About American Milking Devon Cattle

Devon Point Farm raises registered American Milking Devon Cattle. We are dedicated to preserving and promoting Devon Cattle and host one of the largest herds in the country. Our herd is bred to the historical breed standard and we have a good deal of A2 genetics in our herd. Our current herd sire is an A2A2 bull. We sell cattle as breed stock including calves, cows, bulls for herd sires and semen. 

A Brief History of Devon Cattle

American Milking Devon Cattle were the first breed of cattle brought to the United States. Originally from Devon England and called North Devons, The cattle were renamed ‘American Milking Devon Cattle’ by the Association that registers them in the USA. Once numbering in the thousands, these cattle tri-purpose were used for meat, milk and oxen. They were the cattle that broke the New England forests, uprooted rocks clearing the way for farms, pulled plows, built roads, hauled wagons, provided food for the settlers and even hauled the cannons during the Revolutionary War. Once oxen were replaced by tractors, and America switched to factory-style, high-production, mono-culture farming, the high-quality butterfat of a Devon’s milk was replaced by the high-production volume of a Holsteins bag and the prized ruby red Devon meat that marbles and flavors so well solely on grass was replaced by Herefords and Angus that could be more cheaply produced by feeding them only corn and grains. As a result, Devon Cattle became rare and endangered. Scroll down for a more detailed History of Devons in England, Then and Now.

Getting Started With Devons

If you're interested in getting started raising Milking Devons we would encourage you to do so by all means. These cattle are easy keepers and bring years of enjoyment and beauty to your life. We've never regretted getting started with Milking Devons and find that we appreciate them more with each passing day. 

Before you jump into making your first purchase we would encourage you to identify what purpose you will be mostly raising your cattle for. This will help you in your quest for the right animals. Certain breeders sell animals to and for specialty markets (oxen, beef, small dairies, gentleman farmers etc). Some strains within the Milking Devon's are known for different variations in coat color, temperament, quality of oxen, shape etc… 

Most Devon Breeders enjoy the interest in their cattle. You may even request to visit the farm and look at the cattle. I would encourage this whenever possible. When you make the decision to purchase you should begin with a calf if possible that is 6 months old. A calf this age will be small enough to manage but old enough to be sufficiently weaned from his/her mother. More often than not you will have to be put on a waiting list to get your calf. The wait is well worth it. You want to be sure that no matter what animal you buy that it has an ear Tattoo with it's registration number on it. You should also get a registration certificate coming from the American Milking Devon Association, verify with the breeder that you want a registered animal. 

Costs vary from breeder to breeder. A lot of the variation is related to the age, breeding and demand for a particular breeders cattle. As a general rule a 6-month-old calf will range in cost from $1000 to $1500 at current market pricing. REMEMBER ALL DEVONS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY. 

If you want to get started by purchasing a Milking Devon contact us and we would be happy to work with you to get you started and answer your questions.
-Erick & Patty Taylor

Description of the Breed
The American Milking Devon (North Devon) is a medium sized triple-purpose breed adapted to survive on a low-quality, high forage diet under severe climatic conditions. They are healthy, long lived, and thrive on good care and management.

The characteristics of the North Devon or Milking Devon are compactness and general beauty, hardiness, activity, intelligence, docility, aptitude to fatten, and quality of milk. Straight, broad, level backs, roundness of form, fineness of bone are descriptions all associated with this beautiful animal.

The breed is red in color and because of this they often are nicknamed "Red Rubies," varying in shade from a deep rich red to light red or chestnut color, but no black is admissible. They may only show white on the tail switch, udder or scrotum. The skin is yellow to pink in color, visible around the eyes and on the nose. "The head is adorned, in case of the female, with particularly elegant, creamy white, sharp pointed, black-tipped horns of medium length, having good elevation at the junction with the head and curving upward. In the bull the horns are shorter in proportion to thickness, straighter, and less raised."

Today, Devon's are still sought out for use as oxen. Those qualities so highly prized by the colonists can still be found in today's Devon's. Devon's were highly valued as oxen in the establishment of the American Colonies, due to their great strength, intelligence, fast pace, and endurance.

In 1858, William Youatt a noted expert in the field of cattle stated that "the Devon as an aboriginal breed of cattle is a very valuable one, and they seem to have arrived at the highest point of perfection." Today's breeders strive to maintain these very same qualities in the modern Milking Devon.

The Milking Devon cow is especially elegant with her compact rounded form, and when treated with kindness, possesses a docile temperament. They have very few calving difficulties and adequate milk production to raise a calf and for use on the small farm.

The Milking Devon bull is noted for his ease of handling and even temperament, when treated kindly. Devons were highly valued as oxen in the establishment of the American Colonies, due to their great strength, intelligence, fast pace, and endurance. Today, Devons are still sought out for use as oxen. Those qualities so highly prized by the colonists can still be found in today's Devons. Today's breeders strive to maintain these very same qualities in the modern Milking Devon. 

Click Here for More on the BREED STANDARD and our Breeding Philosophy.

Click Here for More on the History of DEVONS IN ENGLAND, THEN & NOW.