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 - Terms & Conditions

It is a condition of use of this database that you accept these terms and conditions.

It is important that you appreciate when accessing the Australian Wagyu Association Limited (AWA) database (which may be hosted on an external website) that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) and Index values (together called Database Information), is based on data supplied by AWA members and/or third parties. 

Whilst sincere effort is made to ensure the Database Information is accurate and complete, to the extent permitted by law, AWA, its officers and employees, shall not be responsible for its use or interpretation, and you use the Database Information at your own risk. Please be aware of the following limitations of the Database Information.

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

WBVs are derived using genetic evaluation technology developed for the AWA, using the information contained within the AWA database. 
WBVs are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype. 
WBVs can only be directly compared to other WBVs calculated in the same AWA genetic analysis.

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

Animals whose registration identifiers start with PED are Pedigree Recorded Animals. What this means is that the details which AWA used to register the animal were obtained from a Recognised Wagyu Registry Organisation – in other words a Wagyu breed association based outside of Australia. AWA has not independently verified the information with respect to the animal or the details recorded about the animal. You should read AWA’s by-laws which set out details regarding the definition of a Pedigree Recorded Animal. 
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 genetic issues or inaccuracies which were previously not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology (i.e. if the animal was tested again with current 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 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.

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

As genetic testing results are provided by independent DNA testing laboratories at the request of AWA members, AWA relies solely on the accuracy of the reporting of genetic testing as completed by the laboratories. 
AWA uses GeneProb software to calculate the likelihood of pedigree animals being a carrier of genetic conditions. This likelihood is an estimate based on the available genetic testing results.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and/or implications of the data provided on this website or the WBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek expert advice.  Note there is substantial technical information and articles on the Wagyu website to assist our members.

AWA’s liability for any loss or damage, consequential or otherwise, suffered or incurred by you or your related business, arising directly or indirectly from your use of Database Information, to the extent permitted by law, is limited to AWA providing you with a refund for the fees paid for the service (if any), or AWA re-performing the service, where possible, at the election of AWA.

AWA administers this database in good faith to support AWA members and the industry. AWA does not represent or warrant that the animals recorded in this database, or animals breed from them, will achieve any particular genetic or phenotype performance.

THIS DISCLAIMER HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF 03/02/2026, PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE READ IT IN DETAIL