Wagyu Beef in Kingston

The idea to establish a herd of Wagyu cattle arose from the Cook’s desire to produce the best possible beef product for the Canadian market. The herd was established using embryo transfer technology that brought frozen Wagyu embryos from Asia, Australia, the United States and Canada. Embryos were implanted, born and raised by Black Angus brood cows. This way a fullblood Wagyu calf is born. Otter Creek now produces embryos to retain in the herd and for export. Every animal in the herd is genotyped, meaning the DNA is analyzed to reveal genes related to beef quality. Marbling, tenderness, fat melting point and flavor are all predicted by these tests. Therefore, breeding combinations can be selected to yield the best possible beef. The Cooks have also invested in state of the art animal husbandry tools to provide humane, stress free handling of the cattle with precise traceability of the final product. Cattle inputs, gains and outputs are measured to track and refine the efficiency of the herd in an effort to maximize gains and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.