I know one when I see one….

…Devon, that is.  We’ve had several posts in recent weeks about what might be called “the proper Devon”.  Both Devon breed associations spend a lot of time arguing over standards and use all sorts of measurements and “pop science” to prove their case.

The gold standard for this kind of thing is the Angus breed, once a perfectly fine cow that has gone a long way down the road to ruin chasing standards that were imposed by giant breeders in league with outsiders (such as feedlots, slaughter houses, and university professors) chasing a supposed ideal.  Today, thanks to all the experts, the Angus breed is plagued by a multitude of problems and its true supporters are trying to reverse the clock and repair the damage.

There are those in the Devon world today who are looking primarily for greater acceptance in the commercial meat industry, whose requirements include a bigger, faster maturing animal that is economically efficient.  Inevitably, growth hormones and artificial vitamins, never mind infertility, will become part of the mix.

There are also various fads pushed by self-proclaimed “consultants” who advance all sorts of silly “wisdom” that goes overboard in the other direction.  So the average Devon breeder is besieged from all sides and can’t be sure which is the right path to follow.

Our good friend Ken McDowall, of Rotokawa fame, has a common sense antidote to the kind of things we’ve been lectured about.  He was talking about that in an email we just received:

If breeders will simply get on with selection of sound conformation cattle without basic faults, it will all come together and they will know they are doing it correctly by the calves that they produce. That is the measure! That is where they should concentrate their efforts and it  will all come together.

Hours and hours spent gathering and processing data through a computer does not inspire me and I am yet to meet the breeder who can attribute his success to the use of this information. The animals are living, graphic proof of whether it is being done correctly or not.

What  appears to be a break-through in processed data often does not hold up in the flesh. The high-weight calf may have heavy shoulders or twisted feet or the like and breeders get duped into keeping cattle they should cull, proliferating their problems through recessive genetics, which come back to bite them.

Selection through eye appraisal takes all the factors into account at the outset, so the temptation to make these mistakes does not arise.

Ken also takes aim at those who, in their haste to find the next “great Red hope” of a bull, skirt pedigree requirements and bend the Devon registries to their commercial interests.

Sound and reliable pedigree information is essential, so successes and failures of breeding decisions can be traced and dealt to and this is why there should be no compromises allowed. There is no variation or levels of correct . Either it is or it is not and then people can use the information with confidence and know where they are headed.