What's Wrong with Devon?

By Bill Roberts

Most Americans are familiar with a popularized phrase, “Mission Control we have a problem.” Well, Mission Control, we have a problem with Red Devon cattle. There are not enough of them to meet the demand. Most Devon breeders have a waiting list of people wanting heifers or any other female they are willing to part with. This scarcity is being generated by more and more people being exposed first hand to a heretofore nearly forgotten breed. Once they experience the forage efficiency, reproductive efficiency, mothering ability, docility and carcass quality, the product sells itself.

The ability to breed true has significantly helped stimulate the demand. The unpopularity during the industrialization of other cattle breeds has worked to the Devon’s advantage. The genetics have not been tampered with to “modernize” the cattle. The aboriginal genetics were preserved by the purists who were willing to continue to breed an unpopular “old style” cattle. The present day Devon breeds true, genotype parallels phenotype.

The adaptability of the Red Devon to grass finishing is contributing to the demand / supply imbalance. Several Devon breeders in the NADA market their Devon beef direct. They are selling a heifer’s carcass by the quarter or half for significantly more than most conventional breed’s replacement heifers sell for. This price floor and alternative demand tend to cause breeders to market their heifers as grass fat cattle rather than take the extra time demanded to sell seed stock.

Scarcity plus profitable alternative demand equals a compounded supply problem. The validity of the aforementioned equation was confirmed at the NADA Select Sale last fall by the strong prices females brought at auction.

The Board of Directors of the NADA foresaw this supply problem as the association was being formed. Opportunity presented itself when it became known by a few members that there were several Devon herds scattered around the US that the breeders had ceased to keep up the papers on the replacement heifers. Several of these breeders consistently used registered Red Devon bulls on females out of purebred Devon cows coming from registered cows several generations back. Since the Devon had fallen from favor in the commercial “feedlot destined” cattle trade, the seed stock breeders had no incentive to spend the extra money to register their cattle. No one wanted them! The purists continued to breed out of love of the cattle. They kept only the very best heifers and sent the rest to the sale barn to be docked in price due to their size and color.

The board members of the NADA collectively formulated a plan to reincorporate these valuable genetics back in to the breed registry to expand the genetic pool. That plan is called the Recovery Registry and is proving very useful to help increase the supply of Devon seed stock.

Preservation of purity in Devon genetics is one of the core values of the NADA. To hold true to that core value, a verification process has been established to validate genotype and phenotype. First, the original owner of the herd has to attest to the background of all females used as purebred Devon originating from registered females. Second, registered bulls are prerequisite as sires for all generations involved. Only females are eligible to apply to the NADA for entry in to the Recovery Registry. A pedigree as far back as is known must accompany the application as well as a picture of the candidate to show Devon characteristics. These initial applicants are labeled as “A” generation cattle. Cow A must then produce a heifer by mating to a registered Devon bull. That heifer calf becomes female “B”. Female “B” must be raised up and bred to a registered Devon bull and produce a final female labeled “C”. All three generation females must be registered under Recovery Registry status that is issued a green border paper and given a registration number beginning with the letter “R”. A DNA test must be performed on all three generation females. Unfortunately, the sophistication of DNA testing is not adequate to testify to breed verification. It can only establish validation of parenting to be sure no “switching” occurred to corrupt the process. Finally, after this exhaustive process is complete, a visual inspection of all three generations by a certified NADA inspector must occur. This inspection attests to Devon type, characteristics and conformation. It also assesses the ability to “breed true.”

Once the whole certification process is complete on all three generations and they pass, red border papers are issued all three animals and they are placed in the regular registry as purebred. These animals will still carry an R before their registration number to allow any skeptics of the program to be alerted when buying registered cattle. This will preserve the sanctity of animals registered status that come from a complete registration paper trail. All subsequent progeny from “A”, “B”, and “C” cattle after they are in the regular registry will receive full registry red bordered papers. The testament of coming through the Recovery Registry “reclamation process” will be attested to by the “R” appearing in parentage where applicable.

We know there is always room for human error either intentional or unintentional in the declaration of parenting in animal husbandry. We believe this process protects against such errors as much as is humanly possible while permitting these valuable animals to expand the reserve of quality Devon genetics.

We know that there are and will be critics of this program. My personal view is that it is far more critical of quality and sensitive to bar inferior animals than the regular registration process. Cattle can be rejected solely on conformation even if all other criteria are met. We believe we have covered the bases to assure quality and purity beyond reasonable doubt. We also believe the words of that great rural philosopher Elmer Fudd, If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, quacks like a duck and smells like a duck, it just might be a duck!”

** Stay tuned for an article to follow relating the story of Mr. LeaVern Sims Devon herd developed over 40 years, incorporating the best bulls from several legendary Devon breeders.