Waygu on Angus

Help Support CattleToday:

HDRider

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
7,893
Reaction score
1,990
Location
NE Arkansas
I have to think a number of folks have done a wagyu bull on angus cows.

How is the eating of wagyu angus cross?

Will it improve the eating of a pretty good eating angus?

Good eating means tender, minimal gristle, marbling with nice inter muscle fat (not just a fat rind).

I was surprised the birth weight of a wagyu is maybe a little more than my angus. I get about 60 to 70 pounders. The wagyu website said 65 to almost 90 pounds. Mine mature pretty fast. I have to think a wagyu/angus cross would be a smaller mature steer. The interweb said a wagyu yearling ways about 700 pounds. Mine hits around a 1,000
 
Having used a number of different Wagyu sires from ORIgen/ABS the F1 offspring can vary. Most of my angus cattle have been bred to grade well -- so adding Wagyu didn't dramatically change marbling. There is general agreement in my customer base that F1 meat has a discernible flavor and a richness to the fat/meat that some have loved and others have not.

As far as growth -- if you have solid Angus cattle/genetics your F1s will grow (that's my experience).
 
I have to think a number of folks have done a wagyu bull on angus cows.

How is the eating of wagyu angus cross?

Will it improve the eating of a pretty good eating angus?

Good eating means tender, minimal gristle, marbling with nice inter muscle fat (not just a fat rind).

I was surprised the birth weight of a wagyu is maybe a little more than my angus. I get about 60 to 70 pounders. The wagyu website said 65 to almost 90 pounds. Mine mature pretty fast. I have to think a wagyu/angus cross would be a smaller mature steer. The interweb said a wagyu yearling ways about 700 pounds. Mine hits around a 1,000
My question is can you sell the beef for high enough price to make up for the loss of weight. You will need a whole new market plan.
 
Does the cross require similar high-input finishing as regular Wagyu? From an Akaushi/Angus cross we butchered, I wasn't impressed. She was a two year old open heifer, should have been super tender by genetic input. Not so much with mostly grass (as are all of ours)
 
Does the cross require similar high-input finishing as regular Wagyu? From an Akaushi/Angus cross we butchered, I wasn't impressed. She was a two year old open heifer, should have been super tender by genetic input. Not so much with mostly grass (as are all of ours)
Another good question.

Considerations like these are why exploring options here on HT is of such value.
 
Last edited:
My question is can you sell the beef for high enough price to make up for the loss of weight. You will need a whole new market plan.
If you cross wagyu with quality Angus genetics -- in my experience -- you will not have smaller carcasses. And most also won't take any longer to finish than FB angus.

As far as finishing -- there are a lot of rations/magic floating out there -- if you are happy with your current fattening ration I wouldn't adjust just for F1 production (at least immediately).
 
Does the cross require similar high-input finishing as regular Wagyu? From an Akaushi/Angus cross we butchered, I wasn't impressed. She was a two year old open heifer, should have been super tender by genetic input. Not so much with mostly grass (as are all of ours)

never mind.
 
Last edited:
Does the cross require similar high-input finishing as regular Wagyu? From an Akaushi/Angus cross we butchered, I wasn't impressed. She was a two year old open heifer, should have been super tender by genetic input. Not so much with mostly grass (as are all of ours)
Fat is energy. It has to come from somewhere.
 
DNA will also dictate conversion ratio. From what I have witnessed the Wagyu conversion ration is not too good. So you need either a great market for the meat or real cheap feed.
 
DNA will also dictate conversion ratio. From what I have witnessed the Wagyu conversion ration is not too good. So you need either a great market for the meat or real cheap feed.
It seem 6:1 is the accepted measure of beef cattle. I cannot find anywhere what Wagyu is.

1626011790168.png

 
Circle A probably has the most experience in crossing Wagyu on Angus. In their findings they found that animals that are 25% Wagyu will finish in the feedlot as efficiently as any other animal. But the thing with the 25% Wagyu influence is that a higher percentage of animals will finish in the upper choice to prime grade.
 
Circle A probably has the most experience in crossing Wagyu on Angus. In their findings they found that animals that are 25% Wagyu will finish in the feedlot as efficiently as any other animal. But the thing with the 25% Wagyu influence is that a higher percentage of animals will finish in the upper choice to prime grade.
I suspect something like that - I take that to mean the cross is good
 
Not disagreeing, but isn't the DNA going to dictate how that fat is distributed?

Does Wagyu have the genetic predisposition for different fat distribution?
Probably does but I do not know. But if they are not receiving enough energy to reach their potential then it does not matter. You don't see pro sports folks feasting on celery sticks.
 
Not disagreeing, but isn't the DNA going to dictate how that fat is distributed?

Does Wagyu have the genetic predisposition for different fat distribution?
Some seed stock producers measure tenderness and marbling which are included in their bull sale list. It would be helpful if we had some Wagyu data to compare. Since there is such a wide variation in English breeds - - I assume some English bulls rank with Wagyu.
 
It seem 6:1 is the accepted measure of beef cattle. I cannot find anywhere what Wagyu is.

View attachment 5788

I don't have any data but personal experience. The neighbor raises a bunch of Wagyu. I was there just a few days ago when he was doing embryo transplants into about 50 cows. So in the past I have fed for him on occasions. Same ration in a mixer wagon. One pen full of commercial crossbred calves. Mostly Charolais cross calves. Next pen Wagyu calves. Both sets born in the same time frame. Visually the growth rate was remarkably different. The commercial calves looked great. The Wagyu ......... considerably less than great.
 
I don't have any data but personal experience. The neighbor raises a bunch of Wagyu. I was there just a few days ago when he was doing embryo transplants into about 50 cows. So in the past I have fed for him on occasions. Same ration in a mixer wagon. One pen full of commercial crossbred calves. Mostly Charolais cross calves. Next pen Wagyu calves. Both sets born in the same time frame. Visually the growth rate was remarkably different. The commercial calves looked great. The Wagyu ......... considerably less than great.
You will go broke if you feed Wagyu like they do in Japan. Those cattle are a minimum 3 years old at slaughter. That is how they get that marbling. If you feed a pen of commercial angus for 3 years you will get all Prime.
 

Latest posts

Top