Fast Facts
- Known as "The Gentle Giants".
- Females are early maturing and may be calved at 2 years of age (although 2.5 – 3 years is still common).
- Average gestation is 286 days.
- A dam can calve every year for as long as 15 years.
- Although primarily a beef breed, South Devons can be milked.
- Strong maternal instinct usually makes fostering fairly easy.
- Most births are single calves but twins do occur in approximately 10% of calvings.
- Bulls experience rapid growth, early maturity and can sire at around 15–18 months.
- Bulls can work up to the age of 12.
- A fully mature bull can weigh between 1,200 and 1,600 kg (2,600 and 3,500 lb), though the largest South Devon recorded has been weighed at 2,000 kg (4,400 lb).
Read more about this topic: South Devon Cattle
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