Wagyu Cattle

[BRYANT]

I don't know much about this breed of cattle but if this bull came through a bull sale how many of you people would take him home to breed your cows to?
Going only off of looks and the way he is built, put the word Wagyu out of your mind, or maybe I should ask would you buy an Angus, or some of the other well known beef breeds that was built like this bull?

 

[Bigfoot]

He's unsightly. Somebody (maybe gizmon) posted a pic of a decent looking one. I'm not opposed to using them. I'd want them spoken for before they hit the ground though. They'd sell like a LH or Jersey here, if you didn't have a marketing plan.

 

[Petercoates87]

Some of the higher end restaurants here pay good money for it.

 

[ez14.]

i would not use THAT bull

 

[dun]

i would not use THAT bull

I agree

 

[cow pollinater]

Most of them look pretty similar. The first time I ever saw them a neighbor had three of them turned out on his heifers and I called him and told him to saddle a horse and come help me because somebody had dumped a couple of ropers that they didn't cut out on his heifers. I felt pretty :dunce: when he told me the calves were under contract before they were even conceived.
Personally, I think it's fairly irresponsible to use them unless you have a contract for the calves(and even then I don't like it). We as an industry need to be moving towards efficiency and these are NOT IT.

 

[Lazy M]

Had a feedlot guy out of Iowa offer to buy all my calves for 40% over market value if I'd switch to wagyu bulls around 3 yrs ago. He claimed that there was such demand that they couldn't fill orders for 1/2 breed feeders. I took a pass. It seemed like too good of a deal to be true, and I couldn't stand the way that they looked. I figured that they grow so slow it would end up being close to break even, even if he did live up to his end..

 

[JSCATTLE]

Had a feedlot guy out of Iowa offer to buy all my calves for 40% over market value if I'd switch to wagyu bulls around 3 yrs ago. He claimed that there was such demand that they couldn't fill orders for 1/2 breed feeders. I took a pass. It seemed like too good of a deal to be true, and I couldn't stand the way that they looked. I figured that they grow so slow it would end up being close to break even, even if he did live up to his end..

How much lighter would your calves end up. 40% over might barely cover the weight difference . I would have passed too .

 

[Son of Butch]

Had a feedlot guy out of Iowa offer to buy all my calves for 40% over market value if I'd switch to wagyu bulls around 3 yrs ago. He claimed that there was such demand that they couldn't fill orders for 1/2 breed feeders.

How much lighter would your calves end up. 40% over might barely cover the weight difference . I would have passed too .

15-20% lighter... your dealing with 1/2 bred calves not purebreds.
My guesstimate is 40% bonus might equate to an additional net profit of 5% - 15% tops depending on your overhead

 

[greatgerts]

Had a feedlot guy out of Iowa offer to buy all my calves for 40% over market value if I'd switch to wagyu bulls around 3 yrs ago. He claimed that there was such demand that they couldn't fill orders for 1/2 breed feeders. I took a pass. It seemed like too good of a deal to be true, and I couldn't stand the way that they looked. I figured that they grow so slow it would end up being close to break even, even if he did live up to his end..

How much lighter would your calves end up. 40% over might barely cover the weight difference . I would have passed too .

The guy I'm using for a calf-raiser put a bunch of Wagyu embryos in for someone. He was saying the breeder would be tickled if they weaned at 400lbs! I told the guy that if mine weaned like that, 1) They'd be hauled to the sale barn and 2) I wouldn't be doing any business with him in the future.

 

[M.Magis]

Personally, I think it's fairly irresponsible to use them unless you have a contract for the calves(and even then I don't like it). We as an industry need to be moving towards efficiency and these are NOT IT.

Why? Efficiency is only a tool to reach the ultimate goal of everyone within the industry, profit. These aren't the cattle to become the next prominent breed seen in feedlots. But there will always be people willing to pay a premium for heavily marbled beef, and as long there's money to be be made for everyone in the process, I don't see the issue.

Anyone else see the irony of how the Angus Association is often vilified here for getting the industry to focus on appearance (black hide) too much, yet some of the same people wouldn't consider raising animals that don't look the way they think they should.

