Wagyu Progeny Testing Program

Wagyu Progeny Testing Program

I had a great time talking to Jessica and Jason Winall about Twin Oaks Farms, Powhatan, VA. We also dove into the new Wagyu Progeny Testing Program. 

The Wagyu Progeny Testing Program, launched by the American Wagyu Association, aims to validate high-value emerging sires and improve the accuracy of existing high-value Wagyu EBVs. The program will test progeny from the maximum number of emerging industry sires, aiming to join around 2,000 females yearly to 40 different sires. The Wagyu Progeny Testing Program will also develop new Wagyu-specific traits for reproduction, structure, carcass, and eating quality. The AWA-PTP will leverage existing Wagyu BREEDPLAN genetic analysis and will involve around 2,000 females yearly to 40 different sires. The program will also capture data on approximately 3,500 steer progeny for feed efficiency and structure, as well as new carcass and eating quality traits. The AWA-PTP will produce high-accuracy EBVs for Project Sires and Contributor Cow Herds, benefiting the rest of the Wagyu population through the use of genomic analysis and genetic linkage.

Thank you, everyone, for listening to this episode of the American Cattlemen Podcast. Please share our information with your neighbors and friends. Take Care!

In 2009, a few months before we got married, Jessica received a text from Jason while at work, saying, "I just bought a farm." Not being surprised by this news, with his love of land, she didn't really know what to say other than "WHAT!" With the help of Jessica’s grandfather, who was interested in farm land as well, the original piece of land for Twin Oaks was purchased. It was a 144-acre farm that the Walker Family once operated. The house, barns, sheds, and pig pens were all still on site, even though they had seen their better days. It had also been timbered at one point since the original farming days, and the cutover had started growing back. The previous owner had restored some of the fields back to grass and had used them for hay production.

The first few years for us also focused on hay production on the 20 +/- acres of established grass the farm had ... or really learning how to harvest hay, to be honest. Jason had spent his whole life around horses growing up, so he knew what needed to be done, even though he had never actually cut hay before. We scoured the area for the necessary pieces and parts to complete the job, even if they were old and worn out. He always says, "There is nothing a hammer can do." He also knew that one day he wanted to have cows, just like his grandfather used to raise when he was little.

Not knowing exactly what would be best, he decided that we should have a registered Angus herd. Some called us crazy, and others laughed, but Jason figured that if he was going to start from scratch, he might as well do the best he could. We began by putting posts in the ground, running the fences, and updating the structures, all in preparation for the day when the animals could come. In October 2012, Twin Oaks Angus Farm began when we decided to make the trip to Blacksburg, V, to attend the annual Hokie Harvest that is put on every year by Virginia Tech, one of our state's leading agricultural colleges.

Not knowing what we were really getting ourselves into, we loaded up the truck and trailer and headed west to see what we could learn. This is where we got our Shadoe, along with the spring heifer calf she had that year. She remains one of our leading foundation females to this day, which is why she has a special legacy spot on our cattle page. After going to a few more local sales that year, we ended the year with five cows, or "moo-moo's" as Mady liked to call them back then.

Shortly after having our first calf born, and with no bull in the pasture, we decided to artificially breed to achieve the best genetics possible for each female, hoping to produce future generations of cattle that are stronger than the previous one. Yet another thing that we knew absolutely nothing about, but were ready to learn what we could. Jason started researching bulls to figure out who would be the best fit. We also began working with one of our local semen reps, and we even attended a two-day-long AI training course one summer so we could do this task ourselves at the farm.

Over the next few years, we continued to learn and grow as much as we could in this new world. We began getting involved with our local Extension office(s) to attend various seminars, joining our local Cattlemen's Association, and even working with our local Soil & Water District to install the automatic cattle watering system and cross fencing you see at the farm today. At this time, we also gained a small group of registered balancers and some commercial Angus girls just to add to the pastures. During this time, all gained more pastures, more animals, and more knowledge.

In August 2016, Twin Oak