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South Devon cows and
heifers: the central pillar of stud efficiency
Farmer’s Weekly, 07 September 2022
Click here for article.
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A breed that
offers lean beef and plenty of good, rich milk.
Farmer’s Weekly, 28 April 2012
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South
Devons originated in south-west England, where
they were bred for beef and milk, and as draught
animals. They were imported into Natal in 1897,
and subsequently into several other parts of the
country. The South Devon Cattle Breeders’
Society of South Africa was founded in
Pietermaritzburg in 1914.
The
breed’s popularity has gone up and down over the
years, but since the start of this century there
has been a huge demand for both bulls and cows.
South Devons have adapted excellently to South
Africa’s harsh conditions, as they are good
grazers and their smooth, ‘medium red’ coats can
handle the heat well. It is a dual-purpose
breed, with a good quality carcass as well as
rich milk.
Read more
South Devons are highly fertile. This cow has
already produced eight calves and has retained
her condition even in mid-winter.
(Photo: Chris Nel) |
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Imported
Polled South Devon Semen
The
South Devon Breeders are in the process of
importing polled semen. This has been discussed
for sometime between the breeders, but at the
AGM held in March 2010 it was decided to import
semen from polled bulls from Australia, New
Zealand and USA. We have made good progress and
some breeders have already inseminated cows with
imported semen during the previous season, and
surely further inseminations are planned for the
current breeding season. There is every
possibility that in 2 years time we will be
presenting polled bulls on our sales.
There
have been a number of enquiries for polled bulls
from commercial breeders, and we are keen to
meet the needs of our clients. As South Devon
breeders we are making a concerted effort to
bring polled bulls onto the market. The bulls
that have been identified in other countries
have good figures and we are confident that they
will have a positive impact on the present South
African herd.
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