American Milking Devons have many desirable traits:

a.     Easy-keeping, rugged vitality;
b.     Easy fattening, tender, well marbled meat;
c.     High quality milk suited to butter and cheese making;
d.     Longevity
e.     Excellent fertility and maternal performance;
f.      Intelligence and mild temperament;
g.     Agility and endurance;
h.     Diverse forage palatability[i];
i.      Tolerance of both heat and cold

American Milking Devons have been observed eating bittersweet, poison ivy and other woody perennial vines and weeds overhanging the fence line.  Of all cattle breeds, the American Milking Devon gene pool is thought to be one of the least altered from the primal cattle gene pool; if this is true, then American Milking Devons would have more genetic information than modern breeds, who’s specialization has resulted in regressively smaller genetic subsets of the original cattle “kind.”  The Devon’s willingness to consume plants customarily rejected by more modern breeds tends to support this view, because the decline in genetic information accompanies breed development could easily narrow dietary tolerances as well.  The co-instance of breed advancement with narrowed food preferences is common in domesticated animals and plants, further serving to support this conclusion.

All these characteristics are exhibited on a moderate, fine-boned frame with good carcass conformation qualities.  A dress-out percentage of 60% is reasonable in American Milking Devon steers of balanced breeding[ii].

For these reasons, the American Milking Devon is preferable for producing tender, well-marbled beef and rich milk, on pasture and hay alone[iii], in a temperate climate, as was the case well over one hundred years ago:

"The late experience of the breeders of Devons only confirms their former opinion of the excellent qualities of the breed, for the three grand objects for which neat stock are kept, namely, milk, work, or beef, and their adaptation to many sections of our country, in preference to any other breed; also that they will produce as much milk, work, or beef, from the food consumed, or on a given quantity of land, as any other breed...The only objection ever presented to the breed, is "they are small;" but we can keep more of them, and that on shorter pastures and coarser food." —American Devon Herd Book, Vol. 2, 1868, Springfield, Massachusetts.

In fact, the American Milking Devon cow is medium sized, larger than a Jersey and smaller than a Holstein or a modern Hereford.  Mature cows will weigh about 1,000 – 1,200 pounds at maturity.  Bulls may weigh 1,400 – 1,700 pounds at maturity.

In 1952, the Devon breed in America was split into two groups: the beef Devon[iv], focused solely on beef performance, and the American Milking Devon, that has remained little changed since the early importations from Devonshire, England.  The American Milking Devon has remained a multipurpose breed with excellent qualities suited to modern grassfed expectations.

Beef

American Milking Devons yield tender, marbled beef of excellent flavor, on pasture alone. 

The fat is an attractive creamy white.

American Milking Devons have fine bones.  This means less trim and better cutout percentage and more salable cuts.

American Milking Devon steers, heifers, bulls and dry cows fatten easily.  The American Milking Devon is a good choice for grassfed beef with zero grain supplementation, because of the breed’s extraordinary efficiency converting forage into growth and marbling.

With many cattle breeds, a steer must exceed his mother’s weight by about 100 pounds AND have steady, high daily weight gains in order to marble properly.  The American Milking Devon steer marbles with greater ease and under less favorable conditions than most other cattle breeds.

When kept solely for cow-calf beef production, the American Milking Devon cow does not require stripping when fresh even though she lactates generously; she easily adjusts her milk volume to meet demand.  This natural flexibility is another factor favoring the American Milking Devon for straight beef, dairy/beef or even once-per-day milking programs.

American Milking Devon cows gain condition easily.  This means that after a summer on pasture alone it is possible for the herd to winter on hay, stockpiled hay and/or grass silage, and still have reserves for spring calving and freshening.

We have seen American Milking Devon steers gain as much weight in winter on dry hay, as they did when grazing intensively rotated perennial pastures during the previous season.  Again, American Milking Devons fatten easily.

Grassfed Dairy and Dual-Purpose (Grassfed Beef and Dairy)

The American Milking Devon produces Jersey-quality milk, without the Jersey’s dependence on grain.  Milk production depends a lot on feed of course.  American Milking Devon cows in Vermont, Pennsylvania and Virginia are curently milking as much as 65 pounds per day with grain supplementation. Without grain, you may expect an average American Milking Devon Cow to yield 20-35 pounds per day after freshening.

American Milking Devons are very efficient converters of forage to milk, and this means more milk per pound of forage comsumed.  Also, they adjust their milk according to how they are fed.  This allows them to retain condition and breed back on time.

Butterfat and protein numbers in American Milking Devons are high, in the same range as the Jersey and the Guernsey.  Butterfat of 6% or higher is common.

Health conscious customers are increasingly seeking to buy grassfed milk.  This is due in large measure to the work of the Weston A. Price Foundation.  The American Milking Devon cow is well suited to direct-sale milk production because of her premier ability to produce moderate volumes of high component milk, from pasture alone.  While doing this, she can maintain body condition and breed back on time.  Because of her moderate production, she may profitably be milked twice daily; yet she is readily adaptable to once-per-day milking, allowing her calf to suck at other times, without fear of milk fever or mastitis.

