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Re-charging our batteries….
….every year we return to England…and follow the same path…visiting old friends like Gavin Hunter of Tilbrook farm not far from Cambridge. We find looking at, and talking about, Devon with breeders like Gavin is a diversion and a challenge. Gavin is the top supplier of Devon bulls in England and we generally make Tilbrook our first stop, not just because he’s a great friend and breeder but he’s closest to the airport! It’s become something of a ritual for Gavin to meet us in his yard with his latest treat….this time, a new young bull named Tilbrook Prince. And this time, our grandson Church made the trip with us…not…
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But can TDA Churchill “stamp” his progeny….
….it would appear so. TDA™ Churchill 01….son of the great English champion Cashtiller….has now been used selectively on a few cows in our herd. Here’s the result. The dam is THF Wonderful W64 . Traditional Devon™ was formed to import pure English genetics into the American herd….to provide a choice for a breed that was maneuvering itself into a corner. Churchill is breeding “true”….right down to what is an authentic “ruby red” coat.
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Like grandma…like grandson….
….as regular readers know, we’ve been checking the performance of the animals we’ve imported from England via embryo transplants. Our leading lady in England, of course, is Tilbrook Cashtiller…the three-time national grand champion bred by Gavin Hunter. She’s also the dam four years running of the top-priced bulls in the Devon Society’s annual sales. Her son, raised here at Thistle Hill, is TDA Churchill. And now, at just over two months of age, we noticed Cashtiller’s grandson, Thistle Hill Merlin, drudging through yesterday’s blizzard, alongside his mom. She’s Thistle Hill’s Magical 64, who in turn is a daughter of Thistle Hill Magic. Are we on to something? You be the judge. The picture…
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Recent arrivals…
….at Thistle Hill. In the background, an English Traditional Devon™ heifer just brought up from the recip farm in Georgia. She’s a Cashtiller/Jaunty 8-month old beauty. In the foreground, a ™bull calf born here a few weeks ago to TDA 4. And the sire was Ashott-Barton Falcon. Here’s where it gets complicated, so pay attention: The heifer is a full sister to the little bull’s mother. Do they know they’re related? Talk about a family reunion! Then there’s this late arrival…just a few hours old. (Hang on now.) His sire is Churchill, who is a brother to the heifer above and uncle to the little bull above. Got it? The…
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Made in the USA….
….Traditional Devon America™ reached another milestone with the birth of this little bull calf. TDA is a partnership of three American breeders focused on importing traditional English Red Devon genetics to the United States. The dam of this calf….one of the first English embryos conceived at a clinic in Oxford and the daughter of two British Devon champions….was Tilbrook Castiller. Cashtiller was particularly note-worthy for the great bulls she produced. The AI sire of this little guy was Ashott Barton Millennium Falcon, but we’ll do him a favor and call him Falcon, for short. He’s just over 12 hours old in these photos but we’re hopeful. We calve our heifers…
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A Traditional Devon update….
….just back from a trip to South Carolina and Georgia, looking at the latest British imports. This heifer is two weeks old, a product of Essington’s Buttercup and our herd bull, Millennium Falcon. Essington has been closed down now so we’re fortunate to have saved genetics from that grand old herd developed by Brian Drake. She and five sisters and brothers will be raised at Doyle Unruh’s farm in Georgia and will play an important role in our project to save British Devon genetics here in America. For this one, you’ll have to click on the picture. Some of our older British animals were gracing the pastures of our partners Bill…
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Stealing in….
…under cover of darkness. Traditional Devon America’s final calf in this class…TDA 15. She’s a Tillbrook Cashtiller heifer by Cutcombe Jaunty. We did very well we think. All nice, thick calves with deep Ruby Red coats. Three heifers; three bulls.
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Meet TDA 10….
….over at Traditional Devon America we welcomed another excellent Tilbrook Cashtiller daughter over the weekend. Sire was Cutcombe Jaunty. As the number indicates, our English project now has 10 calves: four bulls and six females. It’s been a painfully slow process, dealing with the ramifications of both TB and the Schmallenberg virus which has closed down British exports. But then a little one (well not all that little) comes along and makes it all worth it. This heifer is less than 24 hours old!
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Where to begin….
….well, to coin a phrase, “start at the beginning”. Posting has been non-existent for almost a month, but not because there’s been nothing to report. It’s breeding season and Wooz here discusses strategy with our vet, Dr. Monica O’Brien. AI comes first, and we’re using two sires across some of our best cows: Traditional Devon’s Falcon (our English bull) and Rotokawa 243, who has given us some wonderful calves in the past. After that, came sorting the herd into groups….getting the right bulls with the right females. In all, we’ll be using four bulls this time: Jackpot and U2 plus limited use of two Traditional Devon bulls, a son of…
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Milestone (continued)….
….we mentioned in the previous post that there are two English heifers being bred in South Carolina (at Walkers Century Farms). This is one, TDA 03. Her dam, Tilbrook Cashtiller….who recently passed away….swept all the English competitions. Her equally outstanding sire, Cutcombe Jaunty, is also no longer with us. So we have, indeed, accomplished a small part of our goal in saving pure, traditional English genetics. It wasn’t so much death we have been concerned with as the increasing practice on both sides of the Atlantic to dilute the purity of the Devon breed, in the search for some elusive “super Devon”. We think they’re super enough and are content to…