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Beef Cattle Breeds

Devon Cattle: The Ruby Red Breed That Crossed to New England in 1623

From North Devon pastures to Pilgrim farms and Oregon Trail wagons, the ruby red Devon worked, fed and then nearly disappeared.

Where do Devon cattle come from?

Devon cattle developed over several centuries in southwestern England, likely from breeds brought by settlers and crossed with local cattle. The earliest reference is a red Devon-type bull given to Tavistock Abbey in 1366, and the breed is not mentioned again until 18th-century writings.

North Devon cattle were prized for their market value, high-quality beef and ability to finish on forage. The breed was also raised in Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, and its milk was used in Devonshire cream. The Livestock Conservancy's Devon profile gives the outline used here.

Did Devon cattle really arrive on the Charity in 1623?

The Livestock Conservancy says Pilgrims brought the first Devons to New England in 1623 aboard the Charity: one bull and three heifers. The breed spread down the coast to Florida during the 1700s and 1800s and went west, where Devon oxen pulled wagons on the Oregon Trail.

The Devon was described as the quickest and most active oxen in the British Isles, which fits its use as a draft animal alongside beef and milk.

Decline and the herd book

The first American Devon Herdbook was created in 1855, and the American Devon Cattle Club was founded in 1884. In the late 1800s American farmers largely replaced Devons with the more productive multi-purpose Shorthorn, except in New England, where they kept them. By 1900 Devons were rarely seen outside New England.

By the 1950s the breed was nearly extinct.

What Made It Work

Devons lasted because a small group of breeders kept the line alive in New England and later split the breed along beef and dairy lines to match what the market wanted.

The documented strengths and limits are these.

  • Forage finishing: North Devon cattle were prized for beef that finished on forage.
  • Draft ability: the breed's active, quick oxen pulled wagons, including on the Oregon Trail.
  • Regional loyalty: New England farmers kept Devons even after Shorthorns replaced them elsewhere.
  • A deliberate split: breeders divided into beef-focused Red Devon and a few dual-purpose lines, the American Milking Devon.
  • Crossbreeding use: distant relation to other British and European breeds makes Devons useful for hybrid vigor.
  • Limits: the breed lost ground to the Shorthorn in the late 1800s, and handlers need at least intermediate beef cattle experience.

Beef Devon versus Milking Devon

By the 1950s, breeders split, and most focused on beef while a few kept dual-purpose lines called American Milking Devons. Beef Devon populations also exist in Britain and Brazil, though it is unclear whether they are still one breed. The dual-purpose history gives greater maternal ability than most beef breeds, and a Milking Devon bull can correct any decline.

Rural Heritage magazine has a feature on American Milking Devons, and Mother Earth News carries a Devon heritage livestock profile, both listed here as further reading.

Size, color and temperament

Devons have a ruby red coat with black-tipped, creamy white horns. They are medium-sized, with cows averaging about 1,100 lbs and bulls weighing 1,600 to 2,000 lbs, and they have a compact build with a straight topline, square-set legs and well-formed udders. They are hardy, efficient on grass-based production and have a docile temperament.

More on heritage cattle

The Livestock Conservancy lists the Devon as Recovering. For wider reading on heritage and grass-fed beef, see the ranching section on farm.FM and a farm.FM story about Red Devon cattle.

Timeline

  1. 1366Red Devon-type bull given to Tavistock Abbey
  2. 1623First Devons reach New England aboard the Charity
  3. 1855First American Devon Herdbook created
  4. 1884American Devon Cattle Club founded
  5. 1900Devons rarely seen outside New England
  6. 1950sBreed nearly extinct; beef and milking lines split

Frequently asked questions

Where do Devon cattle come from?

They come from southwestern England, with the North Devon type prized for beef. The earliest reference is a Devon-type bull given to Tavistock Abbey in 1366.

When did Devon cattle come to America?

Pilgrims brought the first Devons to New England in 1623 aboard the Charity: one bull and three heifers. The breed later spread south and west.

What is a Milking Devon?

The American Milking Devon is a dual-purpose line kept by a few breeders after the breed split in the 1950s, while most focused on beef.

Are Devon cattle endangered?

The Livestock Conservancy lists the breed as Recovering. It was nearly extinct in the United States by the 1950s.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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