Terutani

Terutani, tag TF40, is a Takeda Farm foundation bull and one of the earlier of Mr Shogo Takeda's black-Wagyu exports, shipped from Japan in 1994 in a group of five bulls (with Itomichi 1/2, Kikuhana, Itohana 2 and Kinto) alongside 35 black females. His lower 'TF40' number reflects that earlier registration. He is 100% Tajima of the Nakadoi sub-strain, carrying Kikunori Doi genetics with a balanced combination of Kikumi Doi and Yasumi Doi blood. Terutani is a specialist rather than an all-rounder: he throws low birthweights, slower growth and smaller mature size, but strong meat quality driven more by ribeye size and retail yield than by extreme marbling. Crossed onto Itomichi-rich females he produced A5 carcasses about 70% of the time, more than three times the Japanese average, though his progeny required the longest average time on feed (26.1 months) of the foundation sires. With roughly 580 Australian-registered progeny, he is one of the least numerous foundation bulls but a valued low-birthweight outcross.