Trent Bridge Wagyu rewarded for decades of breeding with $200,000 cow sale

Recent headlines were filled with news of the $280,000 record heifer sale of Mayura N1229 at the 2019 Elite Wagyu National Sale in Adelaide.

But the quiet achieving Perry family also established themselves as leading breeders during the event when Trent Bridge K0034 was secured by the underbidder on the record breaker, GeneFlow, Tocumwal, on the Murray River.

Trent Bridge K0034 had the highest marble score for a female on Breedplan, benefitted in accuracy through genomic testing, and was sired by Trent Bridge F F0126 and out of the embryo born Trent Bridge F C214.

She was pregnancy tested in calf to TBRFN203 and had proven her genetic worth with one son in the top five per cent for marble score.

The high price tag came as a shock to the entire family, who thought the female may have hit $20,000.

They had previously only ever sold a heifer to $35,000 and a bull for $80,000.

"We decided to sell her because there was a demand for high marbling animals and we are in the worst drought in 100 years so we thought it was a chance to cash in and through using her in IVF we have already taken some genetic material from her," Charlie Perry said.

"I was in the room when it happened and I diagnosed myself with a new medical syndrome called shock amnesia because after it went past $40,000 I have no memory of it. It was very exciting.

"There is no point breeding Wagyu if you don't have marbling and she brings that in spades."

It was 16 or 17 years ago when Wal and Jen Perry decided to turn to Wagyu.

The couple had previously been breeding Angus and before that Herefords, but had spent much of their time producing embryo cattle for other operations and decided to reap the benefits themselves.

They now run 350 Angus females, split as either F1 dams or embryo recipients, and another 300 Fullblood females across 1254 hectares (3100 acres) at Aberfoyle and Ebor.

Due to the current dry conditions, 600 young cattle are supplementary fed; 300 F1s, 100 Fullblood steers with the remaining 200 head either Fullblood heifers or bulls.

Their F1 progeny are sold to JBS at about 300kg and put on feed for 400 days with a goal of achieving an average marble score of more than 6.5.

The Fullblood steers are also sent to JBS at 300kg, put on feed for 500 days and shipped to Japan.

Throughout all of their production systems marbling has been a firm focus but Mr Perry said breeding a balanced animal was just as important.

"Throughout our whole breeding program we have had a huge focus on marbling and part of that was driven by what we were trying to provide our F1 buyers," Charlie Perry said.

"The challenge for us though is super high marbling F1 bulls, his sister doesn't necessarily make a great Wagyu cow because she doesn't necessarily have great maternal traits. That's the challenge."

Not only are their high marbling genetics being rewarded on a seedstock basis, they have secured commercially focused deals as well.

As part of an exclusive arrangement, Trent Bridge Wagyu supply JBS with 2000 straws each year for three years in one of their J sires who has recorded an 8.8 marble score average in F1s.

His carcase traits are also highly regarded and the semen is supplied to F1 clients so JBS can purchase the progeny back.

"We get all our carcase feedback and we have started a program of sire identification," Mr Perry said.

"What that enables us to do is...see if there are some bulls that are more valuable and through that we have identified one bull that averages 8.8 with an F1 with the biggest eye muscle area, the biggest carcase weight.

"Identifying those bulls that can consistently perform better is a game changer for everyone because it's an expensive product.

"It costs exactly the same amount of breed the animal and when they get fed for 400 days but if the animal doesn't perform, everyone loses."

So how do you continue to be successful after selling a $200,000 female?

With the F1 market going through a 'real maturity phase' and contracting in recent years, only the top quality breeding herds are growing and reaping the premium rewards.

Mr Perry said it had allowed them to turn their attention to increasing Fullblood meat production.

But with Wagyu cattle on feed for much larger periods, time between getting feedback data proved their biggest challenge.

It's one of the leading reasons behind their commitment to cement themselves within the supply chain.

"You feed an animal for 450 days or 500 days, by the time you find out if that animal is any good or those genetics are any good you have had another one or two cycles of breedings," he said.

"That's one of the biggest challenges and then to find out how good the cow is for her to get a couple of animals that are high quality.

"We are only just now at the scale where we have been able to grow our Fullblood meat business mainly because like all herds we have been growing over the last few years and over the last couple of years there has been such a big appetite for bulls, but now that market is contracting."

This year they undertook their first IVF program, achieving a 72 per cent conception rate using bulls whose semen sold from $8000/straw to $26,000/straw at auction.

Despite the wider beef industry's comments on their 'different appearance' and changing market opinions, the Perrys have full confidence in Wagyu.

"When we started all our F1s went to Japan live and now there are five or six major processors that are processing within Australia," Wal Perry said.

"We just love the eating quality experience."