Red Devon Cattle - Top Breed for 100% Grass

[@noahshinabarger]

Been watching for a few months-loved the information in the video in particular; thanks so much!

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks, Noah🤠

[@matthewaamot2961]

Great video! I've loved the Devons for a long time now. I'll be following your progress!

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks for watching!

[@mentallyraw7077]

Thank you for doing a detailed video on your cattle. that was really helpful

[@birchfieldfarming]

You got it, thanks for following along

[@drknockers5716]

Love your video

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks!

[@itinertantparishioner8092]

Thank you so much for this informative content and for furthering quality of Devon genetics. A few years ago, I had moved my decision to Devon over Galloway as the breed to stock my future farm with.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Thanks for watching! That’s great to know about your decision to go with Devon. How have things gone for you so far and have you tasted any beef yet?

[@itinertantparishioner8092]

Have not yet tasted beef from Devon cattle. I decided to go with Devon because of the history, quality and that they just look so good. This will be a hobby farm to keep me busy in retirement. I have been involved with farming most of my life and now I will get to enjoy my work as it won’t have to pay the bills.

[@birchfieldfarming]

@@itinertantparishioner8092Now that sounds like a great gig!!🤠

[@jasontaylor5042]

We have 46 acres in Laramie, Wyoming area. Do you have any suggestions on where to get some Red Devon calves in our area? Thanks for your content. Very new to homesteading and love learning from your YT site!! Also, what's the next best 100% grass feeding calf you would suggest? Thank you!

[@birchfieldfarming]

Hi Jason, depends on what you’re wanting. There’s reddevonusa.com for more of a beef Devon and then there’s milkingdevons.org for the original Devon cattle. John and Bonnie Hall have some of the original lines of AMD and are a great resource if you can get connected!🤠

[@longviewfarm226]

How do they do on grass baleage or triticale? Just wondering what was your experience, if any, with that. Thanks

[@birchfieldfarming]

Ours have done fine on grass haylage, though I can tell you they would absolutely prefer fresh pasture (even stockpiled) over anything else 100% of the time. No experience with trit here yet.

[@gwc3721]

Where do you get new bulls?

[@birchfieldfarming]

It’s my understanding the Rotokawa lines are no longer active. Reddevonusa.com is a good starting point. My next bull will probably come from Lamppost Farm or Lakota.

[@randalb5947]

not a single picture of a RD steak??

[@birchfieldfarming]

Nah, maybe next time

[@robertgulfshores4463]

My New Year's resolution was to buy beef, eggs, pork from local Regenerative Farmers. I did this right away, purchased some regenerative / rotational Red Devon beef, and it was good, but not great. I bought t-bones, ribeyes, fillets, and hamburger. Where is the fat? The marbling? And the little fat that was there tasted kind of gamey, almost like venison. Not good. Is this normal for Red Devon cattle? I'm going to keep trying, but now I've had my first reality check.

[@robertgulfshores4463]

Are there other breeds like Angus or Wagyu that get fatter, more marbling, just on grass?

[@birchfieldfarming]

Lots of parameters and variables here, but there’s a real art to finishing beef on grass. Many producers send them in too early when there’s just not enough fat yet. Also grazing forage too short can contribute to a gamey taste. Now all that being said, grass fed and grass finished beef will have a slightly different taste than grain fed, but also much higher in omega 3’s and very healthy. I would definitely keep trying other producers, but if that was my Devon meat I would want to know that consumer feedback!

[@birchfieldfarming]

Devon were pulled from feedlot use b/c they developed too much fat on grain. You could try another grass fed breed, but my bet is your Devon producer just hasn’t mastered the art of correctly finishing beef.

[@robertgulfshores4463]

@@birchfieldfarming Thank you. Also I forgot to mention that I love the channel, amazing what you can do on that amount of land, and I hope to do that someday. It's a relief to hear what you say about Red Devon cattle, and I do see many small producers with only Red Devon. Maybe it was just a one time thing, like the steaks were not finished right, or it was in the freezer too long, or he accidentally butchered a deer. (kidding) All jokes aside, the regenerative / rotational movement is giving me hope, and I see so many cowboys, ranchers, and homesteaders embracing it, and giving up the old new ways of chemicals and soil depletion. So I'm going to drive a few hours every few weeks, to get beef, eggs, butter, cheese ... and I only pay with cash (no more digital money for me). (I did this 2 weeks ago in Amish country in Eastern Ohio, so good!)

[@birchfieldfarming]

@@robertgulfshores4463Great work on your goal of regenerative consumption, Robert. I admire your patience with the producers who don’t have it quite right yet. This is the big thing we’re missing in regen ag, the consumer demand!! I was thinking more on your situation: Salt brining the gamey meat can help rid some of the poor taste, as well as mixing the brined meat into other dishes. We lost a heifer way before she was finished to grass tetany and the meat had to be brined to eat it (very gamey), but again this was because she didn’t yet have that fat cover. Also, processing plays a big role, which is why I say letting the producer know can be important. They may be doing everything right, but the processor isn’t hanging long enough. Lots that goes into good meat, and thank you for the encouragement here on the channel!🤠

[@lauraandrade7909]

Do you ever sell your cattle? Trying to figure out how to get some good genetics into our dairy girl!

[@birchfieldfarming]

We will have some for sale here in a few years, right now just herd building.

[@guyhickson7332]

I’m sold on red Devon cattle! We have 3 hair sheep on 5 acres using electric netting and would like to find some cows already trained to the electric netting. We are in Bixby Oklahoma

[@birchfieldfarming]

Start at reddevonusa.com Keep an eye out for those old Rotokawa lines! Hopefully I’ll have some stock to sell in a few years. Best of luck!🤠

[@NathanReeves-s4l]

It's important to make a ditinction between Red Devons, and American Milking Devons. Red Devons aren't o rare these days but the pure American Milking Devon are "Critically Endangered." American Milking Devons are the ones with most of the history. The breeds split in the mid 1900's the Red Devons were bred for higher beef productions. The Milking Devon was made by a gruop of people wanting to preserve the original breed. (per The livestock conservancy.) Good information though. Thanks.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Great points here and interestingly enough, our only registered milking Devon is out of the Rotokawa line! We’ve noticed her milk has much more cream than our regular beef Devon, and we’ve even had someone local with lactose intolerance who was brave enough to consume her milk for a time with no reaction!!

[@NathanReeves-s4l]

Interesting. My mom and 4 of my sibling are all lactose intolerant. I'll have to look further into the matter. Thanks for the information keep it up.@@birchfieldfarming

[@NathanReeves-s4l]

I just looked into it and Rotokawa 93 is a Red Devon not a Milking Devon. It's interesting how a Red Devon could sire your cow and your cow still be registered as an American Milking Devon.@@birchfieldfarming

[@stevenbevis9290]

SW England actually ,,!

[@birchfieldfarming]

👍

[@DavidHickenbottom]

I've had the beef, it was horrible. Local lady here in Massachusetts. Honestly she has no business being in the cattle business.

[@birchfieldfarming]

Sounds like you need to find a producer who knows how to finish an animal on grass. Wish we were closer!