Akaushi

Akaushi means red cow in Japanese and, in cattle breeding, most often refers to the Kumamoto line of Japanese Brown Wagyu. These cattle are red to light brown, horned, and more open-framed than many Japanese Black Wagyu, while still being selected for finely textured beef and intramuscular fat. In Japan they are one of the recognized Wagyu breeds; in North America and elsewhere, the term may be used for fullblood imports, purebred descendants, or crossbreds depending on association rules and documentation.

Akaushi cattle are used in specialty beef programs and in crossbreeding where producers want marbling genetics with better heat tolerance and growth than some highly refined beef lines. They still need balanced nutrition for finishing; grass-only, grain-finished, and hybrid systems produce different carcass results. Because Wagyu premiums depend heavily on identity, serious buyers check registration, DNA parentage, and the difference between fullblood, purebred, and percentage animals. Routine handling is much like other beef cattle, with attention to horns, calm movement, and avoiding overfat breeding females.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Blaze Faced, Blue Roan, Brindle, Brockle Faced, Brown, Brown and White, Dun, Gray, Lineback, Mottled, Red, Red and White, Reddish-Brown, Red Roan, Roan, Silver, Solid Black, Solid Red, Speckled, Spotted, White, White Faced, Yellow