Fortunately, Devon breeders managed to avoid the “bandwagon fads” that from time to time have hit---and later handicapped---many of the other beef breeds in the United States. But let’s get down to specifics. Here are 10 good reasons why you should consider Devon for your pastures:

By: Jeremy Engh

Many bulls are selected on visual appraisal and age alone. But more and more cattlemen, both purebred and commercial, are selecting sires only after studying detailed performance records on not only the individual bulls but their near relatives. Since sire selection may be the most important factor in determining the success of a beef cattle breeding program, every breeder should use all the information at his disposal when selecting herd sires. At the outset, however, it should be recognized that a performance-tested bull will seldom excel in all the economically important traits. The cattleman must decide, therefore, how much importance shall be accorded each trait i.e. how much emphasis will be placed on yearling weight, rate of gain, and carcass evaluation, EBV, linear measurement etc. This will vary from herd to herd, depending primarily on the level of performance in the trait already attained in the particular herd. For maximum improvement in the herd, the factors which follow should be considered in bull selection.

Herd Merit

The really difficult problem is the selection of the herd or source, once the breed has been decided upon. Whenever possible, bulls should be obtained from herds having the highest average merit. But it is difficult to estimate the average merit of a herd in relation to other herds and the rest of the breed. Performance test comparisons between herds are not very meaningful, for the reason that environmental factors, especially feeding and herdsmanship, exert a powerful influence. However, by determining the production level of the herd and by observing how animals produced in the herd have performed for other breeders, an evaluation can be made.

1. How many years has this herd been selected for performance?
2. What is the average level of performance in your herd for the relevant traits?
3. What is your breeding program?
4. What is your management system?

Hereditary Defects (Undesirable Recessives)

Bull buyers should always be on the alert for hereditary defects. Even though the bull you select shows no evidence of defects, he may be a “carrier” if his relatives have a history of such defects. Among the more than 200 hereditary abnormalities in cattle to guard against are: dwarfism, double muscling, hernia, cryptorchidism, hydrocephalus, and arthrogryposis. Cattlemen commonly refer to such defects as “undesirable recessives” or “freaks.” Such traits range all the way from lethals, which cause the death of the affected animal, to those that cause only an economic loss.

In addition to the more simply inherited hereditary defects, there is now ample evidence that the predisposition to such undesirable characteristics as bloat, vaginal and uterine prolapse, and cancer eye is also heritable. Hence, one should not buy a bull whose relatives exhibit a high incidence of these problems.

Once you have found him, what’s a good bull worth?
One commercial cow-calf producer of the writer’s acquaintance pays an average of $2,800 for his bulls. He weans a 97 percent calf crop, with an average calf weight of 590 pounds, and his reputation calves bring $2.00 per cwt premium. How many cattlemen can match this? And that’s not all! After this commercial cattleman is finished with his bulls, he sells them for an average of $3,200 per head. Many of them go into purebred herds, at a premium price because they have been progeny tested. This cattleman’s success story can be attributed to two things: (1) the use of outstanding sires, and (2) the production of reputation calves.

From the above, it may be concluded that the value of a bull is determined by his ability to produce calves that have enough quality to command the top dollar and enough pounds to make it pay.

Bull Selection Guidelines

One of the most important management decisions a cattleman makes is the selection of a herd sire. Careful thought and planning are required. After deciding on the breed, evaluate your cow herd and current calf crop. Where do they need improvement the most? Is it size, muscling, soundness, gaining ability, or some other trait?

Next, decide what herds you plan to visit or which sales you wish to attend. Buy from reputable breeders who are doing a good job of production and who will give a breeder’s guarantee (and preferably a semen test) with the animals they sell. Patronize those who are cattle breeders in the truest sense-those who are making real progress in improving the quality and performance of their own cattle, and who are not just “multipliers.”

The full genetic explanation for the cause of hybrid vigor is not known. However, the hybrid vigor boost obtained from crossbreeding seems to depend upon the relationship existing between the animals crossed. In general, the wider the cross, the greater will be the resulting hybrid vigor. When breeds are farther apart in relationship, they are more likely to be unlike genetically; that is, they are more likely to be homozygous in opposite ways for more pairs of genes than are closely related breeds. When the parents have more genes homozygous in opposite ways, more pairs of heterozygous (or unlike) genes will be found in the crossbred progeny, resulting in more hybrid vigor being expressed in the traits that respond to hybrid vigor.

