Contributing Writers CHARLIE PERRY, D r MATT M c DONAGH and AARON VAN DEN HEUVEL.
Art Direction HEATHER FRAZIER heather@wagyu.org.au 0432 949 764
D r MATT M c DONAGH office@wagyu.org.au 02 8880 7700 Wagyu Update
0432 949 764
examining the latest R&D from across the globe, the 2022 WagyuEdge Conference is a must for your 2022 calendar - more page 41.
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president CHARLIE PERRY
CONSOLIDATING ON CORE STRENGTHS
Dear Members,
It is with great honour to have been re-elected as President of the Australian Wagyu Association for the 2021 – 2022 period. I’d like to the thank the outgoing board members who have made a significant contribution to the AWA during their tenure – Chantal Winter, Peter Cabassi & Sharon Oates. I would also like to congratulate Dean Pollard on being re-elected, and welcome the three new directors, Robyn Elphick, Richard Puddicombe and Glen Wright.
I sincerely believe that the current Board of Directors have an excellent set of diverse skills and that we are well positioned to oversee the company for the next 12 months.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
On Tuesday 23rd November the AWA Annual General Meeting was held at the Armidale Bowling Club. Thank you to those that attended in person and those that took the time to join us virtually. I can only hope that next year we will not be constrained by boarder closures and more people will be able to attend. On the same day, we held a technical workshop with several speakers on a range of topics from Wagyu structure and nutrition, to genetics and using crossbred data in Wagyu BREEDPLAN. We received excellent feedback from those
who attended. Thank you to all those who presented and specifically Rangers Valley for their generous donation of meat for our dinner.
PROGENY TEST PROGRAM
The Progeny Test Program is an ambitious and large project, and I am pleased to report that to date, it is tracking on schedule. We. The joining’s for the first round are well under way and I look forward to reporting the progress of the PTP as it continues.
I would sincerely like to thank all those that have supported the project in its first year through the submission of sires and contributor herds. Without your support, the project will be unable to deliver the outcomes that we believe will be so beneficial to the industry.
I encourage everyone who is not already involved, to consider involvement in the next round. Next years intake will be early, with sire nominations opening on January 10 and closing March 11. Please start to consider your sire nominations now, for more details jump to PAGE 17.
WAGYUEDGE CONFERENCE
Block out your Calendar – the 2022 Annual WagyuEdge Conference is schedule to go ahead for the 26 to 28 April in Melbourne VIC.
I believe our annual conference is a world class industry event, and I hope to see a lot of you there next year. With the changes regarding Australia’s border, it seems likely that we will also welcome back our international members; you will be hearing from the staff in the coming months regarding the makeup of the event.
I would personally like to thank outgoing Director Chantal Winter for her enormous contribution to AWA’s Conference and Competitions strategy. The WagyuEdge Conference and Wagyu Branded Beef Competition are two of AWA’s flagship annual events. I am not sure any member has contributed more to the development of these events, which are now the envy of the red meat Industry. Over the last several years, Chantal has overseen the delivery of these and AWA’s core communication and market development activities. Thank you Chan.
GOVERNANCE REVIEW
In a quest for continuous improvement and to operate at the highest standards of governance, the AWA board engaged Mr Philip Pogson to complete a governance review of the AWA. Mr Pogson has an impeccable reputation in this area and has also completed well regarded reviews for the Hereford and Angus breed societies. The review sought to understand our
current governance environment and processes and make recommendations regarding how we can improve our practices. This report was presented by Mr Pogson to the Board at the November Board meeting. A summary of the findings will be communicated to the membership once the Board has had an opportunity to consider the findings.
The Company has also engaged Ms Christine Hawkins to provide support in finalising our Board Policy manual and framework. A well-defined and articulated board policy framework supports the smooth and effective operations of the Board and we appreciate the work she has provided in delivering this.
As our company continues its period of rapid and sustained growth, it is absolutely necessary that the capability and skill of the Board matures at the
same rate as the company, so that it can continue to provide effective strategic oversight and leadership for its members. These two projects provide a clear framework for the Board to continue to improve.
FINAL NOTE
As we head into the festive season, I would like to thank you all for your continued membership and support of the AWA. Finally, a most sincere thanks to all the AWA staff for continuing to deliver excellent services through another challenging Covid year.
Charlie Perry AWA President
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2021-2022 AWA BOARD
NEW BOARD MEMBERS ANNOUNCED
The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) is pleased to announce that the new board for 2021-2022 was appointed at the Annual General Meeting held 23 November 2021.
The new board directors represent a diverse range of skill sets and the AWA looks forward to working with them over the next 12 months.
The AWA Board welcomes newly appointed board directors Robyn Elphick, Richard Puddicombe and Glen Wright, also acknowledging the re-election of Dean Pollard.
AWA Chief Executive, Dr Matt McDonagh would like to extend a sincere welcome to the new Directors on behalf of the organisation.
2021-22 OFFICE BEARERS
President CHARLIE PERRY
Senior Vice President LAIRD MORGAN
Junior Vice President SELWYN MALLER
Treasurer SCOTT DE BRUIN
The Board will carry-on its focus on ensuring the delivery of core business and services for members and consolidating on its projects in progress. We have a highly skilled Board that will continue to add value to the AWA as our Company matures and delivers new innovations that will continue to underpin growth and productivity in the Wagyu Sector.
AWA President, Charlie Perry
ROBYN ELPHICK
Robyn is a third generation beef producer, running Sunnyside Wagyu alongside her partner and parents. Located in Northern NSW, Sunnyside runs a Fullblood herd selling seedstock as well as a F1 and F2 commercial herd. Robyn has off farm qualifications in law, business and mediation with skills in legal analysis, risk assessment, critical analysis, negotiations and business communications. Robyn is a passionate Wagyu producer and will look to add value to the board by promoting collaborative and constructive governance in the continued development and innovation of the Wagyu sector.
RICHARD PUDDICOMBE
Richard has been the Station Manager at Burindi, owned by Paraway Pastoral Co, since 2008. Richard was the driver behind introducing Wagyu bulls into the Paraway programme in 2012, using them over quality Angus heifers. Richard has significant experience running large scale commercial operations delivering a premium product and is committed to seeing the AWA support and promote the advancement of the Wagyu sector.
GLEN WRIGHT
Glen is a grazier, property developer and an investor. His life passion and is building Wright Pastoral to be a leading crossbred and Fullblood Wagyu enterprise. Glen is continuing to breed, background and produce quality, high-marbling Wagyu Beef for consumers across Australia and around the world. Under Geoff Willett’s mentorship, Glen began producing Wagyu in 2013 at Koreelah, on the NSW border and has since added additional properties around Ebor. The company runs 1,500 breeders and is continuing to expand with a goal to build their base to 3,000 breeding females.
ceo update
Dr. MATTHEW McDONAGH
ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
Dear Members,
After another 12 months of on-again/off-again face-to-face engagement opportunities with members, it has been a pleasure to be able to meet and speak with members again at the 2021 Annual General Meeting and Technical Workshop.
Outstanding presentations on structure, nutrition, expansion of Wagyu feedlotting and genetics were provided to 60 people in the room, with an additional 80 attending online.
All presentations will be posted on the AWA website.
2021 AGM HIGHLIGHTS
On the back of improving seasonal and market conditions, it was satisfying to report significant business growth at the AWA and a small net profit for the year. This was on top of increased core service delivery, reduced project expenditure and return of the WagyuEdge Conference for the 2021 Financial Year (FY2021).
Delivery of the FY2021 Australian Wagyu Association Operational Plan has resulted in an increase in turnover of 33.3% from FY2020 to FY2021, with total revenue of $4.164 million and moderate net surplus of $154,075 reported.
Total membership numbers increased from 762 to 869 from FY2020 to FY2021. This includes a 17% increase in Full members from 633 to 743 and 3% decrease in Associate members from 129 to 126.
During FY2021, we have continued to invest in increased skill development and capability across our staff which provides increased resilience and more efficient service delivery.
As your CEO, I am extremely pleased with the continued maturation of our systems and the capability within our team to address member queries and complete tasks in a timely manner.
AWA BOARD UPDATE (24 NOVEMBER 2021)
The AWA Board met for its first full meeting as a new Board on the 24 November 2021. The Board reviewed the following items:
1. A change to the listed definitions in the Bylaws relating to YEAR CODE was approved by the Board. This replaces the prior definition for YEAR LETTER as follows:
“ YEAR CODE means the combination of two digit number and letter designated by AWA to denote the year of birth of a registered animal. (see table below).
This means that from 2022 onwards, calves born will be registered with a YEAR CODE eg. ABCF22T001 instead of the prior year letter eg. ABCFT001. This change is discussed in the article on page 34 of this Update edition. All existing registered animals are not impacted by this 2022 introduction of the YEAR CODE .
2. The AWA Genetic Improvement Committee reviewed project work underway with the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) to update Wagyu carcase trait genetic parameters and to test use of crossbred Wagyu genomic and phenotypic information within Wagyu BREEDPLAN. These presentations were provided to the AWA members as part of the 2021 Technical workshop and will be posted online.
3. The Board approved the AWA Fellowship Application of Lachy Gilmour from Irongate Wagyu. Lachy has returned to the family farm after some time away and is focusing his fellowship on neonatal calf loss and intervention strategies in Wagyu. Lachy will report on his work at the 2023 WagyuEdge Conference.
4. The Board approved development of a stand-alone breed content test for determining the proportion of Wagyu and other breeds in unknown crossbred Wagyu samples with CSIRO. This will enable the AWA to undertake breed content analysis in-house.
5. AWA Board conducted a governance update and induction for the new 2021-2022 AWA Board.
6. A report was provided to the AWA Board by Mr Philip Pogson (The Leading Partnership). The report provided an external review of AWA’s governance systems and adherence to these systems over prior years. Mr Pogson made 16 recommendations in his report to the AWA Board. The report was unanimously accepted in its entirety. The Board has undertaken to respond to each recommendation and provide a summary to members within 2022.
7. A new AWA Board policy manual that condenses and modernises prior AWA Board policies into one document was approved by the meeting. The manual was developed with Ms Christine Hawkins (Directors Australia).
