They were the most docile cattle we had ever been around. With our children only 5 and 6 years old at the time, we felt better if they were around the Devon rather than a crossbreed. I am not saying that you should not respect animals, but we never had to be afraid that our children would be charged by the Devon. They would play in the pastures while we were working. At that time, Charlotte’s Web was a big movie. Our kids adopted a heifer and named her Charlotte. Charlotte was with us for 14 years, giving us some beautiful heifers. She is pictured at right with our children as youngsters.

Another good thing about Devon, they are natural foragers. You don’t need to buy expensive grain to feed them. In the summer when the temperatures get high, we turn the Devon into the woods where the temperatures feel about 10 degrees cooler. There they roam and forage getting fat while staying cool. I like checking on them this time of year, it gives us a chance to cool off also.

The Devon females have great maternal instincts. They have plenty of milk, which enables the calf to grow at a steady rate. We liked the history of the farm and felt privileged to be able to work with cattle that had been on this farm since 1849. The females are still descendants of the original herd, with all of our Devon being registered Pure Devon.