Ginjo MarbleMax™ Hiranami B901

Ginjo MarbleMax Hiranami B901

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Selection Target

B901 is established as among the best all-round fullblood Japanese Black sires bred outside Japan. Suitable for FB seedstock & commercial production, F2~F4 commercial “high content” and F1, delivering superior growth with consistent marbling, EMA and positive maternal trait influence.

Background

MarbleMax™ B901 is the outstanding foundation sire from our early efforts to replicate Japanese performance. Our ‘urgent’ 2005 target was a dramatic increase in FB feeder weaning weights and early growth, following an economically disastrous period of experimentation with high Tajima FB feeders.

The growth target increases were essential to reduce feeding costs and time to feedlot induction. In addition, we were looking for a new generation of FB breeders with enhanced maternal capabilities. Obviously – to make this work over the longer term – we needed to retain high marbling capability.

Unlike many highly ranked Australian bred sires, B901 is not a ‘one-herd wonder’. He currently boasts nearly 700 registered progeny in 18 AWA recorded herds, with additional international representation including the Middle East, USA, RSA and NZ.

He is strongly identified with the production of high performance Japanese Black breeding females. Australian feed managers have identified B901 as an MS/CWT/EMA success in unique, shorter-feed FB production environments such as Mayura Station (See International Wagyu Breeder, April-May 2019, P15). B901 has also been used extensively and successfully in F1 production.

At the 2012 AWA Conference, a B901 FB progeny carcass was recognized as best from an Australian sire for fineness of marbling. In the early stages of the AWA carcass research program around 2013, B901 was identified at as a key example of a local bull outperforming his own sire, Hirashigetayasu, probably the most popular and famous international sire of Tottori/Kedaka descent.

Prefectural strain analysis for B901 is Hyogo/Tajima 44%, Tottori/Kedaka 25%, Itozakura 19%, Okayama 12%

Growth

The standout factor in the original selection of B901 was early growth, which was beyond what we had hoped for in immediately reducing our cost of production for high quality FB feeders to be shipped to AACo Aronui.  The sire delivered both in young weaner growout and mature feeder progeny performance, with common sense segmentation enabled by dam (prefectural) genetics.  The following table is a raw data sample from B901’s own growout.  We’re remain happy with this performance level in our 2019 calves.

Marbling

B901 carcass performance is well balanced, all round. In September/October 2020 AWA BREEDPLAN his MS EBV was +1.0, against an average of +0.7. Carcass EMA was +3.4 against BREEDPLAN average 1.2. Carcass weight EBV was +3.4 against a Breed avg +1.2. BREEDPLAN accuracies are very high. The key to optimisation is selecting the correct joining, and the sire is versatile here also. High, superfine marbling is generally achieved with matings to small high Tajima females, with resulting 350~400kg carcasses. Carcasses up to ~500kg with high marbling are achieved with high Itozakura joinings – females of TF147/TF151 descent are ideal.

The Package

An ideal AI sire for commencing a move away from high Hyogo/Tajima bloodlines in FB commercial production, or any higher Wagyu content breeding scenario. B901 should deliver both more profitable feeders and a new generation of more capable breeders, which then provide a platform for a further round of enhancement with sires like L9 for another frame increment, or J828 for a more subtle frame + MS increment. B901 semen is now in limited supply.