8. The AWA Board sub-committee structure and composition was finalised for 2021-2022.
9. Company operational performance against KPIs for the first quarter FY2022 was reviewed, with progress to date satisfactory against all key work areas.
10. First quarter FY2022 financial performance was reviewed , noting satisfactory operation against budget year to date.
11. The Board conducted its annual full review of the AWA corporate risk control plan and proposed actions to mitigate significant risks. Critical and high rated risks are reviewed quarterly.
12. The meeting reviewed the current AWA investment strategy and investment performance with AWA’s Financial Advisor. AWA’s investment strategy includes a low risk profile which targets a return on investment above CPI on an annual basis.
13. The meeting approved the admission to membership of 79 new AWA members
2022 WAGYUEDGE CONFERENCE MELBOURNE VICTORIA
The WagyuEdge 2022 Annual Conference is being tentatively arranged for 26 April – 28 April 2022. It will be a condensed 2.5 day Conference with a technical session on the afternoon of the 26 April prior to a Welcome Function that evening. The afternoon start will enable most members to travel down that day and settle in the same evening for a networking and social get-together.
We will have two full days of high-quality research, technical and industry speakers with the Elite Wagyu Sale and Cocktail evening on the 27 April and the Conference concluding with the AWA Gala Dinner and WBBC awards on the evening of the 28 April.
Registration for the event will only open once we have confirmed we can comply with all Government regulations and are satisfied with safety and security of the event considering the changing COVID-19 environment.
The Board recently approved the AWA Fellowship Application of Lachy Gilmour from Irongate Wagyu.
<<< from page 13
2022 WAGYU FELLOWSHIP AND SIMON COATES SCHOLARSHIP OPEN
The Wagyu Fellowship is the AWAs mechanism to provide development opportunities for young people within the Wagyu Industry and is supported by Member donations through the annual AWA Charity Auction.
The establishment of a Wagyu Fellowship was for the advancement of younger people involved in the Wagyu industry, including producers and academics. A Wagyu Fellowship provides funding to undertake travel intrastate, interstate or overseas for a minimum of four and a maximum of about eight weeks to conduct research into a topic that the applicant is passionate about and has experience in. Its objectives are to:
1. Develop younger leaders for the Wagyu industry.
2. Increase the education, experience and skills within the Wagyu industry.
3. Develop lasting friendships across the international Wagyu industry.
4. Advance knowledge and learning in the Wagyu industry.
This year, the AWA will again be awarding a traditional Wagyu Fellowship, along with considering applicants for Wagyu Fellowship – Postgraduate Scholarships in research projects aligned to the Wagyu industry.
The awards will facilitate research and training in areas of practical value to the Australian Wagyu industries in
Genetics, Meat Science, Human Nutrition, Management and Production, Reproduction and Breeding.
In honouring the late Dr. Simon Coates and his pivotal role in the development of the Australian Wagyu industry, the Association is proud to announce as part of the Wagyu Fellowship Program, the creation of:
The Dr Simon Coates Scholarship for Veterinary and Reproductive Science
The ongoing scholarship will be available to students who are studying veterinary science or researching reproduction and breeding related to Wagyu.
Through the Dr Simon Coates Scholarship for Veterinary and Reproductive Science, we can continue to recognise the great contributions of one of our founding members and honour his passion for the advancement of Wagyu.
FINAL WORD FROM THE OFFICE
It has been a great pleasure to work with the members during 2021. Our staff continue to enjoy the positive and professional interaction with members as we deliver services to you. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to hopefully seeing you shortly after the new year at WagyuEdge 2022 Conference in Melbourne.
Dr Matt McDonagh Chief Executive Officer
Australian Wagyu Association
EXPERTS SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AT TECHNICAL WORKSHOP
ON STRUCTURE, NUTRITION AND THE EXPANSION OF WAGYU FEEDLOTTING
The AWA hosted a technical workshop alongside the AGM on the 23rd November, with great success we welcomed 60 people to the Armidale Bowling Club as well as 80 people online. We heard from a number of experts in their field on structure, nutrition and the expansion of Wagyu feedlotting
IMPORTANCE OF STRUCTURAL TRAITS IN WAGYU
Presented by Lock Rogers, Door Key Wagyu
Lock Rogers was introduced to the Wagyu breed in 1993, when he started production of F1 cattle for local supply chains. Lock has been a long-time breeder of Angus seedstock and is widely renown as an expert cattleman with keen eye for structure and functional traits.
Over the years Lock has used the most commercially relevant blood lines and genetics available, using all the tools available including carcase data, EBVs and now genomically enhanced EBVs. Some of the earliest genetics are still very influential in the Door Key herd and of course in the wider Wagyu breed in general.
Lock presented his view on genetics and structural traits as they relate to Wagyu production, identifying that the typical norms for British Breeds do not translate to Wagyu. Aspects of Wagyu structure include good feet (claws), lightbones, low organ weights and relatively small mature cow size compared to other breeds. These features of Wagyu translate to high yielding, high efficiency and long-lived animals that do not break down easily.
Lock highlighted that a unique aspect of Wagyu finishing was the long-feeding regimes for slaughter stock. He emphasised the need to focus breeding on correct feet angles to ensure performance of long-fed Wagyu in feedlots and their structural integrity in transport to slaughter at high bodyweights.
PRE-FEEDLOT NUTRITION AND OPPORTUNITIES IN WAGYU
Presented by Dr Robert Lawrence, IAP Nutrition
Dr Rob Lawrence shared his expertise in early life development and pre-feedlot nutrition. Ensuring good pre-natal nutrition of the cow and post-natal nutrition of the calf is vital to the success of Wagyu cattle in feedlots in their later life.
Getting nutrition right in the early life is incredibly important to enable to the animal to express its marbling genetics. Dr Lawrence defined a term he refers to as ‘marbling window’ which is the period from early weaning to approximately 250 days of age. Nutrient supplementation during the ‘marbling window’ specifically increases the intramuscular fat cell numbers. AWA has highlighted over the last 2 years, that consistent early life growth rates (0.8kg or higher) are important for marbling performance later in life (in the feedlot)
Rob also highlighted that being able to determine point of maturity is incredibly important, with marbling expression (filling of marbling cells with fat) predominantly occurring after point of maturity, with maturity being the completion of skeletal and lean growth.
From a nutrition perspective, Dr Lawrence is still a believer of creep feeding calves for both the benefit of the cow and the calf itself. Creep feeding reduces the reliance on the cow to keep producing milk and allowing the cow to increase body condition score. Feeding cows to produce milk to feed calves is an incredibly inefficient process.
If you are nutritionally restricted during the post-calving period, it is far more cost effective to feed the calves than it is to feed the cow to in-turn, feed the calf. With creep feeding, an increase in weaning weight can be anywhere from 15-30kg, with a decrease in stress at weaning because the animals are already adapted to eating dry feed.
Early weaning is another critical factor, as mentioned earlier, the ‘marbling window’ covers the period from weaning to 250 days (8 months).
If calves are early weaned at 3-5 months, they are better able to grow consistently to realise their genetic potential. Feeding starch and fibre to early weaned calves allows for increased rumen nutrient absorption capacity and increase in the size of the rumen, setting them up perfectly for entry into feedlot. The rest, is up to the feedlot.
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE RANGERS VALLEY WAGYU PROGRAM
Presented by Keith Howe, Rangers Valley
Rangers Valley is one of the world’s most respected premium marbled beef producers, specialising in long fed pure Black Angus and Wagyu cross and Fullblood Wagyu. Bringing the consumer, the highest quality, best tasting, consistently tender and delicious beef, every time through its global export programs.
Mr Keith Howe, Managing Director of Rangers Valley, expressed that Rangers Valley is aggressive in their growth and is now a company which backgrounds 10,000+ head, feeding 45,000 head
discusses their aggressive plan for growth.
of cattle across 3 feedlots. The Rangers Valley feedlot at Glen Innes was previously a 24,000 head feedlot with the recent upgrade pushing it to a capacity of 50,000.
All Rangers Valley animals are sold under a structured branded beef program. In 2021 approximately 22,000 head of F1 Wagyu and Purebred Wagyu were fed for a minimum of 360 days and about 700 Fullblood Wagyu were fed for a minimum of 500 days, these filling the Infinite Fullblood Wagyu and WX by Rangers Valley brands.
Keith highlighted the strong focus in quality and sustainability within all Rangers Valley systems and operations, showing carbon benchmarking data and explaining management practices at Rangers Valley to ensure welfare and optimal animal management for all cattle. Keith echoed the information presented by Lock Rogers and Rob Lawrence earlier in the day – that breeding, structure and backgrounding performance were vital to subsequent performance in the feedlot and that his team monitored performance data rigorously.
Keith finished his presentation with comments on increasing the numbers of Wagyu cattle through Rangers Valley in coming years, noting the trend for more Wagyu to be on feed as a proportion of total production.
Mr Keith Howe, Managing Director of Rangers Valley (above)
60 people joined us in person at the 2021 Technical Workshop.
SIRE NOMINATIONS
OPEN EARLY 2022 - AWA PROGENY TEST PROGRAM
Nominations for 2022 Sires will open from Monday 10 January 2022 closing Friday 11 March 2022. Sires accepted into the program must be Fullblood Japanese Black Wagyu Sires and will attract the same entry fees as 2021 – AUD $7,500 (+GST) for Standard Sires and AUD $15,000 (+GST) for Link Sires. This second intake into the program will call for 27 new Standard Sires and five new Link Sires to join the existing Link Sires. The AWA encourages nominations from both domestic and international members.
NOTE: sires with licensed semen will not require any animal health testing, however any sires that are custom collected/collected on farm will be required to have undergone and passed health testing for Pestivirus, IBR and Vribriosis.
