Why Wagyu?
Carcass Quality - Wagyu beef has a higher ratio of mono-unsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid, are more tender and tasty, and can improve marbling and quality grade in crosses.
Calving Ease - Wagyu bulls are great for calving ease in heifers, with birth weights normally between 40 and 60 pounds.
Fertility - Wagyu are very fertile and bulls have a very strong libido.
Adaptability - Wagyu cattle are adaptable to all types of weather and terrain.
Docile - Wagyu cattle have docile temperaments and are easy to handle and move.
Healthy Beef
Studies have been done quantifying the advantages in fat production when feeding cattle a high percentage hay diet over a long period of time. The human body can manufacture most of the fat types it needs, except for essential fatty acids (EFA's). Most positive health benefits are seen in two types of EFAs – linoleic acid (omega 6) and linolenic acid (omega 3). Wagyu beef is an excellent source of both of these EFAs.
Another unique advantage in Wagyu is that it contains a much higher proportion of the desirable fats (mono) than other beef. The Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acids to Saturated Fatty Acids ratio (MUFA:SFA) is up to three times higher, 6:1, in Wagyu than in any other beef (normal ratio is about 2:1). Consuming Wagyu beef is beneficial to your health, possessing a unique high concentration of beneficial omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and a higher ratio of mono to saturated fats.
The Mono-unsaturated Fatty Acid to Saturated Fatty Acid ratio runs up to three times higher in Wagyu beef than other beef.
Research indicates that Mono-unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) are either lower or neutral to total cholesterol levels, while increasing High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) levels, or good cholesterol.
Medical experts report that HDL tends to deliver cholesterol away from the arteries and to the liver where the body can get rid of it.
Research indicates that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, thus slowing its build-up.
Wagyu beef is also an effective source of Essential Fatty Acids such as the Omega 3 (Linolenic Acid), as well as containing 30% more Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid) than other breeds.
Omega 3, the same compound found in nuts, olive oils, and fish that give them their health benefits, has been found to protect against heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, and act as an anti-carcinogen.
Omega 6 has been shown to prevent numerous kinds of cancers, while also reducing Low Density Lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels and triglycerides.
Wagyu beef is one of the best sources of Vitamin B, iron, and essential complete amino acids.
USDA wagyu beef
All our carcass’s are USDA processed and cut to your specification. Availability limited.
Business Insider Article
This is wagyu beef, one of the most expensive meats in the world. Produced in Japan and prized for its rich marbling and buttery taste, high-grade wagyu can cost up to $200 per pound, and the cows themselves can sell for as much as $30,000. But what is it that makes the meat so expensive?
The term wagyu literally translates to Japanese cow. And it generally refers to four main breeds. These cows were bred for physical endurance, giving them more intramuscular fat cells. The fat is distributed more evenly throughout their muscle, which is why wagyu beef looks pink and tastes so tender. And the Japanese government tightly regulates wagyu production to protect the value and quality of the meat.
Wagyu is graded on two main factors: how much meat can be yielded and the quality of the marbled fat. Only A3 to A5 wagyu is certified for sale in Japan. And the higher the grade, the higher the price. Wagyu beef has gained almost legendary status, and there are many myths about wagyu farms and the way the animals are treated, from getting daily massages to being fed beer. But these often aren't true.
The cows are raised very differently in each region and by different farmers, but they're often raised by a breeder until they're about 10 months old and then sold at auction to a fattening farmer. By the time the calves are sold at auction, they can already fetch 40 times the price of US cattle. The fattening farm will keep the animals in small pens and feed them a mixture of fiber and high-energy concentrate made from rice, wheat, and hay. They're often fed this three times a day for almost two years, until the animals are almost 50% fat. Only the pregnant cows and breeding cattle are allowed to graze on pasture.
The length of the fattening process and the import prices of the huge amount of concentrated feed increases the cost of the beef, and over this fattening period, each cow will eat 5 tons of feed. If and when a cow goes to auction, it can sell for as much as $30,000.
Comparatively, black Angus cattle, which are considered the cream of the crop in countries like the United States and Australia, typically don't sell for more than $3,000. And depending on the kind, the wagyu can fetch close to $200 per pound.
High marbling is the common goal, but the approach varies by farm and area. While there are more than 300 varieties of wagyu available, the most notable cuts come from 10 regions. One of the most expensive cuts is Matsusaka wagyu from Mie Prefecture, made exclusively from virgin female cows and highly prized for its tenderness. In 2002, one Matsusaka cow sold for 50 million yen, or roughly $400,000. However, the best-known cut of wagyu is Kobe beef, which comes from the city of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture and is made exclusively from steers, or castrated bulls.
Although Kobe is commonly seen on US restaurant menus, customers should be wary of items like Kobe burgers, as authentic Kobe beef is too tender to be formed into a patty. Several US restaurants are actually serving hybrid "wangus" beef from domestically raised wagyu and Angus cows. To learn more about American Wagyu or F1 beef check out the demonstration done by the Bearded Butchers on the different beef carcasses in their facility on their you tube page . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZRvRbzTU_c
The highest-ranking wagyu is A5 Miyazaki, a two-time winner of the "Wagyu Olympics." A5 Miyazaki will cost you $100 or more per pound. At SakaMai in New York City, it's the wagyu of choice. The restaurant is best known for serving it in an $85 katsu sando, a popular Japanese-style sandwich. To see a video demonstration on this A5 Wagyu check out this link that shows the difference in American and Japanese Wagyu beef via the bearded butchers you tube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv5UEDflS0o Thank you for your interest in Rickey Canyon Wagyu.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), nationwide beef cattle inventory dropped to 28.2 million this year — the lowest level since the 1970s and down 2% from a year ago. Total U.S. cattle and calf inventory dropped to its lowest level since 1951. https://nypost.com/2024/02/10/business/ranchers-sound-the-alarm-as-cattle-production-plummets-to-lowest-point-in-decades-bad-situation/