South devon cattle

[Cowslip]

Is that where all the conical teats come from ?

Something which I have virtually eradicated but its something when south devons are mentioned the first thing that comes up.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I still love seeing South Devon's and we border Sexton and Edmeston which I think would have been big in the pedigree world not too many years ago.

Are they not too big to be a sensible commercial cow though? My vet looks after another local pedigree herd, last year they weighed a bunch of cows and plenty were 1200kg+!

 

[Cowslip]

I still love seeing South Devon's and we border Sexton and Edmeston which I think would have been big in the pedigree world not too many years ago.

Are they not too big to be a sensible commercial cow though? My vet looks after another local pedigree herd, last year they weighed a bunch of cows and plenty were 1200kg+!

My cows would not weigh over 850kg max, on marsh grazing though so not sure if they would be bigger on better pastures, my very first bull was from the sexton herd and some of my cows have edmeston in the bloodlines a few generations back. They eat less over winter per head than our crossbreed herd do as they hold their condition off grass alone really well.

 

[Cowslip]

@JP1 your not too far away always welcome to visit if passing and I can show you the good, the bad and the ugly

 

[M-J-G]

plenty of polled lines.
There used - arguably- be a bit of a penalty due to selection criteria chasing poll.
but there isn't much difference now.

I could keep you one back if you're not bothered about pedigree.
(herd is a LOT older than pedigree herd book, but unregistered.)

I might have AI'd a few to see how they went, just for a try

 

[JP1]

@JP1 your not too far away always welcome to visit if passing and I can show you the good, the bad and the ugly

Sorry to you @egbert and @C.J
I like them a lot. I've seen Belted Galloway x SD sucklers on Dartmoor and my neighbour still has some SD x Simm cows in his herd

Yes I'd love to see them some time . Maybe PM me your location and number? Thank you[/USER]

 

[GSB]

Used to buy pure heifers at the socitey sales at Exeter and cross them with Angus and Lim to produce more sucklers. Great cattle but the risk of bringing TB north of the border was too high. Quietest cattle we ever had. The downsides were occasionally you would get some rediculous big teats and they are probably to big for the modern Suckler. Still tempted to have a go again though !!!

 

[Poorbuthappy]

My cows would not weigh over 850kg max, on marsh grazing though so not sure if they would be bigger on better pastures, my very first bull was from the sexton herd and some of my cows have edmeston in the bloodlines a few generations back. They eat less over winter per head than our crossbreed herd do as they hold their condition off grass alone really well.

What part of the country are you ?

 

[Cowslip]

@Poorbuthappy Driest part of the country

 

[Suffolksucklers]

Our lone south Devon had her calve this morning, a nice shorthorn X. Sorry no pics. We like them as a cow, although two previous were both culled for poor fertility. Nice docile animals that do their job of bringing up a good calf with little hassle. One of the better native breeds in my opinion

 

[balerman]

Old saying in Devon was,dont bring SD cows north of the main railway line.Meaning i suppose they are not as hardy as Red Devon cows,only applies to out wintering i expect.

 

[C.J]

@Cowslip Are you a society judge ? because If you are , I think,you are reserve judge for Yealmpton Show this year.

 

[C.J]

Old saying in Devon was,dont bring SD cows north of the main railway line.Meaning i suppose they are not as hardy as Red Devon cows,only applies to out wintering i expect.

A30 ?

 

[egbert]

Is that where all the conical teats come from ?

ha ha.....you won't find much of that here mate

 

[Cows 'n grass]

A30 ?

Plymouth to Totnes line, everyone knows it's bandit country north of that!

 

[egbert]

No I agree with you, unless a bull calf is born completely unaided, fed on its own dam consistently calving in first 3 weeks of a 9week ran with bull, never touched feet it gets a rubber ring. Then when the bull calves are weaned their jaw line, legs and feet placement etc are carefully scrutinised. Anything I don't like gets castrated so there is no way a bull bred here not upto my exact standards can end up in someone's herd.

Ha! if a cow of mine needed her feet doctoring, she's shot, as is the cow either side of her, and the ground salted beneath them!
(I'm mostly joking.....haven't trimmed a SD foot in years)

 

[C.J]

Plymouth to Totnes line, everyone knows it's bandit country north of that!

@egbert

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Used to buy pure heifers at the socitey sales at Exeter and cross them with Angus and Lim to produce more sucklers. Great cattle but the risk of bringing TB north of the border was too high. Quietest cattle we ever had. The downsides were occasionally you would get some rediculous big teats and they are probably to big for the modern Suckler. Still tempted to have a go again though !!!

The bunch of parsnips between their legs is because they were bred to be a hand milked dairy cow.

 

[egbert]

Plymouth to Totnes line, everyone knows it's bandit country north of that!

up either side of Dartmoor, if the rivers run South, they'll be South Devons, if the water flows toward the Bristol Channel, it's Ruby country

 

[egbert]

The bunch of parsnips between their legs is because they were bred to be a hand milked dairy cow.

It's pretty much fixed now.