t grow up on a farm, but Robert spent hundreds of days on his uncle’s cattle and grain farm in Manitoba. Robert started his journalism career in Winnipeg as a freelancer, then worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Nipawin, Saskatchewan and Fernie, BC. Robert has a degree in civil engineering from the University of Manitoba and a diploma in LSJF – Long Suffering Jets’ Fan.

explore

Stories from our other publications