Use : Devons are stout , effective beef cattle noted for bring on well - marbled , succulent and flavorful beef on a forage dieting , making them a perfect choice for organic and grass - feed beef product . Devon wind dress out at 50 - 60 pct live weighting .
History : There are three breeds of Devon ( DEV - un ) cattle : beef Devons ( they ’re called North Devons in their British homeland ) , South Devons ( acknowledge as the “ orangish elephants ” , they ’re the largest of all British breeds ) , and Milking Devons . Devon are the advanced squawk version of the ancient Milking Devon , while South Devonshire are unrelated to the other two . modest , crimson cattle roam the hills of southwestern United States Britain beginning in ancient times ; the Romans write about them as early as 55 B.C. Developed as triple - purpose draft , Milk River , and meat cattle , they were oftentimes carried by settlers to foreign farming ; this was due to their own merits but also because the seaports of Devon and Cornwall were the last larboard of call for sailing ships departing for Britain ’s colony abroad . In 1623 the British ship Charity bring “ red Bos taurus ” , one bullshit and three heifers , to Edward Winslow , agent for Plymouth Colony , making Devons the first British oxen to set hoof on American soil . Bos taurus became an important source of wealth in the dependency ; the average moo-cow sold for £ 28 in 1638 . So valuable were they that in 1627 Edward Winslow “ sold unto Capt . Myles Standish his sixth percentage in the crimson moo-cow ” , indicating that one cow was often share by several families . There was a great need for draught oxen throughout the colony and Devon oxen utterly fill the bill . They were strong , calm , willing , and they worked at a good , reliable footstep , trait that endear them to oxen teamsters even today . cow gave rich , high - butterfat Milk River complete for craft cheese and butter . expend oxen and milk cows were eaten and extra immature stock was raised for beef . Devon remained triple - aim cattle until 1952 , when the American Devon Cattle Association decided to take the strain in a unexampled counseling . By select primarily for beef qualities they felt they could spawn Devons that were foresighted , tall , and trimmer , while speed up their rate of maturity date . One group , however , need to keep the ancient strain exactly as it was ; in this manner the Milking Devon breed was constitute .
Conformation : Devons are constantly red . A deep , blood line red coloring material described as crimson red is the preferred chromaticity ( this is why enthusiast call Devons the Red Rubies ) . Their muzzles are flesh - dark-skinned and they have somewhat lighter colored patch of pilus around their oculus . The tail shift is creamy white-hot and their peel , yellow-bellied - orangeness . Beef Devons come in in both horn and polled variety . Modern beef Devons are intermediate- to tumid - size size cattle . Cows press 950 - 1300 pounds ; bulls fall into the 1700 - 2200 pound range .
Special Considerations / Notes : Devon adapt to every climate extreme with easiness ; cows are whitish , maternal , and calving problems are all but nil ; and Devons are extremely fertile . If you ’re face for a brave , serious - natured , long - lived breed for eatage - based bitch production , you but ca n’t go wrong with crimson Devons .