Direct-sale dairy operators are experiencing an increasing demand for grain-free milk.  An existing dairy herd can be bred to a good American Milking Devon bull to reduce and eliminate the herd’s dependence on grain in the diets of the retained daughters.  This breeding can be used to reduce or eliminate grain dependence in Jersey, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Milking Shorthorn and other dairy breeds, without having to scrap your existing herd.  Since there are so very few American Milking Devons at this time (perhaps 500 registered breeding females as of 2005) and are not readily available for purchase, AI from a good American Milking Devon bull is a more practical option to get started quickly with American Milking Devon genetics.

American Milking Devons tend to have small calves, resulting in calving ease; yet because the American Milking Devon cow produces high-component milk in moderate volume, she weans a proportionately large and fat calf.  Because she readily adjusts to demand (whether that be a sucking calf, or milking, or both) she typically conserves condition and breeds back on time.

Sometimes a farmer who keeps a Jersey herd has difficulty direct-marketing Jersey beef, due to the bright yellow fat that is characteristic of Jerseys.  The American Milking Devon has a larger carcass with better conformation, beautiful cream-colored rind fat and plentiful marbling.

Switch to a herd of American Milking Devons, and sell more high-value cuts of beef from your dairy herd’s calves.

Bulls within Jersey, Holstein, Brown Swiss and other dairy breeds are well known for an inclination toward having bad dispositions. American Milking Devon bulls, in contrast, frequently have a well-mannered disposition.

Our bull Rufus, who was never treated as a pet, is masculine and alert; he is aggressive about his business of breeding, yet we can work him easily and approach him with confidence.

Temperament is highly heritable.  Easy-working animals are a blessing.

Range Management

We have observed that the intelligence, mild temperament, agility and endurance all make handling easier than with other breeds.

Consider a common situation, the paddock shift: when the herd is called to a gate, the lead animal often passes through and turns the corner so that she can be seen through the fence by the rest of the herd.  We have found that with Herefords, Baldies, and some angus-dairy crosses, the remainder of the herd are often at a loss; they will not think to continue around that corner as did the lead cow, but instead seek to travel in a straight line toward that lead cow.  They cannot do this of course, because there is a fence in the way.  So clearly, paddock shifts of this kind usually require more setup work to avoid the untoward excitement that is bad for cattle and herdsman.  However, we do not see this problem with American Milking Devons.  When the lead American Milking Devon cow turns the corner, the followers are typically continue rounding through the gate without a fuss.

Because of the American Milking Devon’s moderate frame size, pugging in sodden spring pasture is eased and general compaction year round is lessened.

Because the American Milking Devon retains aboriginal genetics, it retains the ability to recognize and digest a broader range of plants than more modern breeds.  At times, we have seen American Milking Devons eat poison ivy, bittersweet and other plants that modern breeds consider inedible.

Homesteaders and Enthusiasts

The American Milking Devon cow is a good choice for the modern homestead.  American Milking Devons are well suited to frequent contact with people, being by nature an intelligent and well mannered.  The typical American Milking Devon cow will provide generous, rich milk on pasture alone. She will also calve with ease (i.e., without requiring your assistance) and wean a fat calf that will dress out in under 20 months or so with excellent carcass conformation, marbling and eating quality.

American Milking Devon cows have gorgeous red coats, deep frames and lyre-like cream-colored horns with tasteful black tips.  Cows also have pleasing, equine faces with clean noses.

The American Milking Devon has a rich American history beginning with its initial importation to the Plimoth colony in 1623.  In fact, there are no known American Milking Devons outside the United States, making the American Milking Devon a unique American treasure. As a premier multipurpose breed, American Milking Devons were used to cross the Oregon Trail. 

The American Milking Devon, neglected for over one hundred years and kept alive by a few devoted fanciers, is very recently enjoying renewed interest for its vigor, gourmet food qualities, functionality and value as a piece of living history.   The American Milking Devon is a rare breed with excellent contemporary function and beauty.

Footnotes

[i] American Milking Devons have been observed eating bittersweet, poison ivy and other woody perennial vines and weeds overhanging the fence line.  Of all cattle breeds, the American Milking Devon gene pool is thought to be one of the least altered from the primal cattle gene pool; if this is true, then American Milking Devons would have more genetic information than modern breeds, who’s specialization has resulted in regressively smaller genetic subsets of the original cattle “kind.”  The Devon’s willingness to consume plants customarily rejected by more modern breeds tends to support this view, because the decline in genetic information accompanies breed development could easily narrow dietary tolerances as well.  The co-instance of breed advancement with narrowed food preferences is common in domesticated animals and plants, further serving to support this conclusion.

Links of Interest:

American Milking Devon Association:
A very complete source on the breed—history, description, and links

Rural Heritage:
A bimonthly journal in support of small farmers and loggers who use draft horse, mule and ox power
wildwnc.org/af/reddevon.html

Characterization and conservation of the American Milking Devon - R.K. Splan & D.P. Sponenberg:
Animal Genetics Resource Information

Plimoth Plantation:
Rare and heritage breed livestock

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy:
Conservancy Preservation Lists

Heritage Breeds Conservancy:
Rare Breeds for Sale

Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens

History Cooperative: Common-Place
An excerpt from Gems in the Pasture by Pamela H. Sacks

Historic Latta Plantation
An Early 19th Century Living History Farm

Colonial Williamsburg's Rare Breeds Program