Few questions about wagyu

[Stocker Steve]

Might could use a Holstein and do about the same faster and with more meat.

I think you may be better off upgrading the Wagyu by making a F1 Jersey cross.

Would be a sure way to drop yield and pounds of product.

Ya, but maybe the marbling will be yellow! ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)

 

[Son of Butch]

I have no first hand knowledge of Wagyu whatsoever, all I know is what I have read so that can be taken with a grain of salt. From what I understand, The maternal abilities of the breed are not as good as they could be. I would be cautious when calving them out to make sure they take care of their calves as they should and that they have enough milk.

yup - Wagyu can knock the snot out of milk production.
I have a F1 Holstein x Wagyu cow that I was afraid would end up with too much milk.
But I would say she's close to ideal with milk production around that of a good - average angus with a nice udder.
Her 3/4 wagyu daughter is a 1st calf heifer that I hope/expect will have more milk the next time around.
The same can be said for my F1 Simmental x Wagyu 1st calf heifer that had an angus calf last spring.
From what I've seen if you're going to run cows that are more than 1/2 wagyu definitely plan to creep feed.
Teat size and shape has been good and birth weights have been 63-74 lbs

edited to help slick's eyesight

 

[slick4591]

What kind of BW's are the Wagyu's throwing? I have a bottle fed, stunted char/something-or-other heifer that's 14 months and have been wondering what to breed her to. Before you ask I have her as company in my grow out pasture to keep the singles occupied after they are weaned and moved there.

 

[5S Cattle]

What kind of BW's are the Wagyu's throwing? I have a bottle fed, stunted char/something-or-other heifer that's 14 months and have been wondering what to breed her to. Before you ask I have her as company in my grow out pasture to keep the singles occupied after they are weaned and moved there.

I wouldn't hesitate to breed a heifer to any of the ones I've seen. I bet I haven't seen a calf over 70 lbs in the few years I've helped this guy. And these are supposed to be "growthy" sires

 

[Son of Butch]

Comparing USDA beef grading to Japan's system.
USDA uses rib cut 12/13th to determine marbling grade.
Japan uses rib cut 6/7th and forward ribs tend to marble more, so Japan has a built in advantage when comparing.

USDA IMF% minimums for grading
Select 2.59% IMF
Select+ 3.2
Choice- 3.91
Choice 5.34
Choice+ 6.89
Prime- 8.56
Prime 10.33
Prime+ 12.22
USDA BEYOND PRIME
prime++ over 14.5% imf

Japan
A3 21.4% min (Kobe standard grade as of 2008 when grades A1 and A2 were dropped)
A4 35.7% min
A5 43.8% min
highest achievement 56.3% IMF with 72% yield grade
In addition to minimum IMF% other factors such as meat color and fat color are used to score A3 or above in Japan

 

[True Grit Farms]

Wouldn't wagyu cross good with jersey for retaining heifers and selling high marbling tender beef? If the Japanese are as picky and knowledgeable about beef as they are tuna your not getting nothing by them.

 

[Son of Butch]

Yes, Japan is very picky and wouldn't buy them. As I understand it they have government contracts with Australia
for Wagyu beef production and importing back to Japan with the contracts all being very tightly controlled.

 

[Son of Butch]

Wouldn't wagyu cross good with jersey for retaining heifers and selling high marbling tender beef?

Yes, but no market exists for them.
Wulf's have made their own market with their "BEEFBUILDERS" but they use Jersey x Limo not Jersey x Wagyu

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

Good info SoB!

 

[frieghttrain]

Wouldn't wagyu cross good with jersey for retaining heifers and selling high marbling tender beef?

Yes, but no market exists for them.
Wulf's have made their own market with their "BEEFBUILDERS" but they use Jersey x Limo not Jersey x Wagyu

Not to mention those Limousin cross Jersey are going to grow way better then wagyu x Jersey

 

[True Grit Farms]

Wouldn't wagyu cross good with jersey for retaining heifers and selling high marbling tender beef?

Yes, but no market exists for them.
Wulf's have made their own market with their "BEEFBUILDERS" but they use Jersey x Limo not Jersey x Wagyu

Not to mention those Limousin cross Jersey are going to grow way better then wagyu x Jersey

True, but we're talking tenderness. A jersey is a tender eating animal compared to a limousine.

 

[frieghttrain]

Ah but I wasn't talking about Limousin vrs Jersey I was talking about the resulting cross.

 

[willbtz2]

Welcome aboard! You won't find a lot of Wagyu help on this board. Not many (none) here have any? I've purchased a Wagyu bull to cross with my Belted Galloway cows that will be coming to my farm in the next few weeks for fall calving in 2019. I've done my research on various Wagyu farm websites and the American Association at wagyu.org and wagyu.digitalbeef.com.

The answer to #1 is the Wagyu line of Tajima. They are the best marbling line, but that is offset by small size, slower growth, and poorer milk production in cows.

Hi how have you got on with the Wagyu x belted galloway? Thinking about doing it myself thanks.

 

[billyB]

I started raising wagyu about 13 years ago. I had a few Angus at the time and learned about the health factors in wagyu beef versus other protein sources. I eventually built a good lineage that now produces much of the sought after qualities. As a consequence, I learned a lot about the breed. I always favored Angus and Angus crosses with Hereford and/or Holstein cattle before I learned about wagyu. It made great product that I always sold at a decent price. I can say that Wagyu, especially full-blood and purebred, make even better product and at the same costs as raising my previous non-wagyu cattle. They take a bit longer, but most of that extension of time is to get the tenderness and marbling fineness desired. I get similar yields as I did on Angus too. (725 to 850 lbs. hanging weight)

The tenderness, marbling and fat content is definitely much healthier meat than you can produce with any crosses of other beef breeds. You can control the finishing to achieve composition anywhere from prime, BMS 4 (like prime Angus, but with healthier fat) to BMS 10-12 like Kobe. The DNA for both Tenderness and marbling is a dominant DNA trait in wagyu. DNA meat quality genetics is 30 to 40% of the meat quality, the rest is how they are raised and the finishing technique/mix. I found that most can be finished (1100 to 1400 lbs.) in 20 to 28 months of age, depending primarily on the quality you're after. Be glad to offer more detail if there is any interest.

Here are some pictures of finished. First 2 pictures were pushed to BMS 10, making it like A5 Kobe. They were sold during the Memorial Golf Tournament a couple of years ago. The third picture was finished to be more like a BMS 7 to match a texture and flavor similar to very high-end Angus, but with the Wagyu health factor.

 

[Son of Butch]

You can control the finishing to achieve BMS 4 to BMS 10-12 like Kobe. First 2 pictures were pushed to BMS 10, making it like A5 Kobe. The third picture was finished to be more like a BMS 7

What's BMS?

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Are'nt Wagyu cattle in Japan also given beer and massaged every day?

 

[sstterry]

Hi how have you got on with the Wagyu x belted galloway? Thinking about doing it myself thanks.

@NonTypicalCPA hasn't been active on the Board for the last two years. I hope he sees this and comes back. I miss his input.

 

[sstterry]

Are'nt Wagyu cattle in Japan also given beer and massaged every day?

Only if you take them on a date and buy them dinner first.

Seriously, some Kobe beef is, but not all Wagyu.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

< I massage my cow. She doesn't ask for beer althought she would probably drink it.

 

[billyB]

BMS

It means "Beef Marbling Score".