The Devon was perhaps the first real purebred cattle to reach North America, having probably first arrived with the Pilgrims in 1623. The origin of the breed in southwestern England is considered to be prehistoric, and the Devon is one of the oldest beef breeds in existence today. The Devon’s early ancestors were probably quite different genetically from those of the later-developed English breeds; the Devon breeders established and stayed with certain sound selection goals that combined mothering ability, hardiness, growth impulse, and carcass merit; and the Devon drifted genetically away from other breeds down through the centuries. Consequently, the breed is unique in its genetic composition. Because of its long, pure inheritance, the Devon’s characteristics are usually strongly transmitted; and it crosses well with most all breeds, contributing an extra measure of hybrid vigor from its purified, unique genes.

The key to successful crossbreeding is planned matings using genetically superior purebred bulls. The use of just any bull of a different breed that happens to be available at the start of the breeding season is not crossbreeding. Such a hit-or-miss procedure is “mixing” breeds and results in multi-colored, genetically confused, unpredictable mongrels! For crossbreeding success, select the breeds best suited to complement each other under your environmental and economic conditions; then cross superior representatives according to a definite, systematic scheme.

In planning a crossbreeding program, remember that it is better to utilize hybrid vigor in the dam than in the calf. The most important benefits gained from crossbreeding result from the use of crossbred cows, especially those first-cross females sired by a bull of a “maternal trait” breed. Calves are dependent on their dams for about 433 days (283 days before and 150 days after birth). Thus, anything that improves a cow’s vigor should benefit her calf. That is exactly what happens: crossbred cows have a higher conception rate, a lower mortality in their calves, and usually wean a considerably heavier calf than do corresponding purebred cows.

The Devon has been classified primarily as a maternal trait breed. However, the “Ruby Red” Devons come about as close as possible to “putting it all together.” It is possible to select maternal trait bulls and terminal cross bulls from within the Devon Breed. The Devon cow is a docile, highly-fertile, rich milk producing cow that calves with ease; and when these calves are sired by a big, stretchy, and muscular Devon bull, they grow off extremely fast because their mamas produce a lot of rich milk and their metabolic status is geared to convert feed rapidly into high-quality, succulent red meat. Furthermore, the Devon has the unique ability to adapt to climatic extremes anywhere in the United States. Thus, the Devon has all the major attributes desired by all segments of our beef industry: the cow-calf producer, the feedlot operator, the packer, the meat wholesaler and retailer, and the consumer. Whatever your choice of mating systems (straight breeding, grading-up, or crossbreeding), the Devon can work successfully for you.

With the right choice of breeds, hybrid vigor from crossbreeding can put extra profits into your commercial cattle operation. And, Devon breeders will continue to produce top purebreds to maximize hybrid with the breed’s unique genetic composition.

Crossbreeding will not fit every ranch. However, with advanced planning, you may find that carefully planned culling, selection, and management will put a sound, profitable crossbreeding program on your farm or ranch with a little more time and trouble than any other sound, progressive cattle breeding program.

The Consumer

The smart ones figured out a long time ago that grass-fed beef is far better for them. First, it doesn’t contain all those growth hormones, anti-biotics and animal by-products. It’s also lower in fat. Switching to grass-fed beef lowers your risk of a number of diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.

Grass-fed meat has two to four times more omega-3s…the so-called “good fat”. They’re an important building-block in every cell of your body. People with enough omega-3 are less likely to have heart problems. In fact, they’re 50% less likely to suffer heart attacks. They’re also less likely to suffer from depression, attention deficit disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.
In short, just from a health standpoint, grass-fed beef stacks up favorably against chicken, pork and fish.

The Cattleman

Feeding cattle is the industry’s biggest expense by far. Grass-fed cows feed themselves! Most Devons spend their lives never tasting grain. So check your budget and see what eliminating feeds bills does to improve your bottom line.

Grass-fed cows are great for the revenue side of your ledger, too. Today’s health-conscious consumers pay a premium for natural beef. It’s a growing market and grass farmers are having trouble keeping up with the demand. Prices keep going up!

And don’t even get us started on direct retail opportunities. It’s not uncommon for some of our members to double their income (or more) by taking their animals right through the final sale.

The Cow

They’re herbivores, of course. Sure they like grain…just as your kids like sugar. But it’s not good for them. Their stomachs aren’t built to process anything but grass. A lot of the drugs pumped into cows are just to overcome the affects of the grain they’re fed.

So cows do better doing what comes naturally. And Devon do better than most. They routinely breed back in six weeks…wean calves more than half their weight…and even “finish” on grass. Ever hear of British roast beef? Well, it’s Devon. Docility translates directly into tenderness.

Finally, and not to get too sentimental about it, have you ever asked a cow if it wants to spend the last months of its life in a feedlot? Enough said.