American Akaushi History of the Breed
A unique story in history
History of the Breed
For over 100 years, the Akaushi breed has undergone intense genetic improvement. Eighty-plus years ago, the Japanese Association of Akaushi was created to collect, manage and process all Akaushi data. The association has collected carcass performance, breeding pedigrees and economic data for every animal in the entire breed. This data has been used in the selection of every Akaushi dam and sire over the last half-century. During the same period this data has also been used to select prospective sire and dam lines to be utilized for further genetic improvement. Consequently new sire and dam lines are only released for general production after they have been proven by extensive and accurate statistical analysis. As a result of this unique closed system and multi-trait selection process, the Akaushi breed is extremely uniform and consistent throughout its genetic line for all maternal, structural, fertility, carcass and palatability traits. No single trait has been sacrificed to develop this superior breed.
Therefore, Akaushi genetics may be the final ingredient to create an animal that will perform efficiently, improve consistency, maintain uniformity and maximize the gap between profit and loss.
Akaushi Cattle in the U.S.
Akaushi cattle were originally imported in 1976 to the U.S. This shipment consisted of two Tottori Black Wagyu (Mazda and Fuji) and two Kumamoto Red Wagyu bulls (Judo and Rueshaw).
In the 1990s, there were several importations of Black and Red Wagyu genetics into the U.S. Most of these cattle were Black but a few were Red Wagyu, otherwise known as Akaushi. These Kumamoto Red Wagyu imports set the foundation for the American Akaushi cattle breed.
The same closed herd and multi-trait selection process used in Japan, is now used in the United States by the American Akaushi Association members. Coupled with the recorded parentage of the U.S.-born calves, the lineage of the American Akaushi can be traced back over 30 generations to the origin of the breed. American Akaushi registered full-blood cattle are direct descendants of the Mount Aso Region's revered Akaushi herds.
The American Akaushi Association is committed to increasing the number of Akaushi-influenced cattle by working with producers who desire to significantly improve the quality and value of their herd. Today when Akaushi cattle are recorded with us, DNA testing is required to ensure the breed's world-class genetics are preserved.
Learn more about the history of Akaushi cattle from Dr. Aaron Cooper.