Leonardo Hernandez is the owner of the Limango herd, which breaks all sales records for its breeders in competitions and exhibitions. But success was not the result of chance, but of constant work, starting from scratch, with clear goals.

This is where Hernandez is born and is a tireless entrepreneur. Throughout his life he developed more than 16 activities. He started his working life at the age of 15. In high school, she asked her parents to go to a nightclub so she could work during the day. He worked as a printer, was employed in a fair auction house, worked as a village contractor … The list goes on.

The connection with agricultural activities began with the purchase of food cutters, the integration of the company, and the provision of silo services. The business went well and Hernandez was looking for a place to save money. At one time there was an opportunity to rent 150 hectares from a relative of the wife. Hernandez took over the field and began pastoral wintering of calves purchased in the Salado Basin in order to produce exported stems under the Pampa Mía program.

Time passed and the businessman had problems during the commercialization of the farm: in the liquidation of refrigerators there was a discussion about the yield, the percentage of fat, etc. Which forced him to breed his own calves for fattening.

He began surveying acquaintances – agronomists, veterinarians, geneticists – who advised him to support animals that had a certain proportion of continental blood, more muscle in beef and less fat, such as limangus.

“I bought 80 pregnant Limangus Pure Controlled heifers to start producing my own calves. “After weaning, the vet advised me to leave a few copies for the bulls because of the quality of the animals,” recalls Hernandez, who launched a high-selectivity program to achieve high genetic consistency in animals.

At that point in his life, Hernandez sold part of the food truck team to his partners and invested 132 hectares of land in the Victorino de la Plaza, Guamინისn district, west of Buenos Aires. On this surface he founded the hut of Limangus.

The decision to become a herd was based on the genetic quality of the breed and the difference in value that exists between the finished vessel and the bull, especially in a company with a small productive scale. Pure controlled bulls can be sold for up to 1,200-1,400 kilograms of steering equivalent. One of the ancestral, in 1500-2000, according to quality. Purebred cows can be sold on a 1000 kg wheel.

80 In the original beech, in subsequent services, Hernandez handed over the seeds of their upper oxen and selected their offspring for production because of their phenotype, fertility, meekness and other positive qualities.

food

Hernandez Rodeo’s diet includes pastures, landscaping, delayed crops, and strategic supplements.. With several years of effort, today it has 50% of the bovine area embedded in alfalfa pastures and Mediterranean seabeds, of better quality and taste than was achieved years ago.

The species of the mixture complement each other very well throughout the year: the Mediterranean seabed produces very well in autumn and winter, when alfalfa is dormant, while legumes grow stronger in spring and summer. The Mediterranean seabed is non-invasive and remains in production until the end of winter, when it forms a temporary association that reduces the risk of fog.

Calves born from a herd uterus are weaned from milk for six months. They stay in the coral for 15-20 days, with good quality rolls and additives to then move on to winter herbs and pastures. The most distinctive animals are identified during breastfeeding and are intended for breeding. Those who are rejected are fattened to work.

Annual bulls continue to graze on pastures and begin breeding 120-150 days before the sales season. Finishing should be done within the last 60-90 days.

The process of improving herd animals continued to evolve, allowing the businessman to start participating in zonal exhibitions of clean controlled animals, with the addition of a family farm, which was later introduced at the Palermo Rural Exhibition.. This presence in Buenos Aires allowed the salon to take off, its growth and visibility.

Hernandez participated in “la Rural” from 2016 until the last face-to-face edition in 2019. In 2017, she won the Grand Champion of the Limangus breed female. In 2018, the man is a great champion. In 2019, the man is a great champion and reserved.

“Today the Limangus breed is in full growth and is recognized by all links in the cattle and meat chain, especially slaughterers and refrigerators,” the herder notes. This reality has been very consolidated with the offering of genetic products.

Adult Hernandez rented an additional 400 acres. At 132 he has a Pedigree Rodeo consisting of 100 mothers. There are 250 clean controlled uterus in the leased area.

In a small part of the surface, agricultural plans have been developed to support the salon. Leo developed a turnover that included sunflowers (with very good yields in the area and the power of early delivery of lots for winter planting) and corn (for farm consumption for cutting and grain production).

Exhibitions

In addition to the Zonal and Palermo exhibitions, Hernandez participated in the Tres Lomas and Salliqueló Steers Contest, in which he won first prizes. He also took part in the national competition for the liner market farm, organized by Sáenz Valiente, Bullrich y Cía, where he blessed the great champions who competed against thousands of animals.

In 2021 he held the first auction of the salon, with very good values ​​from the breeders. Last year she also participated in Carlos Ojea Rullán’s Elite Genetics auction with two women who received good prices.

The recognition of the campaign created an opportunity to transfer Hernandez’s genetics to other countries. “Three years ago, the Limangus Breeders’ Association was formed in Uruguay, and one member suggested that I bring hereditary animals to build a genetic nucleus on the other side of the Rio de la Plata,” said Hernandez. The goal is to breed the seven animals sent and present them at the El Prado show to give impetus to the breed in a major meat trade country.

A virtuous combination

Limangus is a synthetic variety created in Argentina, stabilized with 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Limousin. This is genetics that has a pure butcher: to achieve the maximum amount of meat of the best quality.. “Those who developed the breed were looking for the amount of meat from the Continental limousine and the quality of the meat, its adaptation to different environments, and the fertility of the angus,” Hernანდndez said.

“They took a medium-sized animal, with an intermediate frame, 430 to 480 kilograms of cows, red or black hair, short and smooth and weighing 600 to 900 kilograms, with significant muscular development.

They give very good performance on the hook and trimmer table as they have the right amount of fat and excellent bone / muscle ratio. The latter means he has enough bone to support himself, but as thin as possible, which prevents him from losing many pounds. The Limangus beef, on the other hand, has an excellent pistol cut, a section that has the highest value in commercial terms.

According to Hernandez, these characteristics determine that wintering calves pay 10-20% more, while fattened calves have two or three point prizes paid by slaughterhouses and refrigerators for the highest expected yields.

Interior keys

Short service: 60 days of silver coming into service in the fall. The cows receive spring service for 75 days. The abdomen is artificially inseminated at a fixed time and discussed with the bulls

Strict selection: The most distinctive males are identified in two moments: the first classification during breastfeeding and the second classification at one year of age. Females are evaluated during breastfeeding and during the first service.

Strict fertility: In the cabin they are very strict about rodeo fertility: a cow that is empty then leaves the field when touched. This selection allowed a pregnancy rate of more than 95 percent

Embryo transplantation: Upon request, embryos are sold in the cabin to be transplanted to other females. For this, the best cows and calves are selected as donors to ensure genetic perfection in the offspring.

Modern tools: An important tool in the herd is the carcass ultrasound. Provides data on steak eye area and spinal, intramuscular, and thigh coverage. With these data, progress has been made in improving the production of better quality meat