INTERNATIONAL SIRES
» QUARANTINE COMPLETE/BOOKED INTO FACILITY
» SEMEN COLLECTED/COLLECTION DATE SET
» SEMEN SHIPPED TO ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA by end July 2022
2021 – 2031 AWA PROGENY TEST PROGRAM
The AWA Progeny Test Program has kicked off with joining programs across the eight contributor herds to produce COHORT 1 PROGENY for 40 emerging Fullblood Wagyu sires. Over the course of the program, progeny of nominated sires will be benchmarked against key industry sires World K’s Michifuku and Sanjirou, thanks to the generous donation of semen from supporting members. A full list of the participating sires can be found over page (page 18). The eight producers that have committed cows to the first two years of the program are;
Todd Cranney, Bonyi Grazing
Steve and Liz Binnie , Delta Wagyu
Selwyn and Jocelyn Maller, Hamilton Park Wagyu
Peter Gilmour, Irongate Wagyu
Adam Withers , Kuro Kin Wagyu
Arthur and Pam Dew, Longford Station
Paul and Claire Harris , Sunland Cattle Co
Chris and Sue Zahl, Wycheproof Station
The AWA would like to sincerely thank its members for the support and positive feedback they have received during this foundational year of the program.
<<< from page 17
Animal ID
Animal Name
JKCFQ0156 Island Wagyu Q0156
DSWFN3709 Tyddewi N3709
TBRFN346 Trentbridge N346
TBRFN185 Trentbridge N185
BYWFL0408 Blackmore L408
ADBFQ2140 Mayura Q2140
WRPFQ0014 Wright Pastoral Q0014
MAXFQ15 Miku Maestro Q15
MAXFQ26 Miku Q26
MAXFQ28 Miku Mojo Q28
TABLE 1 - A full list of the participating sires in the 2021 – 2031 AWA Progeny Test Program.
PWAFP7298 Putz Wagyu Beef Yasufukustar Roland Pühringer Putz Wagyu Beef
HWKFQ0121 Hawkesbury Shigeshigetani Q0121
SFWFQ0026
ADBFP1033
ADBFP1040
Shadai Farm Q0026
Mayura Prophet P1033
Mayura Prologue P1040
ADBFL0081 Mayura Limestone L0081
HPWFP0031
HPWFP0065
Hamilton Park Wagyu Shig Tani 0031
Hamilton Park Wagyu 0065
Ryan Carter
Ryan Carter
Scott de Bruin
Scott de Bruin
Scott de Bruin
Selwyn Maller
Selwyn Maller
HPWFP0518 Hamilton Park Wagyu Michifuku 0518 Selwyn Maller
HPWFR0074 Hamilton Park Wagyu 0074
OGWFQ038 Olive Grove Wagyu Q038
MOYFK00194 Moyhu K00194
WKSFM0164
WKSFM0164
WKSFM0164
WKSFM0164
World K's Michifuku
World K's Michifuku
World K's Michifuku
World K's Michifuku
WKSFM0164 World K's Michifuku
WKSFP0100 World K's Sanjirou
Selwyn Maller
Steve Taylor
Wayne Grimshaw
Alex & Keith Hammond
Scott de Bruin
Lock Rogers
Peter Krause
Darren Hamblin
Scott de Bruin
Australian Country Choice
Australian Country Choice
Mayura Pty Ltd
Mayura Pty Ltd
Mayura Pty Ltd
Hamilton Park Wagyu
Hamilton Park Wagyu
Hamilton Park Wagyu
Hamilton Park Wagyu
Olive Grove Wagyu
Moyhu Wagyu
Robins Island Wagyu
Mayura Pty Ltd
Door Key Wagyu
Sunnyside Wagyu
Strathdale Wagyu
Mayura Pty Ltd
BLOODLINES vs PEDIGREES & EBVs vs GENOMICS
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
There is high interest within Wagyu breeders in paying homage to traditional Wagyu bloodlines that trace back to the foundation genetics originating from Japan. From these genetics, more than 250,000 individuals have been registered with the AWA.
BLOODLINE
vs PEDIGREES
Bloodlines are defined as an animal’s set of ancestors or pedigree. In cattle breeding this concept is particularly associated to desirable characteristics attributed to these ancestors.
So, bloodline = pedigree, or components/blocks of a pedigree. Some breeders like to look at maternal lines, some look at sire lines, some look at both. As there are fewer Bloodlines in the population than individual animals, Bloodline information can be regarded as a simplified version of the pedigree of an animal.
Wagyu breeders analyse bloodlines, sometimes back five or six generations (by looking at the pedigree) in trying to understand the genetic value of their stock based on known or perceived performance of individuals in the pedigree.
Translating this to Wagyu breeding, if you are looking at a five-generation pedigree, there are eight great great grandsires and eight great great granddams. Accounting for their genetic influence and contribution through a pedigree is a significant statistical challenge. The father of Genetics, Gregor Mendel, developed the principles of inheritance that describe the transmission of genetic traits across generations. He did this in 1865 before anybody even knew that genes existed. These principles of inheritance can be determined statistically through the analysis of pedigrees, so that estimation of genetic merit can be quantified across very long and complex pedigrees spanning multiple generations.
Quantitative Genetics is the field of science that was born in 1865 from Gregor Mendel’s work. It studies the genetic or inherited basis of variation in phenotypes across generations, using analysis of pedigree and trait records. Using quantitative genetics, breeders can determine the inheritance patterns through large and complex pedigree trees to assist prediction of genetic merit in their herds.
In the Wagyu Update Volume 78, pp 34 – 40, we used an example sire SMOFF0278 to show how carcase records contribute to predicting the genetic merit of an animal across generations.
Using this sire again as our example, his five generation pedigree, with eight great great grandsires and eight great great granddams is shown in Figure 1 (over page).
Each one of these 16 great great ancestors (theoretically) provides 6.25% of the genetic makeup of the current animal.
1
Five generation pedigree of the SMOFF0278 showing relative genetic contribution of each generation.
PEDFAJ10756 FUKUMASA J10756
PEDFA661 FUKUYUKI
PEDFAJ456691 YUKIZAKURA J456691
SUMFX0081 SUMO ITOSHIGENAMI X0081 (AI) (ET)
PEDFA201 MONJIRO J11550
WKSFM0164 WORLD K'S MICHIFUKU
PEDFA215 MICHIKO J655635 (AI)
SUMFT0250 SUMO FUKU T250 (AI) (ET)
IMUFN2294 TF ITOHANA 2 (IMP USA)
IMUFR3254 TF CHIYOTAKE 22/4 (IMP USA) (ET)
PEDFM2443 TF CHIYOTAKE 9
SMOFF0278 SUMO CATTLE CO ITOSHIGENAMI F278
PEDFAJ10787 KIKUTERU DOI J10787
IMUFJTF40 TERUTANI J2494 TF40 (IMP JAP)
PEDFA538 TANIFUKU 2 J601115
IMUFR3258 TF TERUTANI 40/1 (IMP USA) (AI) (ET)
PEDFA500 ITOMICHI J1158
PEDFA2453 TF DAI 2 KINNTOU 3
PEDFA464 DAI 2 KINTOU J337756
CCOFC0418 COATES TANI C418 (AI) (ET)
PEDFA301 KIKUYASU DOI 575
IMUFM2100 KIKUYASU 400 (IMP JAP)
PEDFA302 FUKUYOSHI J703223
SUMFU2179 SUMO YASU U2179 (AI) (ET)
IMUFN2127 TF KIKUHANA (IMP USA)
IMUFR3259 TF DAI 2 KINNTOU 35/3 (IMP USA) (ET)
PEDFA2453 TF DAI 2 KINNTOU 3
FIGURE
FIGURE 2
Five generation pedigree of the SMOFF0278 showing the 1,295 carcase data records across the generations within his pedigree.
<<< from page 21
If we overlay SMOFF0278’s pedigree with his carcase progeny record numbers and those of animals in his pedigree (Figure 2), we can see that using quantitative genetics, we can obtain far greater information on how SMOFF0278’s performance as a carcase sire compares and relates to other animals in his pedigree.
In using the phenotypic carcase data from animals sired by SMOFF0278 and those from across the generations of pedigree for SMOFF0278, we can accurately determine the relative genetic merit of SMOFF278 and calculate the merit of ancestors in his pedigree for those traits.
AWA BREEDPLAN does this job by calculating the Estimate Breeding Values (EBVs) considering all available pedigree and phenotypic data provided by all AWA members. EBVs account for pedigree (bloodline) and performance data.
PEDFAJ6109 SHIGEKANENAMI J6109
PEDFA10632 SHIGESHIGENAMI J10632
PEDFAJ774695 SHIGEMITSU J774695 (FB4751)
IMUFQTF148 ITOSHIGENAMI (IMP USA)
PEDFAJ10756 FUKUMASA J10756
PEDFA661 FUKUYUKI
PEDFAJ456691 YUKIZAKURA J456691
SUMFX0081 SUMO ITOSHIGENAMI X0081 (AI) (ET)
PEDFA201 MONJIRO J11550
WKSFM0164 WORLD K'S MICHIFUKU
PEDFA215 MICHIKO J655635 (AI)
SUMFT0250 SUMO FUKU T250 (AI) (ET)
IMUFN2294 TF ITOHANA 2 (IMP USA)
IMUFR3254 TF CHIYOTAKE 22/4 (IMP USA) (ET)
PEDFM2443 TF CHIYOTAKE 9
SMOFF0278 SUMO CATTLE CO ITOSHIGENAMI F278
PEDFAJ10787 KIKUTERU DOI J10787
IMUFJTF40 TERUTANI J2494 TF40 (IMP JAP)
PEDFA538 TANIFUKU 2 J601115
IMUFR3258 TF TERUTANI 40/1 (IMP USA) (AI) (ET)
PEDFA500 ITOMICHI J1158
PEDFA2453 TF DAI 2 KINNTOU 3
PEDFA464 DAI 2 KINTOU J337756
CCOFC0418 COATES TANI C418 (AI) (ET)
PEDFA301 KIKUYASU DOI 575
IMUFM2100 KIKUYASU 400 (IMP JAP)
PEDFA302 FUKUYOSHI J703223
SUMFU2179 SUMO YASU U2179 (AI) (ET)
IMUFN2127 TF KIKUHANA (IMP USA)
IMUFR3259 TF DAI 2 KINNTOU 35/3 (IMP USA) (ET)
PEDFA2453 TF DAI 2 KINNTOU 3
EBVS vs GENOMICS
After Gregor Mendel discovered inheritance, the first DNA sequences were obtained over 100 years later in the late 1970’s. The first full mammalian genome sequence (the mouse) was not completed until 2002.