 

[gaurus]

Anyone else see the irony of how the Angus Association is often vilified here for getting the industry to focus on appearance (black hide) too much, yet some of the same people wouldn't consider raising animals that don't look the way they think they should.

I have made up my mind, I will be switching gradually to terminal Wagyu/Charolais cross products, this is where the moneys at, Marbling from Wagyu with carcass traits of Charolais, I have more than a few people offering me the same 40%.
When you see prices listed for real Wagyu beef from Japan at $80 a pound in Costco https://www.costco.com/Japanese-Wagyu-N ... 11362.html you know the money is the money is there to be taken.

 

[Jake]

Good friend of mine is the herdsman for a good sized wagyu breeder. They feed out a bunch of them as well. They restrict who they sell bulls to on contract to buy the calves as they want the super high end prime beef. Most continental breeds aren't considered for the cross as they give up too much of the wagyu marbling. Seems like they make pretty good heifer bulls. I however have not jumped on the wagon of using them.

 

[Lazy M]

Good friend of mine is the herdsman for a good sized wagyu breeder. They feed out a bunch of them as well. They restrict who they sell bulls to on contract to buy the calves as they want the super high end prime beef. Most continental breeds aren't considered for the cross as they give up too much of the wagyu marbling. Seems like they make pretty good heifer bulls. I however have not jumped on the wagon of using them.

The guy that approached me said that the herds they were interested in had to be angus based. When I asked what his definition of angus based was, he thought for a second and said, "mostly black". He also said that they are great for heifers, said that the calves look like deer fawns. He did admit that they still kind of looked like deer after 7 mos :lol:

 

[Petercoates87]

OK here is a newbie question. Why wouldn't ya want to breed this bull into a herd of cattle? Wouldn't it make for a better marble of meat? Or is it that this high marble trait is a recessive gene. I'm only starting out and I sell my beef by the quarter to some high restaurants in my area. And their first question is what's the marble like? So since I have heard of this breed I have wondered what a cross would be like.

 

[jscunn]

You actually sell to restaurants or you plan on selling to restaurants, Petercoates? The reason I ask is because I hear people locally talk about buying two steers and selling to restaurants. The restaurant is going to want a consistent reliable supply of beef. Also the inspection hurdle is higher for restaurant sales vs freezer beef sales.

The Wagyu deal is fine as long as you can stand to look at them and you have them sold prior to conception. Everyone is right about efficiency, the half bloods are better but still lack the zip of a normal feedlot steer.

 

[Jake]

OK here is a newbie question. Why wouldn't ya want to breed this bull into a herd of cattle? Wouldn't it make for a better marble of meat? Or is it that this high marble trait is a recessive gene. I'm only starting out and I sell my beef by the quarter to some high restaurants in my area. And their first question is what's the marble like? So since I have heard of this breed I have wondered what a cross would be like.

Their marbling does pass through but you give up a lot of performance. And the full blood females milk about as much as a Pygmy goat

 

[gaurus]

I have a few friends from Colombia and they are breeding Black Wagyu to plain old Brahman, they are selling the meat to fancy restaurants and the F1s marble like premium Angus steaks and they are getting paid accordingly, I mean if a sorry looking Wagyu A.I can make this much money on Brahman none the less(Brahman beef is terrible) I wager that just about any continental breed would produce a better carcass quality.

 

[gaurus]

Their marbling does pass through but you give up a lot of performance. And the full blood females milk about as much as a Pygmy goat

The Money on the F1s terminal cross, full blood Wagyu Heifers are way out of most people budget and if you don't plan on becoming a seed stocker then it's just not the way to go.

 

[Petercoates87]

Well jscunn I'm in newfoundland and the closest fresh or local beef to these restaurants is P.E.I. so because of that they jump rite on anything local. It's quite a sad thing actually on our Lil island we import 98% of our beef and 95% of our produce. So like I said if ya got fresh eggs beef or veggies these high end restaurants want it and will pay a premium. But they don't want dairy steers. Lol.
But anyways so it's because of the hit on performance in build makes it not worth it. I know of a breed of sheep that was bred out of like 4 breeds. To give a ewe that produces a lot of lambs high milk n lamb 3 times in 2 years. But I guess doing that in cattle would take a few years lol.