Animal Registration

The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) enables Full Members to record animal details on the Helical database and register animals in the ‘Breeding’ and ‘Commercial’ registers.  

The Helical database provides a central record of important animal information, making it easier to manage your herd, monitor breeding outcomes, and support informed selection decisions. 

Information that can be recorded and displayed includes: 

• Sire and dam information 
• Mating Type (i.e. Artificial Insemination (AI)) 
• Embryo Transfer (ET) status 
• Recipient dam information 
• Birth date 
• Sex 
• Number in Birth (i.e. Twin) 
• Coat colour 
• Horn status 
• Individual animal identifications 
• Breeder information 
• Current ownership 
• Animal status 
• Castration status 
• Performance records 
• Genetic conditions results and other relevant animal data 

Why Register Animals? 

Registering animals on the AWA database allows members to build a reliable record of pedigree, performance and genetic information that supports breeding and management decisions. 

Maintaining accurate animal records can help you: 

• Select animals that align with your breeding objectives. 
• Track and evaluate genetic progress within your herd. 
• Build confidence in pedigree and performance information. 
• Support marketing and sale activities with verified animal data. 
• Create a valuable historical record for future breeding decisions.

Benefits of Registered Animals 

Registered animals provide access to a range of information and tools that support herd improvement and selection decisions. 

DNA and Pedigree Information 

Registered animals that have undergone DNA testing may provide access to: 

• Verified pedigree information 
• Known Wagyu content and prefectural composition 
• Reported genetic conditions 
• Published gene probability percentages, where applicable 

Inbreeding and Diversity Reporting 

For Fullblood animals, genomic and pedigree reporting can provide: 

• Inbreeding percentages 
• Diversity scores 

These measures help members monitor genetic diversity and manage inbreeding levels within their breeding programs. 

Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) 

WBVs estimate the genetic potential of an animal’s progeny for specific traits. 

WBV reporting includes: 

• Estimated performance for individual traits 
• Accuracy values, which improve as more performance information is recorded on the animal and its progeny 
• Percentile bands showing how the animal compares with the wider breed population 

Selection Indexes 

Selection Indexes combine economically important traits into a single value, helping identify animals suited to specific production and breeding objectives. 

Registering animals on the AWA database helps ensure pedigree, genetic and performance information is accurately recorded and readily available, supporting informed herd management and breeding decisions with proven data. 

Breeding Registers 

The Breeding Registers are for male and female animals intended for breeding and the production of registrable progeny. 

To register a calf with the AWA, both the sire and dam must be recorded in an appropriate Breeding Register (Japanese Black, Akaushi or Composite). Animals recorded in the Commercial Register are not eligible to produce registrable progeny unless they are upgraded to a Breeding Register. Animals may be upgraded from the Commercial Register to a Breeding Register, subject to eligibility requirements and the applicable upgrade fee. 

The AWA recognises three Wagyu breed types for registration purposes. These breed types are determined by the animal’s genetic coat colour inheritance: 

Japanese Black animals carry only the black coat colour gene. This includes AWA tested and registered animals as well as Japanese Black animals registered with a Recognised Wagyu Registry Organisation. Animals in the Japanese black register can be registered as Fullblood and Purebred, as well as grades 0 through to 4, with a requirement that all Fullblood, purebred, grade 4 and 3 Japanese black animals must be Black in colour. 

Akaushi (Japanese Brown) This includes AWA tested and registered animals as well as Akaushi animals registered with a Recognised Wagyu Registry Organisation. Animals in the Akaushi register can be registered as Fullblood and Purebred, as well as grades 0 through to 4, with a requirement that all Fullblood, purebred, grade 4 and 3 Akaushi animals must be red in colour. 

Composite animals carry both black and red coat colour genes, indicating the presence of both Japanese Black and Akaushi genetics within their pedigree. As Japanese Black and Akaushi are regarded as two distinct breeds, and as such, progeny from black animals mated to red animals or vice versa are to be registered as Composite Cross animals to give recognition that they result from the breeding of separate lines of cattle. The coat colour of Composite cross animals should be Red or Black, unless the animal has had a coat colour DNA test to validate the dilution gene. 

Commercial Register 

The Commercial Register is for animals that are not intended for breeding and are primarily raised for commercial production. 

While animals recorded in the Commercial Register are not eligible to register progeny, they remain an important source of performance information that contributes to herd and breed improvement. Recording commercial animals and their performance data can help: 

• Support breeding and selection decisions by providing valuable performance feedback. 
• Improve herd productivity and alignment with market specifications. 
• Increase the accuracy and predictability of Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs). 
• Contribute to the ongoing improvement of the Wagyu breed. 

Animals registered in the Commercial Register may be upgraded to a Breeding Register, subject to eligibility requirements and the applicable upgrade fee. This allows members to retain future breeding options if an animal is later identified as suitable for breeding purposes. 

