Knowledge Centre

The AWA Knowledge Centre is your central hub for information, tools, and resources designed to support every stage of your Wagyu breeding journey. Bringing together educational content, practical guides, and step-by-step instructions. The Knowledge Centre provides members with easy access to the information needed to confidently manage registrations, genomics, genetic evaluation, breeding decisions, exports, and more.

Whether you are new to the Wagyu industry or an experienced breeder, the Knowledge Centre helps you make the most of AWA services, systems, and data. 

CATEGORIES

CATEGORIES

FEATURED

Pregnancy testing is an important management practice used to determine the reproductive status of females within a herd. When combined with foetal age recording, it can provide valuable insights into fertility, calving patterns, and overall herd productivity.
Live animal ultrasound scanning is a non-invasive technology that enables producers to assess the carcase merit of individual animals while they are still alive. This allows valuable carcase information to be collected without relying solely on chiller data.
Branding weight is the liveweight of calves recorded at the time of branding and other routine husbandry procedures.

LATEST

Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) provide an estimate of an animal's genetic merit for a range of important traits.
DNA trait testing helps breeders identify genetic variants associated with specific physical and production traits.
Genetic conditions are inherited traits caused by changes in an animal’s DNA. While many carrier animals show no signs of a condition and can be healthy and productive, certain genetic conditions can affect fertility, animal health or survival when inherited in particular combinations.
1400+ weight is the liveweight of male and female animals recorded later in life. This includes females whose weight records do not meet the requirements for Mature Cow Weight recording.
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.
To strengthen privacy and data security, the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) now requires non-members to sign in to the Helical database using an email address before accessing the public database.
Net Feed Intake (NFI) is a measure of feed efficiency that compares an animal's actual feed intake with the amount of feed it is expected to consume based on its size and growth rate.
An Animal Transfer updates the recorded ownership of an animal on the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) Helical database.

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 information contained within the AWA database and parameters derived from it.
  • WBVs are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may change with addition of new data or with new parameters.
  • WBVs are genetic merit estimates only 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