The Devons

     The Devon breed has been around for centuries.  They are believed to be descendants of the aborginal cattle of Britain and were first brought to America by the Pilgrims in 1623. They were selected as a dual-purpose breed used as oxen and for milk and meat. They are known for their high fertility, calving ease, docility, hardiness and ability to adapt to temperature extremes.  They are active, good walkers and excellent grazers.  In England they are known as "The Beef Breed Supreme at Grass" due to their easy fleshing ability on grass alone.  It has been said that there is no point in crossing the Devon because there is no other breed that can offer anything to improve them.

     Devons are very docile and easy to work with which makes them a great addition to the family farm.  They are excellent mothers and calve without assistance.  Their milk has a high butter-fat content which allows them to raise beautiful, healthy calves. They are extremely well-adapted to rough grazing, even in poorer type soils and have the ability to put on fat even in these conditions. Although, they do not typically attain the high weights of our common beef breeds and tend to grow more slowly, it is this more natural growth pace that allows them to put on fat reserves, both under the skin and within the muscle, that leads to close-grained, well-marbled beef. 

We are able to produce a consistent, repeatable product by using prepotent, line bred Rotokawa bulls.  This pure, genetically-dense line of cattle originated in New Zealand from a herd that has remained closed for 70 years. This genetic density allows the bulls to "stamp" their offspring and create quality calves every time.

To watch a video about the history of Devons, click here.

We love our Devons and know you will too!