AWA announces partnership with Vytelle | Australian Wagyu Association

The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) is proud to announce the commencement of what we hope to be a long and successful partnership with Vytelle, as the AWA Feed Efficiency Partner.

Vytelle, an industry leading IVF company, merged with GrowSafe in 2020 and proudly supports the Australian Wagyu Sector with comprehensive programs featuring feed intake and in-pen weighing technology, combined with remote support analytics and insights.

The new partnership with Vytelle will unlock discounts to AWA members who wish to purchase Vytelle technology (formerly known as GrowSafe) for their own operations and is aimed at bringing to the Wagyu Sector the latest technology to advance the industry, in terms of net feed intake and feed efficiency measures.

Vytelle is committed to partnering with AWA and its members to make their technology and analytics available and to reduce the barriers to collecting valuable feed efficiency traits. Vytelle’s Beef Genetics Program encompasses all the technology that beef producers are familiar with from GrowSafe with highly informative analytics including breeding values for feed efficiency. Vytelle has the world’s largest feed efficiency analysis with more than 80,000 animals measured worldwide producing breeding values for over 260,000 animals.

Recording of net feed intake has been a core focus of the AWA/Kerwee/MLA Net Feed Intake Project since 2017. Leading feed efficiency sires were awarded at the 2021 WagyuEdge Conference and the Kerwee Net Feed Intake project is continuing to take Wagyu feeder cattle for the project until 2023.

The AWA is increasing its focus on measuring net feed intake over the coming years as part of the AWA-Progeny Test Program. The AWA is excited about the new partnership with Vytelle to enable the Wagyu Sector to obtain additional capacity to undertake recording net feed intake data alongside the flagship Kerwee net feed intake project.

In-line with AWA guidelines to maintain 0.8kg per day gain from birth up to feedlot entry, many Wagyu producers have their own significant feeding operations for backgrounding their feeders to achieve high feedlot entry weights. These animals can be recorded for net feed intake on-farm, prior to feedlot entry.

The AWA/Vytelle feed efficiency partnership will help the sector to obtain additional feed efficiency data prior to feedlot entry, producing more data which will assist EBV development and understanding of genetic variation in feed efficiency. Increased industry capacity for net feed intake testing will enable further research such as testing the relationship between early life net feed intake vs later life net feed intake in Wagyu – some of which are on feed for 600+ days.

To kick off the partnership, AWA will host the Vytelle team as part of the Wagyu Webinar series, for Wagyu Webinar #10 on Tuesday 19 October, at 4:30pm AEDT. To register for Wagyu Webinar #10 CLICK HERE

Important Notice and Disclaimer

It is very important that you appreciate when viewing the AWA database that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Index values, is based on data supplied by members and/or third parties.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information reported through AWA, AWA officers and employees assume no responsibility for its content, use or interpretation. AWA disclaims all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the use by you of the data on this AWA database and the information supplied by ABRI and AGBU being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.

Regarding EBVs and Index values, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

EBVs are derived using Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN technology developed independently by the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), using the information contained within the AWA database.
AGBU is a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of New England, which receives funding for this purpose from Meat and Livestock Australia Limited.
AWA relies solely on advice provided by AGBU and ABRI in accepting Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN software.
EBVs published in Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype.
EBVs can only be directly compared to other EBVs calculated in the same monthly Wagyu Group BREEDPLAN analysis.

Regarding pedigree and DNA testing results submitted to the AWA, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

Pedigree and DNA data submitted and supplied to AWA may have errors in it which cannot be detected without further DNA testing.
Technology may have advanced since a particular test was undertaken so that previous inaccuracies which were not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology.
AWA estimates that less than 1% of the pedigree entries, ownership or breeding details in the AWA Herdbook may have errors or which may be misleading. For this reason, users ought to consider if they need to obtain independent testing of the relevant animal (if possible) to ensure that the data is accurate.

Regarding prefectural content, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams. As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated.
The calculation of prefectural content for Australian Herdbook animals relies on the accuracy of pedigree records and DNA samples provided by AWA members.
The reporting of prefectural content for animals within the AWA Herdbook relies on the calculation provided by ABRI.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and extent of the data provided on this website or the EBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek independent expert advice.