North Devon Cattle - Characteristics of The Modern Breed

Characteristics of The Modern Breed

Devon cattle are red in colour, varying in shade from a rich deep red to a light red or chestnut colour. A bright ruby red colour is preferred and accounts for their nickname, the "Red Ruby". The hair is of medium thickness and is often long and curly during the winter, but short and sleek in summer. The switch of the tail is creamy white.

Mature bulls in good working condition weigh from 1,700 lb (770 kg) to about 2,200 lb (1,000 kg). Mature cows range in weight from about 950 lb (430 kg) to about 1,300 lb (590 kg). Thus, Devons have enough size to be practical and profitable without the handicap of excessive maintenance cost.

Calving problems are seldom encountered although a growing stress on using larger bulls has increased the incidence of difficult births.

The functional characteristics of the Devon make them a valuable genetic tool for the commercial beef industry. The breed has long been noted for its fertility, ease of calving, docility, hardiness and ability to adapt to temperature extremes.

Devons are active good "walkers" and are excellent foragers. Their ability to utilize grass and other forages efficiently has heightened their popularity in areas like southern Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.

In recent years however, the breed has fallen out of favour, as more rapidly-growing continental breeds were in demand by both the farmer and butcher because of their speed of maturity and the quantity of higher-value cuts they produce. However, that meat has always been of a lower-eating quality than that of the slower-maturing grass-fed traditional breeds.