WHY WAGYU

Eating Quality

If there is one place where Wagyu stands head and shoulders above all other breeds it is on the plate.

Wagyu are genetically predisposed to lay down marbling which is the fine streaks of intramuscular fat that you will see in well finished Wagyu or Wagyu cross meat.

Wagyu marbling is also different to the limited marbling found in other British cattle breeds. The fatty acid profile is different with a significantly lower fat melting point, this plays a big part in mouthfeel, tenderness, flavour and overall eating experience. 

Wagyu breed content and feeding regimes can be adjusted to meet specific palates and market preferences. Australian wagyu programs typically range from MBS 5 to MBS 9+. 

Fertility

One of the biggest profit drivers in any livestock production business is the ability to consistently get a high percentage of pregnancies from animals joined resulting in more calves on the ground.

Wagyu bulls typically have an extremely high libido and we have found are extremely agile and motivated.

Razorback Ranch Wagyu can supply Wagyu bulls for full blood and cross breeding programs. 

Calving ease

Nobody likes pulling calves, its usually at the worst time of day or night and in the worst weather. 

Wagyu have outstanding calving ease producing more live calves on the ground from your cow herd, this equals significantly more profit but the benefits don’t stop there. 

An early and easier calving will ensure the cow has a better recovery postpartum and will give your young heifers a good start with a better chance of getting back in calf.

The benefits of calving ease and fertility should not be overlooked as the benefits and or costs do compound over time.

Wagyu bulls can be a great choice for first calf heifer matings, not only do they provide calving ease but a high value first calf and exceptional hybrid vigour. 

Ask us about selecting the right Wagyu bull for your application. 

Temperament

We love the docility and curious nature of our Wagyu cattle.

We have found our Wagyu bulls to be far more docile in comparison to other breeds of bulls we have owned in the past making them safer to handle. 

We utilise low stress stock handling techniques to ensure our cattle are conditioned to react to us in a calm and trusting manner. 

Hardy

Wagyu animals adaptable to a wide range of conditions. There are examples of Wagyu thriving from Tasmania to the Northern Territory and from South Africa to Canada. 

In hot weather our Wagyu seem to be less bothered by the heat and lay in the sun where our Angus recipient cows are camped in the shade. In our cold winters our Wagyu do equally as well as our Angus and develop a dense winter coat that prevents them from losing condition.

We focus on genetic lines of wagyu that produce lively calves and avoid breeding animals that carry some of the genetic conditions found in Wagyu. 

We particularly avoid the “IARS” Disorder, also known as perinatal weak calf syndrome as this has a high mortality rate in affected new born calves. 

Over the years we have identified a number of genetic lines that perform well in our environment and have focused on improving them. 

All Razorback Ranch Wagyu Stud animals are registered with the Australian Wagyu Association on Breed plan with EBV’s, powered by 50K Genomic testing, structurally assessed, phenotypically measured and carcass data recorded.

This helps to ensure more predictable breeding outcomes and high performing, hardy cattle.   

Profitable

We believe Wagyu cattle are the most profitable for the following reasons:

1. Feeder Prices – Wagyu full blood and crossbred feeder animals attract a significant premium over commercial cattle of up to 90% with a variety of reliable and long standing cattle buyers. When purchasing from Razorback Ranch Wagyu we can point you in the right direction. 

2. High fertility, hardy cattle and calving ease will undoubtedly equate to more live calves and more saleable KG’s per hectare. 

3. Feed efficiency and lower maintenance feed costs allow for a more feed efficient breeding herd enabling producers to run more breeding cows.

4. Quality, the marbling Wagyu brings improves eating experience and perceived consumer value and therefore higher prices per KG of beef. 

We welcome anyone who would like to learn more about  Wagyu opportunities or is interested in Wagyu animals to contact Nick on 0421712582.