In the 20 years since this achievement, our modern understanding of the complexity of the mammalian genome has grown immensely.
The bovine genome was first completed in 2004. This enabled a new ability to look for genetic differences (different mutations) across the whole genome, by comparing the DNA sequence of different individuals and determining where there was DNA sequence variation.
Genomics is the field of science that studies the genes, gene sequences, their inheritance and function. In quantitative genetics, our use of genomics now includes studying the variation in genes between individual animals and determining how these variations relate to performance differences (phenotype differences) between animals.
<<< from page 23
These genetic variations occur naturally through mutations in DNA that accumulate over time. You can compare the phenotypes of animals with a mutation, to those without a mutation and see if there is any statistical difference. You can do this with a single mutation, or thousands of mutations across the whole genome.
Genomic SNP chips are tools that allow us to screen an individual animal’s DNA for differences between many thousands of genetic mutations that occur naturally across the whole genome of an animal. We currently use ‘high-density’ chips that contain between 50,000 to 100,000 different mutations (SNPs) spanning the whole genome.
Using genomics (the data from the SNP chips), we can determine which SNPs are positively or negatively associated with different traits across the whole Wagyu population. We can then determine if those SNP are present in the DNA of an individual and use this information to improve the genetic prediction (the EBV) for that animal.
So, for AWA members doing genomic testing (50K or 100K SNPs), that information allows BREEDPLAN to account for the individual mutations
inherited by an animal and how these are estimated to affect trait performance, in addition to using all pedigree and trait information that is recorded.
Combining genomic information with pedigree and performance data is what we call the generation of Single-Step EBVs.
These are reported as the AWA published EBVs for registered animals.
Single-Step EBVs are not genomic EBVs, they use genomics, pedigree and trait performance information in one calculation to estimate genetic merit. This gives the best estimate of genetic merit that can be determined.
IMPACT OF ACCOUNTING FOR DIFFERENT GENETIC AND NON-GENETIC INFORMATION IN DETERMINING EBV s
3
The impact of accounting for different genetic and non-genetic information in determining EBVs using genomic information, parent information, or all information (BREEDPLAN EBVs) for the 400 Day weight trait (yearling weight).
Courtesy Dr Yuandan Zhang (AGBU)
FIGURE
Genomic EBVs are estimates of genetic merit that only use genomic information and its relationship to a set of trait performance data.
Figure 3 shows the relationship between 400 Day Weight measurements (yearling weight) and EBVs calculated using different levels of information. Within Figure 3, the strength of the relationship is shown on the Y axis, with a strength of 0 equal to no relationship and a strength of 1 equal to a 100% relationship- i.e., they are the same.
Looking at the bars on the left-hand side of the graph (raw phenotype), we can see that the relationship between raw phenotype data and predicted EBVs from genomics alone (GEBV ) or from using the mid-parent value alone (PEBV ) are both quite low (less than 30%).
The middle bars on the graph show the relationship between the GEBVs and mid-parent PEBV with the phenotype data once management factors including management group, birth date, sex, the cow, the season etc., are taken into account. We can see that the ability of genomics and pedigree to predict the phenotype are much better.
The bars on the right-hand side of the graph are the BREEDPLAN EBVs using genomics, pedigree and trait data ( light blue = Single-Step EBVs), vs pedigree and trait data alone (no genomics: teal). You can see that both EBVs have a very strong relationship with the phenotype data, but the addition of genomic information in the light blue Single-Step EBV calculation improves the prediction.
SUMMARY
The pedigree of Wagyu animals can span many generations. Mining these pedigrees for useful information is very complex and is the reason why the scientific field of Quantitative Genetics exists. Through AWA BREEDPLAN, we publish EBVs for a large number of traits. These EBVs include pedigree, trait performance data and genomic information to derive the most reliable genetic estimate for individual animals.
SIMPLE DEFINITIONS
BLOODLINE ANALYSIS
Looking at a pedigree information
QUANTITATIVE GENETICS
Analysing trait data with pedigree information to quantify genetic merit
GENOMICS
Analysing trait data with genome data to quantify genetic merit
SINGLE-STEP
Analysing trait data with pedigree data and genomic data to quantify genetic merit
ALWAYS PROGRESSING
One
TRICKY TRAITS BACK TO BASICS
ADDRESSING COMMON TRAIT RECORDING ISSUES TO MAXIMISE YOUR DATA VALUE
Over the last 3 years, the number of Wagyu Breeders who record trait performance data on their herds has increased significantly. Many members record and then submit this to the AWA for inclusion in the BREEDPLAN genetic analysis.
As discussed in the article Bloodline vs Pedigrees …. page 20 of this Wagyu Update edition, trait performance data is a critical component for generating AWA BREEDPLAN EBVs. Trait data is vital to our genetic analysis. AWA members are increasingly submitting their performance data for a wide range of birth, fertility, growth and carcase traits to improve the analysis and the accuracy of EBVs for the animals in their herds.
Figure 1. below shows the trends in the number of performance records submitted each year for a selection of Wagyu traits over the past decade.
The number of AWA members that are enrolled as BREEPLAN data contributors has increased by 70% over the last two years, to over 150 active data contributors. Although the trends for performance recording and data submission to Wagyu BREEDPLAN continue to increase over recent years, it is important that the data provided by members is able to be used in BREEDPLAN so that they obtain the maximum benefit from their efforts.
from page 27
Some AWA members report that although collecting data might be easy or routine within their cattle operations, understanding the requirements for that data to be useful within the AWA BREEDPLAN analysis is not as straight forward.
RECORDING DATA IN MANAGEMENT GROUPS
An overriding requirement for members seeking to get the most out of their data by submitting it to AWA BREEDPLAN, is to record as many animals as possible in a management group at the same time. It is also important to keep animals in the management group together for as long as possible, so that your data is as useful as possible.
A fundamental aspect of genetic analyses is the comparison of animals within management groups to determine genetic differences between animals. Only animals that have had an equal opportunity to perform are directly compared together within BREEDPLAN.
There are two different forms of breeder defined management groups:
1. The “Birth Management Group” allows breeders to describe different treatments of the cows prior to the birth of the calf. For example, where one group of cows have had different feed availability that may affect the birth weight and/or calving ease and/or gestation length when the calf is born.
2. The “Post Birth Management Group” allows breeders to identify animals that have received different treatment or management following birth that has influenced their performance. This treatment may be deliberate (eg when some of your young bulls are castrated or receive supplementary feeding and others do not) or accidental (eg if a calf is sick).
WHY IS MANAGEMENT GROUP IMPORTANT?
Put simply, if you weigh animals on separate days in separate management groups, genetic analyses do not compare individuals between different groups on different dates. For example, if you weigh a paddock of steers on one day, BREEDPLAN can compare the weights of those steers to determine genetic merit if they are in one management group.
If you also weigh a paddock of heifers on the same day, BREEPLAN can compare the weights of the heifers to determine their genetic merit. However, BREEDPLAN will not compare the steer weights to the heifer weights directly, but it will use the information from both the steer and heifer groups in calculating EBVs.
The point here is that if possible, keep your management groups as large as possible for as long as possible, so that the comparative information within your management group data is most effective within BREEDPLAN.
TIPS ON TRICKY TRAITS
The following information is taken from excellent resources developed by Southern Beef Technology Services (SBTS) and was provided by Ms Catriona Millen. The source information can be found in the BREEDPLAN Help Centre – Recording Performance page
RECORDING BIRTH WEIGHTS
Birth Weight EBVs are estimates of genetic differences between animals in calf birth weight. Birth Weight EBVs are expressed in kilograms (kg) and are calculated from the birth weight of calves.
WHY SHOULD BIRTH WEIGHTS BE RECORDED?
Firstly, if you are recording birth weight, you are obtaining an accurate date of birth on the calf. Accurate birth dates are essential within BREEDPLAN as they provide the basis for calculating 200, 400 and 600 day weight accurately and birth date is used for comparing animals of similar ages within management groups.
Birth Weight is also an important component of calving ease. If birth weights of calves are too high, this can start to result in calving difficulty. Calving difficulty has an obvious negative impact on the profitability of a herd through increased calf and heifer mortality, slower re-breeding performance and considerable additional labour and veterinary expense.
Conversely, if birth weight of calves is too low, this can lead to weak calves with poor resilience and ultimately, calf survival issues.
WHAT CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE MADE WHEN RECORDING BIRTH WEIGHTS?
Birth weight should be recorded for the whole calf crop. Without comparisons to the other calves, "occasional" measurements are of no value and can actually be misleading.
There are significant fluctuations in the weight of a calf over its first week of life. Therefore, it is important to weigh calves as close to birth as possible. Ideally, measure birth weight within 24 hours of birth. Do not guess birth weight or use girth/chest size to estimate birth weight. Either weigh the calves or don't record birth weight. A birth management group should be recorded if there are different treatments of the females prior to calving that may affect birth weight. For example, where one group of cows have had different feed availability. A separate birth management group should also be assigned if the weight of the calf has been affected by special
circumstances (e.g. premature calves, the dam was sick etc.)
Be wary of protective cows while weighing calves. It is important to take due care when collecting this information.
RECORDING INFORMATION FOR GROWTH TRAIT WEIGHTS
200, 400 AND 600 DAY WEIGHTS
The Weight EBVs are calculated from the live weight performance of animals when they are between 80 and 900 days of age.
Within this age range, BREEDPLAN will use the age of the animal at weighing to determine whether the particular weight is used in the calculation of the 200 Day Growth, 400 Day Weight or 600 Day Weight EBV using the following age splits.
If a 200 day weight for a calf was taken at 280 days of age, BREEDPLAN will consider the age of the calf at weighing and adjust the weight accordingly.
WHAT CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE MADE WHEN RECORDING GROWTH TRAIT WEIGHTS?
Weights should be recorded to the nearest kilogram using accurate scales that have been calibrated and tared to zero.
Breeders should choose weighing dates that fit in with their management and are also reasonably close to when the average age of the group of calves is approximately 200, 400 or 600 days old (depending on the respective weight being taken).
