A CHINCHILLA couple who chose to pursue an often overshadowed breed of cattle are reaping the benefits of their business decision that has allowed them to target either F1 Wagyu markets and premium crossbred cattle prices a their own leisure.
Beef producers Shane and Vicki Mayne are the newest breeders of Red Wagyus having calved out their second drop of F1s on their 418 hectares property, Cumalong.
After taking ownership of the Chinchilla block in 2014, the Maynes’ herd initially consisted of a Hereford cross Santa base but they began investigating alternative breeds in a bid to increase their fertility from an 88 per cent calving rate.
It was during a trip to Mudgee that they were encouraged to visit Black and Red Wagyu cattle breeder, Rick Hunter.
“When Shane told me I was going to look at Red Wagyus I said, Shane there is no such thing, he is pulling your leg,” Ms Mayne said.
Despite their first thoughts, it didn’t take the Maynes long to purchase a Fullblood Red Wagyu bull who helped boost their calving rates to 97 per cent in 2017.
Coming from the Kumamoto prefecture the Reds retain strong milking ability, growth and a beefier frame, meaning they could easily be mistaken for a traditional crossbred steer.
Ms Mayne said the Reds can achieve a relatively high marbling score and retained fertility and structural traits.
“You don’t have to market them as F1s,” she said.
“We can safely sell them as crossbreds and nobody will be deterred. But then you have got the exciting part that you can go down the Fullblood track and...extending and introducing new bloodlines into Australia.
“The nice thing about the Reds is they have not only got increasing marbling but they have gone for increasing the fertility traits and the proper structural traits. They haven’t diluted any part of that, whereas the Blacks, a lot of producers in Australia can just see the money in marbling.”
Due to a dry season last year the Maynes held onto their breeder numbers by sacrificing retaining their F1 heifers and instead sent them to the feedlot.
Despite the cattle being months younger than those in the same pen, they were turned off just as quickly and with no health costs.
But Ms Mayne said their efficiency to marble and finish on grass was what excited them most.
Having worked in the Northern Territory during the live export ban, the couple are focused on producing healthy, sustainable and ethically raised meat with the Reds scientifically proven to have a positive ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats, helping lower cholesterol.
“We are a big believer that in going forward in the future, our industry, we need to insure ourselves for the future and make sure we are compliant with animal welfare and with what consumers want,” Ms Mayne said.
“For us to be able to turn out good quality beef that has your benefit of high marbling with a low melting point...but also the health benefits and to finish on grass, to us is a benefit.”
The man who has helped them through their Red Wagyu journey, Mudgee’s Rick Hunter of Bald Ridge Wagyu, has been breeding the high marbling cattle for decades and initially pursued the Blacks due to market demands at the time.
But, when America showed interest for Red Wagyu genetics in about 2010, he began selling conventional and sexed embryos and later took over a family ranch in Texas to save on protocols for exporting.
Now, Mr Hunter said, there is strong demand for Red Wagyu embryos across the world.
From their experience, F1 Red Wagyu cross Angus cattle grow quicker and spend less time on feed to reach their target marble scores.
Mr Hunter said he expected Red Wagyu growth to remain steady unless larger Queensland or Northern Territory companies drove demand for the breed due to their red coat colour for drier, hotter areas.
"We are finding that a big part of our overseas enquiry is for something that is more adaptable," he said.
"If for example someone with a Brahman herd wanted to improve beef quality without losing anything else in terms of adaptability and growth, you would most likely go with the Red.”
The Maynes conducted a sexed embryo program in January last year which was impacted by heatwave conditions. They are hoping DNA testing will confirm at least three of their calves were a successful result of the 10 embryos used.
Along with growing their Red Wagyu numbers they hope to be able to showcase the breeds superiority in carcass competitions in the future.
“We are not interested in being seedstock producers but the goal is to be able to take a Red (Wagyu) through and beat a Black (Wagyu) at the RNA Paddock to Palate,” Ms Mayne said.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
