The Takeda Farm was the
first to introduce Wagyu breed of cattle to
the island of Hokkaido in 1954. Wagyu cattle
of that time were used for labour as well
as for meat. Even those Wagyu that had been
used for heavy labour in rice paddies or for
pulling on the farm were heavily grain
fed at an age of six to eight months to
later prepare them for slaughter.
The Takeda Farms foundation
cattle were first purchased from Nougi
District and Nita District in Shimane
Prefecture and then later from Atetsu District
in Okayama and Mikata District in Hyogo
Prefecture. The descendents were raised,
bred and selected for better meat quality,
greater quantity, and greater economic
value. This intensive breeding,
cross-breeding and inbreeding program has resulted in the
five maternal (dam) lines of today.
The maternal lines are:
1. Kinto Ezokinto Kinto
Hikokura
Kikohime
Takechiyo
Namihikokura
2. Sakae 2 Chiyotake
Chiyotake 5
3. Aino 4 Aino Aino 5
4. Aihime Aizakura
Aizakura 3
5. Dai Roku Tomiyoshi
Moriyoshi 3 Moriyoshi 5
Takeda Farm has no peer in
Japan. For 50 years the Shogo Takeda family
has been breeding Japanese Black Wagyu. One
of the largest Wagyu breeding herds
in Japan, the operation is home to 130
females. The average breeder has 2 to 5
females.
Takeda has diligently
line-bred Wagyu for carcass quality and
growth performance and other efficiency
traits such as fertility and milking ability.
Over a period of 25 years,
Takeda isolated and concentrated on
bloodlines which offered greater economic
value. He wanted a high percentage of his
carcasses to reach the A-5 grade (A is the
highest yield grade, 5 the highest quality
grade in Japan) and to achieve this in a shorter
feeding period. At the same time he wanted
his cattle to be larger framed with more
muscle mass, producing a heavier carcass.
He selected females who would produce a calf
at two years of age and continue to produce
each year.
And he wanted females with a
greater milking ability. As a result of this
selection process Takeda Farm Wagyu are
unequalled in economic performance in
Japan.
Through years of selection,
Takeda proved a sire whose progeny would do
all that he asked. Itomichi, a son of Dai
Nana Itozakura (Fujiyoshi
bloodline) has been the primary herd sire at
Takeda Farms for 12 years. Itomichi is
line-bred through a carefully planned mating
system, utilizing five proven female lines.
The resulting progeny exceeds the averages
of the breed in most categories. When
Itomichi was bred to Dai 3 Kiyohime
daughters (Tajima bloodline, Kumanami
strain) it formed the basis of the present day Takeda
Farm breeding herd.
Additionally Takeda has
introduced an outcross sire. Terutani
(Tajima bloodline, Kikumidoi strain) when
crossed with females rich in the blood of
Itomichi produces A-5 carcasses 70% of the
time (more than three times the average
Japanese Wagyu). The Takeda story is well
documented through scientific fact and
public approval. The Takeda program is
highly integrated. Takeda rarely sells any breeding
stock; instead all cattle which do not meet
his standards are fed in his own feeding
operation. The ultimate test is the
consumer and Takeda Farm includes a
successful restaurant and retail meat shop.
From farm to finish, the important economic traits,
which are bred-in characteristics of Takeda
genetics, are proven.
No where has more selection
pressure been applied on the highly prized
Wagyu than at Takeda Farm. No where can
Wagyu genetics be found which have
the mature size, faster growth and higher
percentage of quality carcasses than at
Takeda Farm.
Takeda Wagyu has been bred
for low birth weight, yet high growth rates
and larger mature size. Called antagonistic
traits, it is rare for cattle to possess
both low birth and high growth. The average
size for a mature female at Takeda Farm is
650 kgs compared to the Japan
average of 545 kgs. This outstanding growth
has been achieved without sacrificing birth
weight which is currently 32 kgs.
Mr. Shogo Takeda and David
Blackmore discussion Wagyu strategies
ARTICLE: MR. SHOGO TAKEDA