Do not submit weights for heifers that are more than 3 to 4 months pregnant at weighing, unless they are at a similar stage of pregnancy and have been pregnancy tested. This is most relevant when submitting 600 Day Weights for heifers that are being calved down at 2 years of age.
Tricky traits: back to basics
<<< from page 29
BREEDPLAN can analyse up to two weights in each age range (i.e. 2 x 200 day weights, 2 x 400 day weights and 2 x 600 day weights). While there is no requirement to collect multiple weights in each age range, a second weight can help to increase EBV accuracy.
A management group should be entered for any calf or group of calves that have either been treated differently or exposed to significant non-genetic influences since the previous weighing. For example, calves given a supplement should be recorded in a different group to those without a supplement.
Management group consideration should also be given to variations in pasture quality, stocking rates, water quality, etc. Calves that have been sick should also be placed into a separate management group to their peers.
To ensure the maximum number of calves are analysed in the same management group, you should try to weigh all the animals from one management group on the same day. BREEDPLAN will automatically split your management groups if you weigh on different days. Ideally, calves should be weighed when they are in as large a group as possible. Consequently, try to weigh calves before any of the calves in the management group are treated differently. For example, weigh before you castrate some of your bull calves.
RECORDING MATURE COW WEIGHTS
Mature Cow Weight EBVs are calculated from the live weight performance of mature cows. Mature Cow Weight EBVs are an estimate of the genetic difference in cow weight at five years of age and are based on the weights recorded for cows at the same time as the 200 day weights are recorded for their calves. This is necessary so that all cows are evaluated at a common production point.
WHY SHOULD MATURE COW WEIGHT BE RECORDED?
The weight of mature cows in a commercial beef enterprise has a considerable influence on profitability. In particular, mature cow weight will have a major effect on:
Cow Feed Requirements – in general, lighter cows will tend to eat less and consequently have lower feed requirements and be less expensive to maintain.
Cull Cow Values – the major determinant in the value of cull cows in a commercial herd will be live weight. Consequently, heavier cows may provide higher returns from the sale of cull cows.
WHAT CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE MADE WHEN RECORDING MATURE COW WEIGHTS?
For Mature Cow Weight, BREEDPLAN will only analyse a mature cow weight if the
Mature Cow Weight EBVs are an estimate of the genetic difference in cow weight at five years of age ...
cow is older than 2.4 years of age (870 days) at the time of weighing.
BREEDPLAN will only analyse the weight of a mature cow if the cow has a calf with a valid 200 day weight recorded at the same time (i.e. calf aged between 80 – 330 days of age), and this 200 day weight was recorded within two weeks of when the mature weight of the cow was taken.
In practice, it is recommended that you collect the mature weight for a cow at the same time you are recording the 200 day weight of her calf. Mature cow weights should be recorded to the nearest kilogram using accurate scales that have been calibrated and tared to zero.
BREEDPLAN can analyse up to four mature cow weights for each cow. Over time, this will give an average mature cow weight for your animal. It is recommended that you weigh all cows when taking 200 day weights on their calves, every year.
BREEDPLAN will only analyse the mature cow weight performance of a cow if her first valid mature cow weight has been taken before she is six years of age (2200 days). If she is older than this, then none of her mature weights will be analysed. Management groups work slightly differently for mature cow weights. If no management group information is defined for a set of mature cow weights,
the BREEDPLAN analysis will use the management groups submitted with the 200 day weights of their calves to subgroup the weights of the cows. Therefore, if you have correctly recorded the management group information with the 200 day weight performance for your calves, then you only need to assign a different management group to a cow that has experienced an issue that would have an effect on her weight that is different to that experienced by her calf. For example, if the cow was injured/sick or has been supplementary fed.
If both the mature cow weights and the 200 day weights for their calves are submitted without management group information, the BREEDPLAN analysis will assume all cows and calves have been run under similar management conditions.
FULL-BLOOD
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MAYURA
ITOSHIGENAMI JNR
Arguably the most carcass proven bull internationally of ANY beef breed. With over 857 carcass records analysed, he is the most proven carcass performer in the Wagyu breed outside of Japan.
of his EBV’s for example;
■ Marble Score +3.1 with accuracy of 97%
■ CWT + 26kg with accuracy of 98%
■ EMA + 7.6cm with accuracy of 97%
Scott de Bruin / Director
CHANGE OF AWA ANIMAL REGISTRATION IDENTS
YEAR CODE INSTEAD OF YEAR LETTER FOR 2022 REGISTRATIONS
The AWA has used a year letter system for registration of animals, to denote the year of birth of all animals in the AWA Herdbook. There are only 24 letters in the alphabet, but time is infinite. So, what happens when we run out of letters?
Using the English alphabet as the base of the 24 year letters, we do not use the letter “O” or the letter “I” due to the potential for confusion as numerical integers within an Animal ID. This leaves us with only 22 year letters that have been used to create an animal’s unique identification. As communicated at the 2021 WagyuEdge Conference and throughout 2021, each animal registered in the AWA Herdbook is required to have a unique registration identifier. This is the “Animal ID”. With the First Wagyu genetics arriving in Australia more than 30 years ago, we are in the predicament of the risk of Animal ID duplications becoming increasing greater as larger numbers of animals are being born in herds that have been registering animals for 22 years or longer.
The AWA Bylaws define how the AWA constructs Animal ID’s for the registration of animals as follows
IDENTIFICATION in relation to an animal means the unique series of the following information on that animal; its Herd Code, Grade Code, Year Letter and Calf-Drop Number.
HERD CODE is a unique identification approved by AWA for each herd for the purposes of registration. It comprises a three character code. The code may be made up of three letters, or three numbers or a combination of letters and numbers. The herd code is part of the identification with which an animal must be identified
GRADE CODE means the number or letter denoting the grade of an animal or the section of the register in which the animal is registered.
YEAR LETTER means the letter designated by the Association to denote the year of birth of a registered animal.
CALF-DROP NUMBER means the unique identification, consisting of a maximum of 5 alphabetic letters and/or numbers, allotted by the herd owner to each calf born in his herd for that year. (This excludes the Herd Code, the Grade Code and Year letter)
Using the above components to build an animal’s Identification, ensures that every animal registered with the AWA has a unique Animal ID which is critical for the registration, DNA testing and BREEDPLAN systems to operate accurately.
We now have several herds that have been registering calves for more than 22 years. There is a risk that IDs of calves from the most recent birth year could be duplicating IDs of animals born 22 years prior.
In 2020 the first animal ID duplication occurred in one of foundation Wagyu herds, the well know JKC herd – Island Wagyu. A polled 52Y sired 2019 born calf was requested for registration with the same animal ID as a 1995 born calf.
So what happened? The duplication of Animal ID was detected, but the duplication enabled testing of the impacts of Animal ID duplication through the AWA systems as follows:
a) When the DNA test request was submitted for JKCPQ0004 (2019 born) our registration system recognized the Animal ID as an animal which is already registered and assigned the test request to the 1995 born animal;
b) The DNA lab recorded the Animal ID in their system which could cause the incorrect sample to be tested if DNA testing was requested for animal JKCPQ0004;
c) Within the AWA Parent Verification process, the parentage verification system identified that JKCPQ0004 was already registered and didn’t rerun the parent verification;
d) When the 2019 born JKCPQ0004 DNA result was loaded into AWA genetic analysis system it was linked to the 1995 born animal; and
e) The next BREEDPLAN analysis rejected the DNA result as the registered parentage of the 1995 born animal was different to the genomic parentage of the 2019 born animal submitted.
In the case of JKCPQ0004, the prior registered animal registration was able to be changed so that JKCPQ0004 could be registered.
However, the proportion of recently born animals exposed to the risk of having a duplicated ID will escalate as the number of calves registered 22 years ago is increasing every year.
To manage this risk, the AWA Board approved the use of a Year Code instead of a Year Letter, along with changes to the AWA Bylaws that note the use of a “Year Code” instead of a “Year Letter” as follows:
YEAR
CODE means the combination of two-digit number and letter designated by AWA to denote the year of birth of a registered animal. Change
<<< from page 35
Within the table on page 35 for 2022, the corresponding Year Code is 22T. The annotation of Year Code being the combination of the last two-digits of the Calendar Year, along with the traditional year letter. Each subsequent year then reflects the same two-digit and year letter code.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR WAGYU REGISTRATIONS OF CALVES BORN IN 2022?
From the 01 January 2022, all registrations of new calves born in 2022 will reflect the following registration identifier (Animal ID) structure example:
ABC F 22T 0001
HERD CODE GRADE CODE YEAR CODE DROP NUMBER
This animals ID would be ABCF22T0001
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PAST WAGYU REGISTRATIONS?
NOTHING. Past Wagyu registrations will not change. They are all unique and can be searched using the Animal ID that already exists for that animal. Existing Animal ID’s will not change.
DO I NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING IN MY REGISTRATION FORMS FOR 2022?
NO, the AWA system for animal registration will automatically apply the year number (22) to the Year Letter (T) for 2022 born calves to create the Year Code (22T). As a member, you can continue to fill out the AWA Registration form as per normal. AWA will apply the Year Number to create the Animal ID for you. In the case of animals which were born before 2022, the registration system will automatically determine that the birth date is before 2022 and will only apply the Year Letter even though the animals are registered in 2022
HOW DO I SEARCH ANIMALS ON THE AWA WEBSITE OR IN BREEDPLAN?
When you are searching for 2022 born calves, you will need to remember to use the year code (22T) in the animal ID search.
HOW DO I BRAND OR TAG MY CALVES?
You can still use your normal on farm branding or tagging system. For example, you can brand or tag with T0001 as your management tag number, using the same system you have always used. When the animal is registered with the AWA, the Year Code will be added, i.e. ABCF22T0001
MIJ MOBILE DEVICE
THE NEW MIJ MOBILE PHONE OBJECTIVE GRADING CAMERA HAS ARRIVED
Following on from AUS-MEAT accreditation of the MIJ-30 camera for Marble Score 0-9+, Meat Image Japan (MIJ labo Inc.) have tested and released their new mobile device for the Australian market. The MIJ mobile objective grading camera will make MIJ quality imaging available to more customers - the new addition to the already well known and respected technologies released by MIJ labo Inc. This new device follows similar principles of development and refinement displayed by the MIJ-30 camera, but in a smaller and more available package.
