Wagyu...

[Dave]

The pen next to those Wagyu calves I have been feeding is a pen of Angus/Char cross calves. They were born and raised on the same ranch. They are the same age. The Wagyu went to flat irrigated pasture for the summer. The Angus/Char calves went to rugged dry range land for the summer. Those cross calves have 300 pounds on the Wagyu. They are thick, soggy and gaining weight like crazy. The Wagyu are..... well they are alive. There better be one heck of a premium on those Wagyu to make up for all the feed it will take to grow them up.

That's why I don't see Wagyu becoming a real mainstream widely accepted animal anytime soon. They would seem to me to be a good niche market though on a small scale. On the subject of the Angus X Charolais, reckon how they would finish and grade out? I have always figured that was a real good cross for an all around beef animal.

I don't have any first hand knowledge on how they would grade. I do know that they sure sell well so the buyers must like them and how they preform. And neighbor has a couple brothers who run that same cross. They retain ownership on their calves so it must work out for them. That and a small sample. His Char cross steers have won the carcass contest on the local 4-H market steers 5 out of the last 8 years.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Olive Wagyu

https://www.crowdcow.com/ranch/olive-wagyu?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpcnb&utm_campaign=B_S_EC_NB_RLSA_Wagyu&utm_term=olive+fed+wagyu&utm_content=71880692439688&msclkid=79a42835ef191d27e82675dfb49be0dd&gclid=79a42835ef191d27e82675dfb49be0dd&gclsrc=3p.ds

I'd settle for an over cooked shank steak, off a corriente..before I'd pay those prices..

 

[Hpacres440p]

The pen next to those Wagyu calves I have been feeding is a pen of Angus/Char cross calves. They were born and raised on the same ranch. They are the same age. The Wagyu went to flat irrigated pasture for the summer. The Angus/Char calves went to rugged dry range land for the summer. Those cross calves have 300 pounds on the Wagyu. They are thick, soggy and gaining weight like crazy. The Wagyu are..... well they are alive. There better be one heck of a premium on those Wagyu to make up for all the feed it will take to grow them up.

Aren't Wagyu intended to be raised in high-input feed-heavy systems? I don't see how they could even start to have decent gains on a forage system. I have seen articles showing the "true" Wagyu producers in Japan keep them penned for most of 3+ years, heavy grain feeding systems, and lots of hands-on care to keep them as docile and quiet as possible for more tender beef. Like long-term veal calves?

 

[greggy]

Sounds like fun.... :yuck: :roll:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If feeding something for 3+ years is the only way to get the size and marbling necessary, people should jump on them for a nitch market.
Just being a smart azz.
Everyone has the right to try different things. Wagyu just doesn't seem like a long term viable business. Just MHO. Hard to see many Americans willing to dish out the added "value" needed to make out on a carcass.

 

[Dave]

I think (don't know sure certain) that the way the neighbor comes out on the Wagyu he has is by selling breeding stock. I see that the majority of the bull calves are still intact and they are nearly a year old. A few comments have been made leaning that way. I know that a few do go to the feedlot because we had to dehorn some that were headed that way last year. But that wasn't the majority of the calves. Think Alpaca, Emu, and pot belly pigs. The money was in selling the breeding stock up until the bubble burst.

 

[Ky hills]

I think (don't know sure certain) that the way the neighbor comes out on the Wagyu he has is by selling breeding stock. I see that the majority of the bull calves are still intact and they are nearly a year old. A few comments have been made leaning that way. I know that a few do go to the feedlot because we had to dehorn some that were headed that way last year. But that wasn't the majority of the calves. Think Alpaca, Emu, and pot belly pigs. The money was in selling the breeding stock up until the bubble burst.

I think that is a very logical description of it, from what I understand of the breed there isn't a lot of traits that would make them compatible and profitable under most management systems from a cow calf standpoint. I can see them perhaps as a significant niche breed in a similar scenario s boer goats are. There again though that initial bubble bursted as they became more numerous.

 

[Stickney94]

I apologize if this was posted previously, but its both an example of tremendous marketing/salesmenship and the gullibility of the human race:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/old-cows-texas-steaks-heartbrand/

The company is trying to find value add for its Akuashi/Wagyu cull cows.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Wow - this statement is a bit of a slam on grass-fed beef:
"slaughtered its first ten-year-old cow. It had been fed on grain for a full 300 days prior. "They eat thirty pounds [of feed] a day, and they don't gain much weight," Beeman said. "Their conversion rates are horrible." He was referring to the cow's ability to efficiently convert grain into body mass, but that's not the only reason for the grain diet. It's also to add fat back into the animal and temper the gaminess that can come with nine years of eating primarily grass.

These old cows were being treated like catfish that are purged in fresh water to eliminate the flavor of what they've been eating their whole life. The Beemans know their audience, and Americans are used to a beef flavor that isn't fully developed."

Also not an endorsement of their do-ability/easy keeper "conversion rates are horrible" - coming from a breeder of 3000 fullbloods.

 

[Stickney94]

Wow - this statement is a bit of a slam on grass-fed beef:
"slaughtered its first ten-year-old cow. It had been fed on grain for a full 300 days prior. "They eat thirty pounds [of feed] a day, and they don't gain much weight," Beeman said. "Their conversion rates are horrible." He was referring to the cow's ability to efficiently convert grain into body mass, but that's not the only reason for the grain diet. It's also to add fat back into the animal and temper the gaminess that can come with nine years of eating primarily grass.

These old cows were being treated like catfish that are purged in fresh water to eliminate the flavor of what they've been eating their whole life. The Beemans know their audience, and Americans are used to a beef flavor that isn't fully developed."

Also not an endorsement of their do-ability/easy keeper "conversion rates are horrible" - coming from a breeder of 3000 fullbloods.

That article is one of the craziest reads if you are knowledgeable about cattle. I was constantly shifting from laughing out loud to being crazy frustrated how easily customers can be misled.

I will commend the creativity of trying to add value to cull cows though.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Wow - this statement is a bit of a slam on grass-fed beef:
"slaughtered its first ten-year-old cow. It had been fed on grain for a full 300 days prior. "They eat thirty pounds [of feed] a day, and they don't gain much weight," Beeman said. "Their conversion rates are horrible." He was referring to the cow's ability to efficiently convert grain into body mass, but that's not the only reason for the grain diet. It's also to add fat back into the animal and temper the gaminess that can come with nine years of eating primarily grass.

These old cows were being treated like catfish that are purged in fresh water to eliminate the flavor of what they've been eating their whole life. The Beemans know their audience, and Americans are used to a beef flavor that isn't fully developed."

Also not an endorsement of their do-ability/easy keeper "conversion rates are horrible" - coming from a breeder of 3000 fullbloods.

That article is one of the craziest reads if you are knowledgeable about cattle. I was constantly shifting from laughing out loud to being crazy frustrated how easily customers can be misled.

I will commend the creativity of trying to add value to cull cows though.

I agree - but, talk about going over board - feeding 30#/day (if they meant grain) for 300 days!!