Raising Wagyu Cattle Tips

Raising Wagyu Cattle Tips

Raising Wagyu cattle has been rising of late as Wagyu beef is such a prized culinary delicacy. It is not surprising that the process of rearing Wagyu cattle is one that relies on a combination of science, hard work, fastidiousness, and a deep respect for the animal. Wagyu beef is well-known for its strikingly tasty meat and the high degree of marbling that results in a succulent melt-in-your-mouth experience. In fact, the fat in Wagyu beef is primarily monounsaturated fat that melts at room temperature. This makes Wagyu beef the perfect meat for those who have to subscribe to low-cholesterol diets.

Wagyu or, literally, Japanese cow, refers to several of Japan's domestic beef breeds. These include Japanese red, Japanese black, Japanese polled black, and Japanese short-horn. Japanese black is the most numerous, comprising almost 95 percent of the total Wagyu inventory in Japan. Japanese black is horned, medium in size, has brown or black hair, and fetches high prices for its tender, flavorful meat with extensive fat marbling.

In Japan, where raising Wagyu cattle originated, there are several important factors and processes that are adhered to. First, pure breeding is followed; crossbreeding occurs but only rarely. The process of raising Wagyu cattle involves two independent operations: the cow-calf operation and the fattening operation. Cow-calf operation is done in many small farms through artificial insemination. The fattening of the cows occurs through long-term grain feeding. The cow-calf operation occurs between 0 months (calving) and 8 to 10 months, when the cows are sold at auction. The cows are then fattened up before they are slaughtered between 28 to 30 months. Long grain feeding is performed from 19 to 20 months at small-lot or individually managed farms. This part of raising Wagyu cattle results in cows that have bigger finishing weight and more extensive degrees of marbling.

Those who practice the traditional methods of raising Wagyu cattle have a few trade "secrets". These include feeding the cows beer to increase their appetite. In the months of August, September, and October, cows tend to lose their appetites because of the intense heat. To combat this, farmers give each cow a bottle of beer every day until its appetite returns. Farmers also give the cows regular massages with oil to increase the distribution of the subcutaneous fat in the meat. This results in more tender Wagyu beef. Other management practices include restricting the cows' levels of exercise to prevent their meat from becoming tough, and feeding the animals a high-energy, low-bulk diet. These lead to a carcass that has cherry red meat with a high degree of fine marbling and pure white fat.

The production of high-quality Wagyu beef depends on a breeding system that involves the selection of high-performance bulls and the broad utilization of superbulls, as well as a fattening technique that relies on consistent research and development and sophisticated management. These practices that are employed in raising Wagyu cattle result in the tastiest, most succulent, and most tender meat that is preferred by chefs, food experts, and gourmands all over the world. Hence, do consider this breed if you choose to start learning how to raise cattle.

How To Raise Cattle - What You Should Know

How To Raise Cattle - What You Should Know

Some people see rancher and cowboy lifestyles in the romanticized hue - what with tens and dozens of movies created around ranch life. However, while ranch life can get rather picturesque, it is still a business. And everybody knows every business needs real work. So before you begin finding out ways about how to raise cattle for a profit, you have to consider a few things.


Here are a few questions that you need to answer before you go ahead and start buying books on how to raise cattle:

Cattle

Before you even start learning how to raise cattle, keep in mind that the herd that you are going to acquire depends on your purpose. Do you want to raise cattle for meat, for dairy or for breeding? Consumers' tastes vary depending on the taste of your cattle products. Some consumers want grass-fed beef, other's want corn-fed or barley-fed meat. You need to provide plant proteins as dietary supplements for your cattle as well; more so if you plan to raise dairy cattle since they would need grains on their diet to increase milk production. You can look up resources online regarding consumer preferences. Find out which market you could work on.

When learning how to raise cattle, you also have to look up for information regarding selection and breeding. Some cows become ill; some are made of tough stuff. Also, you might be giving your cattle the right food, but they might not always get to the weight that you want for them. This is because immunity and weight is part of any living organism's blueprint - also called DNA. You do not need to know in-depth genetics. You just need to know the basics (e.g. breed the healthy ones).

Land

How much are you willing to invest? There are online resources about how to raise cattle which state that raising grass-fed cattle is cheaper in the long run, since you would not need to worry about constantly buying huge amounts of feeds. However, for you to make cattle grow on foraging, you need to have a large tract of land, for pasture; and land never comes cheap, so you might have to do with a smaller area, and then raise cattle by a steady supply of grains.

You also have to consider the climate in your area. Do you get enough rainfall? If you don't, there could be a problem in your water supply in the future. Is there a creek nearby? Where can you install a watering hole? These are just some questions that you need to get answers for.

The Economics

After learning about how to raise cattle, you also have to know how you can sell them for a profit. You can sell cattle to direct buyers or to corporations, but you have to know who they are, where they are and the price they pay. There are farming and ranching community forums online that can help you out. You can also ask other ranchers.

Surely, raising cattle has its perks - no more traffic, or a hovering boss, but it is still a job. Everyday, there is a rather lengthy to-do list, checking the cattle - head counts, maintenance, repairs, feeding, etc. However, to the serious farmer who finds the ranching lifestyle rewarding, it is all worth it.