Professor Keigo Kuchida first demonstrated the MIJ mobile phone technology to AWA members during the 2017 Japan Tour. MIJ Labo Inc. has been scientifically testing and validating MIJ mobile phone configurations several years. The new MIJ mobile objective grading camera has been developed for Australian processing conditions with a unique Australian configuration including a specific imaging BEAK.
Like the MIJ-30, the new MIJ mobile technology is capable of rapid and accurate throughput, imaging more than 200 carcases in the chiller or at a grading stations every hour, under Australian conditions.
The MIJ-30, MIJ mobile, MIJ mobile with BEAK (Australian configuration) are all INPUT devices for collecting carcase ribeye images. A lot of time and research has been spent on camera development for each unit.
All MIJ models have access to the same "MIJ carcase database" and perform automatic analysis. The contents of the analysis include the research results and patented technology of Professor Kuchida for more than 30 years and cannot be imitated elsewhere. The AWA have extensively tested the MIJ mobile side by side with the MIJ30. The MIJ mobile uploads carcase images to the same cloud-based digital analysis platform as the MIJ-30. This means that image analysis on the MIJ mobile provides the same data output fields as the established MIJ-30 commercial grading camera. The technology also allows for image capture review, allowing the user to review the image just taken and if required, they can elect to retake the image before saving the image for upload. This paired with a simple Bluetooth barcode pairing of carcases tags to image ID’s means that a full recovery and comparison of carcases traits and data can easily be done. If WiFi or adequate Mobile roaming data signal is available, then automatic image upload to the online database can occur. This means that the captured ribeye image can be automatically uploaded and analysis calculated within 5 to 10 seconds, giving real time feedback data for the user.
KEY FEATURES OF MIJ MOBILE PHONE OBJECTIVE GRADING TECHNOLOGY
» Optimised configuration for carcase grading
» Can grade all recognized grading site locations
» Over 200 carcases graded per hour
» External LED lighting has been added to accurately capture carcase ribeye images
» Easy to use interface for tailoring the device to individual users
» Image captured review
» Overall, the whole device is only about 1.2kg total
» Standard carcase trait reports as for MIJ-30 data
MIJ mobile units will sold and supported through the AWA and will be available for order very soon.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
AARON VAN DEN HEUVEL aaron@wagyu.org.au
Stanbroke’s Diamantina Wagyu brand has proudly won back-to-back titles at the 2021 Darling Downs Beef Battle competition.
Stanbroke is purchasing quality bred Fullblood and Wagyu F1 steers and heifers by AWA registered Wagyu Fullblood bulls following Stanbroke genetic values.
Stanbroke supply chain vendors receive full feedback information on feeder cattle processed for our award-winning Diamantina brand.
LOCATION Pullman and
Mecure Melbourne Albert Park
TICKETS Early bird tickets available now. Book today
Two and half days of workshops and inspiring speakers
The conference is an opportunity to bring together all components of the Wagyu sector in a forum of learning and networking to help our industry to advance Wagyu – the World’s Luxury Beef.
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Wagyu Branded Beef Competition Awards Presentation, Gala Dinner and the annual Elite Wagyu Sale. Day one of the conference will focus on our position within the global Wagyu sector, animal health and information from some of our Australian breeders. Day two will examine the latest in research and development from across the globe.
Keen to be a Sponsor?
Partnership with the AWA gives you a unique opportunity to reach a global Wagyu audience through our media channels and events. For more information please contact Emily Rabone emily@wagyu.org.au
In conjunction with MLA and the AWA we are offering you the chance to gain unprecedented access to data on the feed efficiency of your cattle.
Our program arms you with individual animal data, and the analytic tools and support you’ll need to maximise profits and enable selection for feed efficiency, without jeopardising marbling performance or other desirable traits. With upgraded analytical software and added in-pen weighing cells, joining the trial now will give you improved granularity and accuracy of data.
COHORT DATES
23 March, 2022
6 July, 2022
19 October, 2022
Limited placements available in trial
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
GEORGE LUBBE
General Manager Feedlot Operations
george@stockyardbeef.com.au 0408 502 787
PHOEBE JENKINS
Genetic Improvement Officer
phoebe@stockyardbeef.com.au 0439 221 469
NET FEED INTAKE –BE REWARDED FOR YOUR THRIFTINESS
FEEDER STEER NOMINATIONS FOR THE NFI PROJECT ARE OPEN NOW, WITH LIMITED INTAKE GROUPS REMAINING.
Working with Meat and Livestock Australian and Stockyard Kerwee Feedlot, AWA members have a limited opportunity to have Fullblood progeny of their sires tested for Net Feed Intake (NFI)
So far, approximately 1,000 progeny from 58 different sires have been tested. We anticipate that these numbers will double by the end of the project – presenting a limited opportunity for AWA members to have their sires tested for NFI.
Using the data on progeny from the anticipated ~120 sires, the AWA will be looking to test NFI EBVs for Wagyu production and understand the opportunity for Wagyu supply chains to benefit from using more efficient genetics.
total of 180 animals can be fed under NFI test conditions in a single test intake.
The induction and NFI testing period currently totals 100 days, so the pens have the capacity to run three feed test intakes each year totaling 540 animals, providing significant capability for Wagyu sire testing over the next 2 years. Seven full cohorts have been completed so far. There are 6 cohorts remaining in the project with animals now being accepted for 2022 intakes.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
CAREL TESELING
carel@wagyu.org.au
GEORGE LUBBE
george@stockyardbeef.com.au
The AWA has been conducting NFI studies since 2018, at Kerwee Feedlot near Jondaryn Queensland using the Growsafe (now Vytelle) Feeders. The Wagyu NFI project is necessary to understand opportunities to cost-effectively feed long-fed Wagyu cattle in the future. It is also vital information to contribute to our understanding surrounding genetic variability in methane production in future Wagyu research.
Stockyard Kerwee Feedlot has two production pens fitted with GrowSafe feeders with each pen capable of feeding 90 head. Meaning a
If you have groups of Fullblood feeder steers available for feedlot entry now, or becoming available during 2022, please contact Carel Teseling (carel@wagyu.org.au) or George Lubbe (george@stockyardbeef.com.au) to find out about the requirements for the NFI project and having your progeny tested through feedlot finishing in the Stockyard program. Analysis conducted by Kirsty Moore from the Animal Genetics Breeding Unit (AGBU) on the data collected in the NFI project to date, shows that there is a potential variance of 0.8kg/day NFI across sires. That means, there are sires whose progeny consume 0.8kg less feed per day for the same growth rate –presenting an opportunity to significantly reduce feed costs over long feeding periods.
Built on Science
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GERMAN WAGYU ASSOCIATION (GWA)
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIAN WAGYU ASSOCIATION
The German Wagyu Association (GWA) was founded in 2008. A small group of only seven breeders were the founding members. Until today the number of members has grown to nearly 200. It is a mixture of smaller and medium sized farms/operations and some larger producers.
The structure of the involved organisations as such is quite different from the Australian Wagyu Associaton. We have several public breeding organisations, which are registering the animals/genetics – based on official herdbooks, which are acknowledged by our authorities. This has to be done under the regulations of the European Union. It sounds quite complicated, but this ensures that the registration is officially done and the animals/genetics can be traded within the EU with a pedigree. In the near future we will have two separate herdbooks. One is a closed herdbook for fullblood Wagyu only and the second one is an open herdbook for purebred Wagyu, where breeders are allowed to add other genetics in order to breed polled Wagyu for instance.
The GWA is focused on the development of the breed as such and to support its members with different services. We are three honorary board members and have a steering committee of three additional members. One year ago we launched a business plan, which is focused on our development over the next three years. One main point is the development of the breed, the other focus is to support the marketing of the beef.
For this purpose, we participated as an exhibitor in the ANUGA, the worlds biggest fair for nutritional products. Just to show that there is Wagyu beef from Germany and the quality is good. Up to now, most of the breeders are selling the beef more regionally. Especially this regionality has become very important for the consumer in Germany. In the future we will have more producers in Germany, which are looking for additional market opportunities. We performed our third national Wagyu Beef Contest and published the results to the chefs and consumers. Furthermore, we are in the process of establishing a Wagyu seal – one for Fullblood and the other one for Wagyu Cross, to achieve a higher level of transparency for our consumers.
In order to produce Wagyu beef on a constant good level for the German market, we have to start with the breed and its special requirements. So far breeders mostly use only some genetic test results as “quality indicators”, like SCD and Tenderness. Furthermore, the public breeding organisations are doing a classification on skeleton - musculature – breed character for the breeding animals. Some bits and pieces, which are not really supporting the development of the breed. As the ancient philosopher Aristotle said, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
<<< from page 45
The Australian Wagyu Association, as the oldest Wagyu breeding organisation outside Japan, has a much broader and more detailed view developed over the past decades, which is much more related to the special properties of this breed.
The AWA’s BREEDPLAN genetic analysis has a very high transparency and provides data on a broad range of traits important for Wagyu breeding. It is the only reliable global analysis and provides information relevant to the entire registered Wagyu population.
Furthermore the AWA has established itself as a globally renown and professional organisation, performing many different activities, which can inspire the German breeders on an individual basis. Bottom line, the AWA offers a lot of opportunities and tools, which are acknowledged by Wagyu breeders from all over the world. Therefore, more and more breeders are joining the AWA, as the GWA is doing
Partnership with the Australian Wagyu Association
We hope that it is possible to come with a group of German breeders (next year) to Australia to participate personally in your conference and tour.
as well. Based on this partnership, we offer the German Wagyu breeder the access to the AWA, supporting the registration of the members and the animals. This helps us bridge the language barrier and gives us the opportunity to develop the breed on a more professional base. On the other hand the AWA can broaden its worldwide data base and the network, which should be beneficial to its breeders and maximising the available genetic diversity in Australia.
