About the herd

This was a Friesian dairy farm before it was anything else, and Belgian Blues after that. The Wagyu came in 2008, when we imported 51 embryos from Australia — an outlay that cost roughly what a new tractor would have, and one we thought about for a good while before committing to it.

The conception rate was disappointing, which stung more than it might have: we had been in the embryo business for twenty-five years by that point and had every reason to expect better. The first calves arrived the following spring. That is the unglamorous version, and it is the true one — the herd did not begin with a plan that worked, it began with a plan that half worked and was rescued by two exceptional animals.

Ohanasaki Breda is the reason there is a herd here at all. She produced embryos almost as an afterthought while still rearing good calves of her own. Forty-two of her calves were born in a single year. Her pedigree traces back to Dai 2 Kinntou, one of the most prolific cows in Australia. One of Breda's exceptional daugherts is Jenny Penny, who is following in her footsteps with approximately 22 calves born to date.

Ohanasaki Brilliant, our stock bull, served the cows for years and was quieter and kinder than a Saint Bernard. We did not fully appreciate what we had in him until a crossbred son of his marbled exceptionally well and ended up on the menu of a top Dublin restaurant. We had collected semen from him by then, and it has been in demand at home and abroad ever since. More information in 'For Sale' page

As a breeder, we focus on getting the genetic mix right first, then and only then do we increase the numbers. There is no wisdom in baking the wrong cake.

Multipliers focus on increasing stock numbers as fast as possible and ignoring faults like poor milk production, CHS carriers etc.

We select on Australian estimated breeding values along with our own visual assessment.

Every animal is registered and DNA parent-verified, and the paperwork goes with it when it is sold. Ask about the pedigree before you buy anything from anyone. A breeder worth dealing with will be glad you asked.

Semen, embryos and live cattle from this herd have gone to buyers across Europe. The early sales went to France, Spain and Scotland. In 2019 six of our bulls went to an 800-cow British Friesian herd in Carmarthenshire, replacing the Jersey genetics they had been using. In 2025 a consignment of twenty registered females, two stock bulls and a quantity of semen and embryos travelled three days by road to a buyer in Pombal, Portugal, after a Portuguese delegation came to see the herd here.

Most people come into the breed one of three ways: semen over an existing dairy or suckler herd, which is the cheapest way to test the water; in-calf full-blood heifers, which is the straightforward route to a pedigree herd; or embryos, which buys the fastest genetic progress at the highest cost per outcome.

Which makes sense depends on your ground, your housing and your route to market. We would far rather have that conversation honestly than sell you an animal that does not suit your setup, and if the answer is that Wagyu is wrong for you, we will say so.