About Akaushi Cattle

Akaushi (pronounced Ah-kuh-OO-shi), or Japanese Red, is one of the four Wagyu breeds. The origin of the breed traces to Kumamoto, Japan where they were developed to withstand the challenging climate and terrain of Kumamoto, but also the refined taste of Japanese consumers.

In 1994 several Akaushi cattle boarded a Boeing 747 in Japan bound for the state of Texas. The cattle landed in New York, cleared customs and were hidden in Wisconsin before they finally arrived on Texas soil. These females and bulls would become the foundation of the HeartBrand® Cattle herd and the American Akaushi breed. Their descendants now reside at HeartBrand Ranch and many other ranches across the United States. What made these cattle so unique they had to be flown across the world for U.S. producers to access their genetics? Their ability to produce the world’s best beef combined with maternal longevity, attractive body type, high fertility, calving ease and growth. The Akaushi breed brought to the United States the desired carcass quality of a Wagyu breed with the conformation and structure of an animal any American rancher would be proud to put in their front pasture.

Learn More
ImageImage

About HeartBrand Cattle

At HeartBrand Cattle, our passion includes the growth of the Akaushi breed while maintaining the preservation of the breed. We're focused on sharing this unique and beneficial breed with the cattle industry — both in the U.S. and around the world.

In 2006, father and son, Ronald and Jordan Beeman saw an opportunity to improve the American beef industry through Akaushi genetics when they purchased the HeartBrand entities. The Beeman family dove full force into their mission to revolutionize the beef industry by pushing the boundaries of the performance of cattle and the taste of beef through diligently maintained Akaushi genetics. To further develop the brand and products, the Beeman's welcomed current CEO and Meat Industry Hall of Famer Bill Fielding to the team in 2008.

Since then, it has grown to be the largest Akaushi herd in the U.S. and is consistently ranked a top 25 seedstock operation. The HeartBrand Ranch is headquartered in Harwood, Texas.

Learn More
The HeartBrand Cattle program includes nearly
0
head of fullblood or halfblood Akaushi cattle

HeartBrand Certified Akaushi Beef®

The HeartBrand Cattle team promotes the Akaushi breed through its Certified Akaushi Beef brand. HeartBrand Certified Akaushi Beef is sourced from HeartBrand Cattle’s own herd of nearly 16,000 full-blood and half-blood Akaushi cattle, partnering ranches across the U.S., and a buyback program. To qualify for the Certified Akaushi Beef label, cattle must be DNA-verified to be at least half Akaushi. Cattle are raised without hormone implants, fed a natural vegetarian diet, and are not given antibiotics or beta agonists during the feeding phase. Typically, they are harvested at 20 to 24 months of age. Most cattle are finished at Bovina Feeders in Farwell, Texas, and harvested at Caviness Beef Packers in Hereford, Texas. To learn more about HeartBrand Beef or how to order the product please visit our HeartBrand Beef website.
Image