GermanThe registration in the USA as well as in Australia is connected with much more effort than in Germany. A lot of data of different nature has to be reported to get a comprehensive picture of the animal to be registered.
Today, the information from the so-called SNP is decisive for the animal’s values. Thanks to an extensive database in Australia, WBVs are now being calculated - they are genomic breeding values determined specifically for the Wagyu breed.
Using these values, it is then possible, for example, to plan matings that theoretically complement each other very well because the two parent animals have the potential to complement each other very well.
Alternatively, breeding can be targeted very specifically toward the further development of individual traits. The calculated inbreeding coefficients are also displayed, which further simplifies the selection of parent animals.
Over time, the animal’s individual development is then tracked. For example, changes in weight. Using the carcass camera from the Japanese company MIJ, values for the ribeye (EMA), marbling, and its fineness can also be recorded—under defined conditions - based on the slaughter of offspring.
The breeding values for Arubial United P0342 are shown here as an example:
To refer to the past once again: the Japanese wanted to increase the phenotype of their breeding by importing bulls from abroad at the end of the 19th century - to generate more mass. However, they quickly realized that the genotypic traits such as marbling were severely affected. So at the beginning of the 20th century, they closed the herdbook - since then, no foreign blood has been inserted into the bloodlines of black and red Wagyu.
For economic success with Wagyu, it is still important today to achieve reliable and thus to a certain extent predictable results. Genetic traits play an important role in this - but at least as important is the right feeding. However, if the desired genetic traits are not really present, it is almost impossible to correct them through feeding. Conversely, of course, the best genetic conditions can be ruined by incorrect feeding.
For breeders it is important to have genetics that reliably produce the desired traits. For this, the Australian breeding values can be used very well!
