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If you were writing a “want ad” for
your cowherd, calving ease, a docile temperament, and the
ability to adapt to the environment would probably be on the
required traits list. Along with that, carcass traits –
specifically marbling – would also likely rank high in order to
command premium prices. So
if a Waygu bull answered your “want ad” would you give him the
job?
Fact is, the Waygu breed’s resume
does include all those attributes – from calving ease and
adaptability to high marbling genetics. Most importantly, Waygu
beef has earned a reputation synonymous with exquisite taste –
and research has proven it to be beneficial to human health.
Because of that, there are some
opportunities for the breed within the beef industry – from
fullblood and percentage operations to commercial herds.
Charles Gaskins, who serves as
Executive Secretary of the American Waygu Association and is
also on the faculty of the Washington State University Animal
Sciences department says, “The Waygu breed has some valuable
attributes to contribute to beef cattle breeding programs. Waygu
can greatly enhance the marbling potential of progeny in beef
crossing systems. Waygu will also improve tenderness and enhance
beef flavor because Waygu have a different profile of fatty
acids compared to other breeds.”
Additionally, he points out that
Waygu bulls produce smaller calves at birth than most other
breeds, and therefore are an excellent choice for breeding to
heifers. “Reducing calving difficulty reduces costs and improves
the lifetime productivity of cows,” he says.
Thus, from adding desirable
traits to commercial herds to aiming for the high-dollar
premiums associated with high percentage and fullblood Waygu
beef, some producers might find Waygu fits their needs for the
future.
Here, three breeders share their
experiences with Waygu cattle and how they’ve tailored them to
their operations:
Crescent Harbor Ranch - Ralph & Helene Valdez
Ralph and Helene Valdez have been raising fullblood Waygu on
their ranch near Oak Harbor, WA, since the mid-90s. Ralph
explains that they previously were in the seafood export
business and in their travels to Japan had developed a fondness
for Kobe beef.
When they sold their seafood business, they decided to raise
Waygu beef. Today, they’ve built their herd to include 75
fullblood females and also have a 100 head recip-herd.
He reports that the focus on their ranch is in private treaty
selling fullblood genetics and seedstock to others interested in
getting into the breed. To be classified as a fullblood Waygu,
cattle must be 100% Waygu and they must be DNA verified to have
a fullblood Waygu sire and dam. Crescent Harbor had a booth at
the recent NCBA trade show in Phoenix and Ralph says interest in
Waygu was evident.
They also feed and sell some of
their fullblood Waygu beef to local restaurants.
His advice to others interested in the Waygu breed is this:
“Quality will always sell.”
Given the high-standing reputation for Waygu beef and having
maintained a fullblood herd, Ralph believes that should remain
the focus for the Waygu breed, but he acknowledges there is a
place for Waygu genetics in F1 breeding programs. He says, “I
think there is a place for commercial herds to use Waygu too” –
particularly to improve quality grades.
He says, “Waygu are a grid-beater. If a producer put Waygu bulls
on Angus cows he would increase the percentage of Prime and
Choice to 80-100% without sacrificing yield.”
That said, he does caution that anyone looking to use Waygu
genetics – be it for a fullblood or commercial program – should
do their homework.
He says, “There are several
different strains of Waygu. The most popular is the Tajima
strain. The Mishima is not very well known and it is from an
island of the same name in Japan, it finishes well on grass, so
fits a special niche…Each strain has different strengths. So it
is important to be knowledgeable and speak with experienced
breeders.”
Morgan Ranch - Dan, Ronny and Jeanne Morgan
On their ranch near Burwell, NE, the Morgan family has been
raising and selling Waygu beef for nearly 20 years. They have
focused on raising registered Purebred Waygu (93.75% Waygu or
more) and three-quarter blood Waygu and selling their Waygu beef
online and through contracts nationally and internationally to
restaurants, gourmet food markets and individuals.
Of their Waygu herd Jeanne Morgan
says, “We are ranchers in the beef business, and the cows have
to work for us.”
The Morgan’s began raising Waygu
because of the exceptional quality of the final product. In
addition to carcass quality, they also like the Waygu breed for
its fertility and calving ease – average birth weight is 65 lbs.
By concentrating on a high a percentage Waygu, the Morgan’s feel
they are able to increase efficiency, particularly feed
efficiency.
“We’ve put heavy selection
pressure on polled genetics, and we’ve worked at selecting for
feed efficiency,” Jeanne says. She explains that their cattle
are often on feed for 200-250 days to finish – where most Waygu
cattle are fed for 300 days or longer. And she adds, “To verify
our quality control we collect carcass data on every animal
harvested relating back to sire and dam.”
