North Devon
A thick-necked bull of a deep rich red colour
A bull
Conservation status
Other names
  • Beef Devon
  • Devon
  • Devon Ruby
  • Devon Red Ruby
  • Red Devon
  • Red Ruby
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Distribution
  • Australia
  • North America
  • South America
  • United Kingdom[3]
Use
  • formerly triple-purpose (meat/milk/draught)
  • now principally beef
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    average 980 kg[2]
  • Female:
    average 630 kg[2]
Height
  • Male:
    average 136 cm[2]
  • Female:
    average 130 cm[2]
Coatdeep rich red
  • Cattle
  • Bos (primigenius) taurus

The Devon is a traditional British breed of beef cattle. It originated in, and is named for, the county of Devon in the West Country of England. It is a deep rich red in colour, and so may be known as the Devon Ruby or Red Ruby;[4]: 45  it may also be called the North Devon to distinguish it from the South Devon.

History

The Devon is a traditional breed of the county of Devon in the West Country of England.

A herdbook was started by John Tanner Davy in 1850. A breed society, the Devon Cattle Breeders' Society, was formed in 1884, and took over management of the herd-book.[5]: 168 

By the early twentieth century the Devon was widespread. A census in 1908 found a population of close to 500,000, outnumbered only by the Shorthorn – of which there were about ten times that number.[5]: 168 [6]: 25 

In the United States

Main article: American Milking Devon
Devon bullock team, Timbertown, Wauchope, New South Wales

In Australia

Devons were popular for use in bullock teams for hauling cedar and other logs from the forests, which was pit sawn and then transported by bullock drawn wagons and timber junkers to towns and seaports for cabinet making or export. These cattle were among the earliest breeds in Australia and Devons were noted for their docility, early maturing, hardiness and strength which were important attributes to have in a team.[7][8]

Characteristics

References

  1. ^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Breed data sheet: Devon / United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2022.
  3. ^ Transboundary breed: Devon. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2022.
  4. ^ Valerie Porter, Ian Lauder Mason (2002). Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types, and Varieties (fifth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 085199430X.
  5. ^ a b Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  6. ^ Valerie Porter (2009). British Cattle. Botley, Oxford: Shire Publications. ISBN 9780747807643.
  7. ^ "Home is where the bullock is". Archived from the original on 5 August 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  8. ^ ABC Rural

Further reading

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