I had the opportunity to visit the AWA office and meet with the highly professional people – in 2019, before the pandemic started. This convinced me, as the Chairman of the GWA, to cooperate with the AWA for the good of
our breed as a global resource
We hope that it is possible to come with a group of German breeders (next year) to Australia to participate personally in your conference and tour. This would be really great for us to share in the global Wagyu community.
I would like to thank the board and the staff members of the AWA for the support so far and look forward to a continued good cooperation.
Uwe Jerathe Chairman of the Board
For the German Wagyu Association
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WAGYU BREEDERS ASSOCIATION (WBA)
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIAN WAGYU ASSOCIATION
Thanks to the tremendous efforts of its Members and Directors, working in tandem with our partners throughout the supply chain, the Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) in the UK & Ireland is making great strides not just in terms of the numbers of cattle being registered but the overall influence the breed is having on beef production, its marketing as well as consumer demand. WBA aims are to work with all our partners to deliver a great product to the consumer reflecting the unique properties of Wagyu and furthering its reputation as the world’s finest beef!
MIJ CAMERA TECHNOLOGY
MIJ (Meat Imaging Japan) technology has now reached the UK and is being used in both the Fullblood and crossbred sectors including at a major abattoir where several thousand scans are anticipated in the first year. The potential benefit for British Wagyu is huge.
Comments WBA Director Philip Maddocks
“Not only will the MIJ camera technology give us a way to differentiate on price as well as quality, but the carcase data we collect will help us improve our genetics as well as our efficiency of production to maximise return. As Wagyu breeders and producers, we can use this tool to change the beef industry as we know it.”
WAGYU BIRTHS UP BY +65%
Figures released by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) for 2020 show that British Wagyu, known for its highly marbled premium beef, has increased its numbers by 65% on the year. The figures, for beef cattle born in England, Wales & Scotland reveal almost 10,000 Wagyu-sired calves were born in 2020. Of these, 8388 were crossbred (sired by a Wagyu bull) and 1047 purebred or Fullblood - totalling 9,435 head of Wagyu animals when compared to 5,699 in 2019. Wagyu now represents around 1.5% of beef-sired calves born in GB. The current growth predicts a 5% market share within 3 years.
WBA Director Chris Dickinson says
“This is a real sign that Wagyu is well on its way to becoming a crucial part of the UK beef industry. British Wagyu is now on far more restaurant menus across the UK as customers are drawn to its high marbling and fantastic taste.”
BRITISH WAGYU ASSURANCE SCHEME
WBA-Approved British Wagyu - Fully WBA Assured British Wagyu
In July 2020, the WBA established a British Wagyu Assurance Scheme which included a published set of rules for Members to adhere to in order to be able sell under its auspices. Members fulfilling the criteria may display the WBA Approved British Wagyu / Fully WBA Assured British Wagyu logo (pictured above) at their premises, on their marketing materials, product packaging, and will have their animals listed publicly on the British Wagyu website. They will also receive a certificate confirming their membership of the scheme for the year in question. The scheme will:
» Lead the industry in terms of traceability, animal welfare and consumer trust
» Enhance the integrity and value of premium Wagyu beef
» Be at the forefront of data collection for meat quality, performance efficiency and climate change
» Increase the profile and demand for British Wagyu
GENUS VALIDATIONS
WBA is partnering with Genus to provide genetic evaluations for crossbred Wagyu calves. Data is collected throughout the animal’s life from birth (calving ease, birthweight, gestation length) through to slaughter (daily liveweight gain, deadweight, marble score). Several thousand marble score records have already been collected at a number of plants with the aim of producing validations such as deadweight vs marbling score and age at slaughter vs marbling score and feed conversion rate (FCR) – ultimately relating these back to the sire. Over time, accuracy and predictability of these tools will increase as more and more animals come through the system. On the maternal side, Genus has recently released results of the first calving survey on three bulls.
Colin Lucas, Regional Business Manager for Genus Breeding Ltd, comments
“We asked our dairy farmers to fill in a survey which includes data on calving difficulty, calf vigour, calf size and calf survivability at
48hrs. This data gives our dairy farmers a better chance of getting cows back in calf quickly and getting up to peak milk quicker.”
Genus also conducts the WBA’s sire verification programme for commercial calves entering the British Wagyu quality assurance scheme.
FULLBLOOD REGISTRATIONS
Full members of WBA are automatically paid-up overseas members of our partner the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) allowing them to register Fullblood calves and be part of the ABRIBREEDPLAN performance recording evaluation. Comments BWBA Secretary, Richard Saunders: “We’ve been working with Australia since we started in 2014. This partnership is crucial in accessing high-quality member, registration and technical services to help the breed flourish further here.”
WORLD WAGYU COUNCIL
The UK is one of the founder members of the newly created World Wagyu Council (WWC) whose objectives are to:
» Facilitate the development of the Wagyu breed and product internationally with goodwill and integrity
» To foster good relations between member associations
» To promote the Wagyu breed and especially the product throughout the world
» To exchange scientific and technical information amongst its members
» To provide a forum for establishing the next country to host World Wagyu Conference (2023 USA; 2026 South Africa; 2029 UK/Germany)
» Establish protocols for the exchange of Wagyu genetic information between World Council members
» Help facilitate business opportunities between member countries
To find out more visit www.britishwagyu.co.uk or follow us on Facebook ‘Wagyu Breeders Association’; Twitter @BritishWagyu
Wagyu calves with their British Wagyu-branded DNA tissue eartags from Caisley
SPOTLIGHT FROM TEXAS, USA
BREEDPLAN DATA KEY FOR M6 CATTLE CO
Kevin and Jessica Moore are the sole owners and operators of M6 Cattle Co. LLC, and have been married for 29 years and have a 22 year old daughter, Emily, who recently graduated from university with a Bachelor of Science degree.
The Moore family has been in the cattle business for generations and the seed stock business since 1971. Kevin grew up on the inside of the business and partnered with his dad, Jack Moore, in his early adult life.
As a boy and after graduation from Texas A&M University where he got a Bachelor of Science degree and National Champion livestock judging experience, Kevin has worked every job needed in order for the M6 Ranch to survive and thrive…cow/calf duties, beef delivers, herd health, cattle evaluations, DNA, registrations, data records, construction, feed programs, grass management, farming, AI and ET responsibilities, show cattle, genetics, marketing, customer service, accounting, etc.
Jessica has been involved every step of the way, helping where needed and loving the agriculture life style. Jessica and Kevin besides their faith in Jesus Christ have depended on beef to meet their financial needs. There was a slogan painted on a wall at the “old” M6 Ranch sale pavilion that stated “When You Depend On Beef For Your Bottomline” M6 Ranch.
Jessica and Kevin are living examples of their cattle business providing a wonderful way of life.
Alvarado, Texas USA
The M6 Ranch is a smaller operation since the passing of Kevin’s parents, however, the M6 Ranch can still operate approximately 200 cows plus, replacement heifers, bull development and feeding slaughter cattle.
The M6 Ranch started transitioning to fullblood Wagyu in 2014 from an internationally known Charolais program.
Our goal is to breed the best of the best and without a comprehensive measuring stick to separate young cattle was near impossible. Cow/calf artisans with production agriculture values ingrained can separate cattle based on efficiency, production traits and cow-man common sense but we needed genetic tools based on science and less opinions to make these cattle better.
From 2001 to 2016 (15 years in a row), the M6 Ranch earned the highest averaging Annual Charolais production sale in the United States while marketing about 300 bulls a year.
double lung transplant to stay alive. She tried a variety of different diets in order to have an edge in survival. Jessica stopped eating ”choice” beef fattened the traditional American way. Kevin did not enjoy the grass-fed beef and started bringing home Wagyu beef while pointing out the health benefits.
Both Jessica and Kevin were happy with their new found beef and M6 Ranch started its Wagyu breeding adventure. The days of “more pounds of choice beef in fewer days and less feed” were over. The Moore’s sold their famous Charolais herd. The new pursuit for Kevin and Jessica/M6 Ranch was producing the “best tasting and healthiest beef in the world”.
The catalyst for switching breeds from Charolais to Wagyu was the potential health benefits in Wagyu beef. Jessica was extremely sick in 2013! She needed a
Kevin and Jessica’s Wagyu beginnings were not without extreme frustration. Kevin says “Our goal is to breed the best of the best and without a comprehensive measuring stick to separate young cattle was near impossible. Cow/calf artisans with production agriculture values ingrained can separate cattle based on efficiency, production traits and cow-man common sense but we needed genetic tools based on science and less opinions to make these cattle better”. <<< from page 45
BREEDPLAN data - key for M6 Cattle Co
It might not be the American thing to do but we have to do it. It will either break us or make us but we are going to DNA test every animal in the Australian Wagyu Association in order to get Genomic enhanced EBVs. We have to embrace the most accurate science available in order to make better and more profitable decisions.
It did not take long for the Moore’s to find the Australia Wagyu Association data base with tens of thousands of records backing up their science. An added benefit is the foundation genetics used in Australia and American are the same which creates genetic evaluation linkage.
At the time Australian EBVs and now Genomic enhanced EBVs were not conventionally accepted by American Wagyu breeders but the Moore’s could not ignore this tool of EBVs to try and breed better cattle.
Kevin explained “It might not be the American thing to do but we have to do it. It will either break us or make us but we are going to DNA test every animal in the Australian Wagyu Association in order to get Genomic enhanced EBVs. We have to embrace the most accurate science available in order to make better and more profitable decisions”.
No doubt the Moore’s had been researching the data for the better individuals and more profitable cow-families in addition to putting selection pressure on their herd for years prior to their 100% commitment to EBVs because the M6 Ranch produces genetics that rank at the top of the breed in BREEDPLAN. The Moore’s are grateful and thankful that the more progressive Wagyu breeders in America have recently embraced Genomic enhanced EBVs from BREEDPLAN.
Ultrasound work
<<< from page 51
Kevin says “EBVs have been good to make the M6 Ranch cattle better and good for the breed”. The M6 Ranch had it’s first Wagyu production sale in 2017 and it’s first sale with Genomic enhanced EBVs in 2021. The M6 Ranch 2021 sale set a record as the highest grossing sale in American Wagyu history ($2.7 million and averaged over $12,000 per head). The high sellers had top 1% genetics based on BREEDPLAN EBVs.
