Breed Plan

The breeding program at Spring-Rock Farm is our strength … our shining star.

To create a unique beef that your favorite chef can make into a great steak, it takes an initial combination of bovine genes that form 60 chromosomes of a genetically unique animal, plus three years at a farm like ours...

Here’s what’s important in our breed plan:

  1. Balance the four ancestral lines of black wagyu;
    • Tajira/Tajima…known for their marbling
    • Shigenami…known for their marbling and high quality meat
    • Tottori/Kedaka…known for their larger frame and good nature
    • Fujiyoshi…known for improved milk and larger frame
  2. Use proven carcass data to seek the best in bulls in each ancestral line, providing higher marbled and tender meat. We consider;
    • Genetic gene star testing
    • Herd statistics
    • Frame scores, when available (see definitions)
  3. Strictly control in-breeding, using Wright’s Coefficient of Inbreeding as the benchmark. Our interpretation stipulates that every mating is evaluated by three criteria;
    • There should be no common ancestor in the first 4 generations
    • Keep the Wright’s Coefficient of Inbreeding Statistic below the national breed average of 5.8% (H. Neibergs)
    • Continue ancestral pedigree analysis past three generations, going back as far as 15 generations when the information is known