“Our main goal is to maintain a
high percentage of Waygu genetics and still maintain the
superior quality of the meat. We’ve found that you can raise a
Waygu that is acceptable to look at phenotypically and is
economically efficient and offers an exquisite dining
experience,” she says. In 2006, Morgan Ranch American Waygu was
the winner of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Value Award in a
blind taste test of Waygu beef.
In addition to selling their
Waygu beef direct, Morgan Ranch also sells bulls by private
treaty to a well-established customer base of commercial
producers who buy Waygu bulls for calving ease, hybrid vigor,
carcass quality, and to retain females in order to add fertility
and carcass traits in their herd.
Morgan’s advice to others is that
Waygu can fit a commercial operation and that not all Waygu need
to be fullbloods. She says, “There is a place in the real world
for these genetics, but you have to know how to manage and
market them.”
Like Valdez, she too says quality
always sells and that even in the current recession their
business has been unaffected. She concludes, “Our customers
value the information we provide about our ranch and the Waygu
we raise. They appreciate the health benefits and superior
quality of the Waygu product, and they are still buying our
Waygu beef.”
Lone Mountain Cattle - Bob and Mary Lloyd Estrin
In April 2005, Lone Mountain Cattle Co. near Golden, NM, began
transitioning from a commercial herd to fullblood Waygu. Using
extensive A.I. and embryo transfer, the ranch has grown to 250
fullblood Waygu on the ranch, where they will hold their second
annual production sale this spring.
Owner Bob Estrin got into the
Waygu breed because he too enjoys the beef and its healthy
attributes. He also recognized the premiums that fullblood Waygu
beef commands in restaurants.
Asked where Waygu may fit into
other cattle operations, Estrin says it is important to
recognize there is really a three-tiered market available for
Waygu beef.
At the basic level, he explains
that commercial producers may want to add Waygu bulls to their
herd to introduce more marbling and achieve a higher percentage
of Prime and High Choice quality grades in their calves.
Second, is the Waygu beef
produced from percentage Waygu cattle. This beef fills a niche
and commands a premium at many restaurants and gourmet food
markets among wealthy individuals.
The third-tier is fullblood Waygu
beef. “The demand for this is in very high-end restaurants,”
explains Estrin, but the challenge in the U.S. is that not many
fullbloods are available for slaughter – almost all of the
fullblood Waygu served in the U.S. is imported from Japan and
Australia.
Thus, Estrin hopes as fullblood
Waygu numbers increase in the U.S. – presently there are fewer
than 5,000 – American breeders will tap that market, and he
says, “This is were we see the golden opportunity.”
Estrin acknowledges that
fullblood and crossbred Waygu are both niche products, but he’s
adamant that there’s a market for them – even in today’s
economy. He too says, “Quality sells.”
His advice to cattlemen
considering Waygu is this: Find your place in the three-tiered
market; see what fits your operation. And lastly he says,
“Recognize that at the end of the day, we are food producers;
and so it is important to take a long range view of the
process.”
Editor’s Note: Lone Mountain Ranch will host two educational
seminars about the Waygu breed prior to their April sale. The
seminars will be broadcast live via DVAuction. The topic for the
first seminar on April 17 is “Marketing your Waygu.” It will be
moderated by Estrin and include a panel discussion with a former
Ritz Carlton sous chef, a Waygu feeder, and fellow fullblood
breeder, Ralph Valdez.
The second seminar will be the
morning of April 18 with a focus on the health benefits of Waygu
beef. Dr. Stephen Smith from Texas A&M will present his research
findings on the topic followed by a question and answer session
moderated by beef industry writer Wes Ishmael.
Advice from AgriBeef
As one of the largest suppliers of Waygu beef in the U.S.,
AgriBeef sells their American-style Kobe beef under the label
Snake River Farms. Luke Detar, a production specialist, explains
that in producing their Waygu product AgriBeef owns the genetics
and contracts with producers that have Red and Black Angus and
baldie based herds, and then buys back the Waygu calves. About
95% of the Snake River Farms beef is supplied this way.
Detar says it is done through controlled genetics and contracts
to ensure a premium product is produced.
Because of this Detar also
advises those looking to get into the Waygu breed to “know your
plan and know your buyer.”
He adds, “It is important to have
some contracts set up because that is how the majority of Waygu
beef is purchased.”
Detar acknowledges that Waygu
genetics may offer some calving ease benefits for commercial
herds – particularly if used on first calf heifers. “It is great
for calving ease and produces a better product than using a
Longhorn for calving ease.”
But he cautions that producers
need to look at using Waygu for the right reasons and be sure it
will benefit the industry. He concludes, “There is opportunity
but producers need to be careful and realistic. There can be a
lot of variance in the Waygu breed; there are also vast
differences in the traditional long fed and short fed Waygu
beef. Just like any breed it takes a whole system to result in
quality beef.”
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