Now Jessica and Kevin are preparing for the 2022 M6 Ranch Bull Sale on April 9th, including 80 fullblood Wagyu bulls and featuring the current #1 Wagyu Breeder Index bull in ALL of BREEDPLAN and the #1 Self Replacement Index bull in North America. In fact, 5 of the top 10 Self Replacement Index bulls in North America will be offered at the 2022 M6 Ranch Bull Sale on April 9th.
Kevin is very excited about, M6 RANCH ITOSHIGENAMI R073H. Kevin says “073H has top 1% genetics for 6 traits in addition to every $Profit Index. He is also FREE of all recessive genetic conditions. This bull makes Multiple Trait Selection look easy”.
Kevin says “At M6, we are using our years of experience in our goal to make Wagyu cattle even better, in our pastures and on the plate. What has worked for us is stacking pedigrees with Trait Leading sire through our extensive E.T. and A.I. program. We measure everything on the hoof, in the lab and on the rail in order to identify elite individual genetic differences.
Australian Wagyu Association Single-Step EBVs are a huge source of information for cattle evaluations. After we have identified curve bender, elite individuals, we mass produce the good ones. Mating cattle for progress is our passion so that each calf crop is better than the previous one. Our aim is to supply our customers with a consistently excellent product. Whether you are buying Beef, Breeding Bulls or Females or Frozen Genetics, M6 is providing dependable quality!
At M6, we have embraced the ultimate challenge in breeding Wagyu cattle. We are selecting for more carcass quality, more performance, more phenotypic eye-appeal while keeping heifersafe calving ease. The M6 Ranch is home to top 1% Wagyu genetics and Jessica and I plan to provide the industry with more top 1% Wagyu genetics in the years ahead.”
Kevin and Jessica Moore sole owners and operators of M6 Cattle Co. LLC with daughter, Emily,
SPOTLIGHT FROM BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA
ET AND AI DRIVES GENETIC GAIN AT ABSOLUTE WAGYU
Absolute Wagyu (Pty) Ltd is the culmination of a shared passion and vision for the Wagyu breed in South Africa. The company consists of five shareholders, four of which are in the veterinary industry, with the fifth as a director of one of the major grain companies in South Africa. These shareholders are experts in their fields and bring together an exceptional skill set, which allows for a wide understanding when it comes to making informed breeding and selection decisions.
Three of the four veterinarians are specialists in reproduction of large and small stock (cattle, sheep, and goat),Giving Absolute Wagyu the opportunity to utilize assisted reproductive technologies to further advance their Wagyu herd.
The Absolute vision is to produce world class Wagyu genetics for the Southern African Wagyu market, by working together with all role players in the value chain – from seed stock producers right through to the final product on the shelf.
To ensure long term success, they only make use of proven Wagyu genetics. In the local context, they already have high marbling carcase data for several of their top breeding bulls. All genetics that they import are carefully selected on the individual performance and Single-Step genomic breeding values of each animal.
Artificial Insemination (AI) is used to produce terminal crosses from proven genetic bulls for the feedlot and slaughtering market. Embryo Flushing and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is used to multiply the top genetics in their herd and supply superior genetic animals to local stud breeders.
Bloemfontein
South Africa
Botswana
Namibia
Their sister company, Absolute Genetics Inc., specializes in providing these reproductive services to all cattle breeders in South Africa and now also offer semen sexing services, together with Ramsem (Pty) Ltd and the world-renowned company Sexing Technologies.
Absolute are the first in Africa to offer this technology, giving stud breeders the ability to plan how many heifer- or bull calves they would like to produce in a breeding season. Specifically focusing on which superior genetic bulls or cows to produce top replacement animals. For example, by using AWA index values and EBV’s, they determine the genetic rank of each animal in their herd. Then selecting the top 1% bulls from the Absolute herd to produce male and female sexed semen and selecting the top 5% cows to produce sexed IVF embryos.
The Absolute vision is to produce world class Wagyu genetics for the Southern African Wagyu market, by working together with all role players in the value chain – from seed stock producers right through to the final product on the shelf.
The female sexed semen is then used to AI the top 50-75% herd females. The bottom 25% of the females are either used as embryo recipients or artificially inseminated with male sexed semen for terminal cross production.
In terms of Wagyu, there is the unique benefit of producing only male animals for feedlot production, thereby ensuring higher carcass weights. This is Absolute Wagyu’s newest production objective, practiced on all the crossbred and commercial females in their herd.
Absolute Wagyu believe it is a privilege to work with breeders from around the world through their participation as a member of the Australian Wagyu Association. Given the limited genetic diversity in Japanese Black genetics and the coverage of the global herd by the AWA Herdbook, all breeders can maximize their genetic gain and manage their diversity using the AWA’s resources. Absolute Wagyu recognize the global leadership position of the AWA in providing data driven, high accuracy EBVS and profit $Indexes across the largest global registry of Wagyu genetics.
CALL FOR ENTRIES INTO THE 2022 COMPETITION COMPETING ACROSS FULLBLOOD, CROSSBRED AND COMMERCIAL CLASSES
Entries close 11 February, 2022
MORE DETAILS
wagyu.org.au/wbbc
SPOTLIGHT FROM NEW MEXICO, USA
LONE MOUNTAIN RANCH CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO FULLBLOOD STATESIDE
Lone Mountain Ranch, one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land in between Santa Fe and Alberqueque, is proud of its commitment to producing Fullblood Wagyu beef.
A family-run operation, Lone Mountain Ranch was established in 1965 by Marion and Glen Lloyd, running traditional ranch straight backed animals that were evenly balanced from nose to tail.
Well respected in the industry, Bob Estrin took on management of Lone Mountain Ranch with his wife Mary, daughter of Marion and Glenn in 1995.
A self-confessed city boy, Bob’s background was in film editing in Hollywood, which he says, taught him about attention to detail, where ‘one frame adjustment could make a world of difference’.
Soon after taking on management, Bob could see that the farm’s traditional approach of 30 years was creating problems for the farm’s bottom line. A new approach was needed. A chance restaurant visit eating Wagyu sashimi was Bob’s turning point.
Sourcing two bulls in Washington State, Bob started out with an F1 program, where
Santa Fe, New Mexico USA
H O W I S Y O U R
L I V E S T O C K
D A T A M A K I N G
Y O U M O R E
P R O F I T A B L E ?
In recent years we have seen a tremendous increase in knowledge from our customers around different kinds of Wagyu, with many familiar with Wagyu from Japan, Australia and locally ...
<<< from page 59
the first batch through the feedlot achieved a grading of 95% USDA Prime, in a time where Prime was averaging 6-9% IMF –and only 3% of the national herd achieved Prime.
Encouraged by the results, further Wagyu cows were sourced, and the first Fullblood calf was born in 2005 and by 2010 Lone Mountain Ranch was producing enough Fullblood Wagyu beef to supply a direct line into restaurants around the country.
“I was a voracious reader of all things Wagyu in those days,” said Bob Estrin, during the recent WagyuEdge 2021 Conference. “I savoured every issue of the Australian Wagyu Association’s website and magazines and made two trips to Australia for conferences and a trip to Japan for Zenkyo to learn as much as I could”.
“My passion for technology allowed me to work with Wagyu utilising BREEDPLAN EBVs, as well as imaging carcases with a camera we bought from Mr Shogo Takeda”.
“We did find that our data differed from that of BREEDPLAN in the beginning, for example Kitaguni and Yasufuku had low marble score EBVs, even though our results showed the progeny were outstanding. By adding our data to BREEDPLAN, the EBVs increased by substantial margins. The results were striking.”
Bob has also been impressed with the new Australian genetics, especially the influence of Itoshignami Jnr, who he believes is Australia’s ‘next big thing’, and is looking to infuse the Lone Mountain herd crossing back across some of the foundation bulls
Lone Mountain Ranch continued commitment to Fullblood
<<< from page 61
of Yasufuku, Kitaguni, Michifuku and Shigeshigetani. With a belief that the Wagyu market is robust globally, Bob expressed the view that Associations around the world take Australia’s view of reciprocal recognition of Wagyu genetics to build a stronger future. The level of Fullblood Wagyu beef operations in the US is still quite small, and it is hard to determine the size of the overall market, as there is no segmented data at this point. The ratio of F1-F3 to Fullblood that is processed in the US would be 90% and only a few thousand head per year. There are indications that in the coming years that ratio will change as more Fullblood operations come to maturity.
In terms of processing capabilities for Wagyu, there is few options available to Lone Mountain Ranch, but Mr Reid Martin said that they worked with one abattoir in Nebraska, with grading done to USDA criteria, making it even more vital to use their own camera and to submit data to BREEDPLAN to improve the breed and genetics.
From chief operating officer, Reid Martin’s point of view, the biggest challenge for Lone Mountain Ranch is to continually differentiate the product from F1 beef citing that pricing and quality are ‘all over the place’ and confusion about what Wagyu is, abounds.
“In recent years we have seen a tremendous increase in knowledge from our customers around different kinds of Wagyu, with many familiar with Wagyu from Japan, Australia and locally,” said Reid.
They are learning about the different attributes of brands and how it relates to the breeding behind the beef and Australia has played a large part in that growing interest and it has resulted in a new higher standard for F1 and percentage Wagyu.
Reid also echoes Bob’s sentiments saying that there is plenty of market for the industry to produce different types of Wagyu to improve the eating and product experience through better practices and genetics.
Lone Mountain Wagyu, Chief Operating Officer, Reid Martin presenting remotely during the 2021 WagyuEdge Conference.
If you missed the presentation from Lone Mountain, it is available to stream now.
Perfecting the production of quality Wagyu
Exciting News, Australian Crossbred Carcase data will soon be considered for inclusion with Wagyu BREEDPLAN analysis. This inclusion will help fast track the accuracy and relevance of Wagyu Carcase EBVs.
Please contact us to help submit your crossbred data.
PETE AND PIP BISHOP
Owners of Bishop Wagyu | Director of Quality Genetics International contact @ bishopwagyu.com 0429 454 189 0427 454 189
