In the Pasture

Introducing Abraham (Abe-ie the Baby) A little finicky about his treats. Abe (like Miracle) wants his grain in a certain dish and if it's not, he won't eat it. Furious, he will stand there and moo at you until you've corrected your obvious mistake.

    Abe's easy going, he'll generally do whatever you want him to do. However, when Pancho and Lefty showed up it was Abe surprisingly who went horn to horn with Lefty. He didn't stand a chance against the big guys and was backed up the entire pasture, but he never stopped trying.

 

  (Pictured Below)

  Andrew (Andy the Dandy) Easily recognized by his curly locks.

    He was going to be hamburger if we didn't take him, because he tended to be a bit difficult. Now he's a lovebug. When he sees me coming down the path he runs toward me tail flying. If I walk out the front door, he lifts his head from and moos at me from the pasture.

    Andy is full of personality and he is definitely dominant among the Devons - pushing and shoving with his horns he feels he is entitled to the first bowl of grain.

 

    (Pictured Below)

    And then there's Anna - she's very pretty. But pretty is as pretty does.

    Now, I've known some redheaded cows named Anna in my time, and this one is the sweetest, but that isn't really saying much. She's not mean spirited like the other Anna I knew, she just isn't very trusting.

    Together they are our Milking Devons - a rare heritage breed of cattle- only 600 or so are registered in the World.

According the American Livestock Conservancy

    The Pilgrims brought Devon cattle with them to New England beginning in 1623.The hardiness and practicality of the breed combined with the ready availability of Devon cattle near the ports of departure, made Devons an obvious choice for immigrants to the Americas. The breed became well established in New England during the 1600s and spread down the coast as far as Florida during the 1700s and 1800s. Cattle also went west, as Devon oxen were the draft  animals of choice on the Oregon Trail. Herd books for the breed have been published since 1855.       

    By the late 1800s, the Devon had gradually been replaced by the Shorthorn, a more productive multi-purpose breed. By 1900, Devon were rarely seen outside of New England. It was only in this region that the breed remained popular, continuing to be valued for hardiness and the ability to thrive under rugged conditions, qualities in which it was superior to the Shorthorn.