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Taking stock: Cattle enthusiasts tour 4 Seasons Farm to evaluate Red Devon breed

By Rachel Foor 5 min read

WILLIAMSBURG -- Dozens of Red Devon cattle enthusiasts gathered Saturday to evaluate, judge and learn about the first breed of domesticated cattle to arrive in North America about 400 years ago. The event was held on the Shultz farm in Williamsburg, property that 4 Seasons Farm LLC of Tyrone rents to graze cattle.

The event was a stop on an East Coast tour, commemorating the anniversary of the Red Devon's arrival in the New World, according to Bob VanKirk, a Devon breeder who owns 4 Seasons with his wife, Diana.

The tour began in Florida and visited similar farms in Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia before arriving in Pennsylvania. It will move on to Ohio and New York, with the trip ending at the Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where Devon cattle first arrived by ship in 1624 for the Pilgrims living on Massachusetts Bay, according to a release.

Along for the 11th World Devon Congress Tour were farmers, breeders, ranchers, documentary filmmakers, hobbyists and other beef and dairy professionals from as far away as Iowa, Montana, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Australia and even New Zealand.

Lisa Roper of England has Red Devon cattle of her own, the Forde Abbey Herd, and a couple thousand dairy goats.

When asked what brought her stateside, she simply said it was for the cows.

"It happens every four years," Roper said of the Congress tour, which occurs in a different host country for an extended tour of Devon herds. "So, it's a good way to see and catch up with friends that you make during the trip."

One of those friends was Paul Wright, a breeder from Australia, who said that he and Roper had been going on the tour for 40 years. He remarked on the humidity of Florida and Georgia, and how the adaptability of Devons would be an asset in a place like North America that has so many different climates.

Heritage cattle

Red Devon USA President Jeremy Engh of Remington, Virginia, said his family has been raising Devons for about 70 years.

"I'll give you 20 different reasons (why)," Engh said. "The main use now is they're a great family cow and they perform tremendously well on an all natural grass diet."

The breed's docility, longevity, fertility and maternal instincts were a plus as well, he said.

"So when they were sending ships out from England, whether it was to North America, South America, Australia, it was the same thing," Engh said. "We wanted a breed that was docile, that could make the trip on the ship, something that was adaptable to different and unknown climates, something that would last a long time, something that could work and, of course, produce both the beef and the milk."

As heritage cattle, Devons provided necessities such as milk, meat, leather and tallow for centuries, according to the Livestock Conservancy.

"We're calling (their arrival) the birth of the American beef and dairy industry," said Engh. "Any cattle that came to this country before the Devon were feral breeds. Devons were the first breed that were improved and were the foundation for our beef and dairy industry, but were also the oxen that helped westward expansion in the growth of the country."

On the family farm

The VanKirks have a long family history in the beef business so it was "pretty exciting" when Bob heard from Red Devon USA about potentially being a host farm for the tour.

"They reached out to me because we have one of the bigger herds in the country and we've got a very diverse genetic mix," VanKirk said. "We've got genetics from New Zealand, Australia, England, as well as the U.S., so it makes us a perfect fit for this type of international event."

There are about 180 registered Devons on the 4 Seasons Farm, plus commercial cattle, bringing total herd numbers up to about 250, according to VanKirk.

He said that while Devons were bred for beef, milk and to be used as oxen, their docility is a big factor in the breed's popularity and that he has "2,000-pound bulls" that are "separated by (polywire) fencing."

"They're smart, it's almost like they trust you," VanKirk said. "There are a bunch of mamas out there with new babies and I can just walk in with them."

Something that makes the VanKirk's farm stand out from the others is their production of registered Devons through a "breeding plan utilizing artificial insemination, embryo transplants and natural service," according to a release.

"Artificial insemination allows us to bring genetics," VanKirk said. "We can use bulls from New Zealand, Australia, England, and it just gives us some diversification in the genetic pool. We can basically tailor different sizes and types of animals that will fit the needs of our customer base."

For example, genes can be tailored to produce cows without horns or so that a future bull's semen will only produce female offspring.

VanKirk said that there is "a lot of AI going on," but that most breeders would probably use "natural service" as it's easier and less expensive.

"But being one of the Premier seed stock producers, we want to be able to offer different genetics for our customers because they don't want to breed to the same line over and over," VanKirk said.

As a testament to his love for Devon cattle, VanKirk admitted that he used to raise other breeds -- specifically Angus cows.

"I crossed them with a Devon bull," VanKirk said. "I ended up loving the bull and the calf so much that I went with pure Devons."

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.

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