Registering Animals from Recognised Overseas Wagyu Organisations 

The AWA can register Wagyu animals that were born and registered with recognised overseas Wagyu registry organisations. These animals are recorded on the AWA database using pedigree and DNA parentage information recognised by the source organisation. 

Recognised overseas Wagyu organisations include, but are not limited to: 

• American Akaushi Association 
• American Wagyu Association 
• British Wagyu Association 
• Japanese Wagyu Registry Association (Zenwa) 

Animal Identification 

When an overseas animal is registered on the AWA database, it may be recorded: 

• Under its original overseas registration number and country identifier (e.g. USAFB1234), or 
• Under an AWA animal identifier if the animal was bred by the registering member, with the original overseas registration recorded as an Alternate Organisation ID on the animal profile. 

DNA Requirements 

To register progeny on the AWA database, overseas animals must have a genomic profile recorded in Helical. 

A DNA genotype may be obtained by either: 

• Arranging for an existing DNA genotype to be supplied by the source organisation or breeder for upload to the AWA database. Where recognised, the AWA will accept the parent verification completed by the source organisation; or 
• Submitting a new DNA sample through the AWA. If this option is used, DNA profiles for the sire and dam may also be required to complete parent verification. 

Where a listed parent does not have a DNA genotype recorded, Helical will generate a warning during the DNA submission process. An AWA Member Services Officer may contact the member to arrange access to the required parental DNA information. 

Pedigree recording 

During the registration process, pedigree information is recorded back to the foundation Japanese sires and dams using the parent verification information supplied by the recognised overseas organisation. 

To establish complete pedigree records, ancestral animals may be entered into the AWA database for pedigree purposes only. These animals are not considered registered animals and do not have a genotype recorded on the AWA database. 

These pedigree-only animals are identified by the prefix “PED” followed by their original registry identifier, for example PEDFB12345. 

This process ensures complete pedigree records are maintained and enables the accurate registration of imported animals and their progeny within the AWA database. 

Animal Grading 

Once an animal is registered in either a Breeding Register or the Commercial Register, it is assigned a Wagyu grade classification based on its Wagyu content. This classification is determined through pedigree information supported by DNA parent verification and/or Wagyu Content Check (WCC) testing where pedigree information is unavailable. 

Animals with 0-50% Wagyu content are classified as Base Animals. Through successive generations of mating to registered Wagyu animals, Wagyu content can be progressively increased (see table below). As Wagyu content increases, animals may become eligible for higher grade classifications, subject to AWA registration and pedigree requirements. 

Purebred and Fullblood Animals 

While both Purebred and Fullblood animals represent the highest Wagyu content classifications, there are important differences between them. 

Purebred Animals 

• Must contain at least 93% Wagyu content. 
• Must be parent verified to a registered sire and dam. 
• Have non-Wagyu ancestry recorded somewhere within their pedigree as a result of the grading-up process. 

Fullblood Animals 

• Can trace their pedigree entirely to the original Japanese foundation animals. 
• Contain no recorded non-Wagyu ancestry or grading-up within their lineage. 
• Must meet AWA pedigree and registration requirements for Fullblood classification. 

The table below outlines the Wagyu grade classifications and the requirements for each grade. 

Table 1: Grade Code Assignment Based on Generation or Minimum % Wagyu Content 

Animal Association ID Format 

To ensure consistency and make animals easier to identify within the Helical database, the AWA uses a standard Animal Association ID format. Members should note that the format changed on 1 January 2022. 

Animals Born Before 1 January 2022 

Animals born prior to 1 January 2022 are identified using the following format: 

[Member Identification] [Grade] [Year Letter] [Drop Number] 

Example: AWAFS123 

Animals Born On or After 1 January 2022 

Animals born on or after 1 January 2022 are identified using the following format: 

[Member Identification] [Grade] [Year Code] [Drop Number] 

Example: AWAF22T123 

A list of Year Codes can be found if you CLICK HERE

Providing Animal IDs 

When contacting the AWA regarding an animal, members should always provide the animal’s full Association ID. This helps ensure the correct animal is identified and reduces the risk of delays or confusion when processing requests or updating records. 

Recording Embryo Transfer (ET) calves and Recipient Dams 

When registering an Embryo Transfer (ET) calf, details of the recipient dam can also be recorded on the AWA database. Recording recipient dam information helps maintain accurate animal records and ensures recipient dams can be linked to the calves they carry. 

Required Recipient Dam Information 

The following recipient dam information should be provided where available: 

• Recipient Identification 
• Recipient Breed Code 
• Recipient Year of Birth 

This information can be supplied on any AWA animal registration form. 

A list of recognised breed codes can be found here. 

Example: 

Recipient Dam ID Format 

Recipient dams are recorded in the AWA database using the following format: 

[Member Identification] [X] [Recipient Identification] 

Using the earlier examples, the corresponding database idents would be: 

AWAXP180 

AWAXQ120 

Including the Member ID ensures each recipient dam can be uniquely identified and accurately linked to ET calves recorded on the AWA database.