Leachman Question

[CopeMan]

Did Leachman raise South Devon for seedstock? Between Leachman and the co-op breeders what breeds all breeds are raised?

 

[UG]

Yea, most recently the Leachmans were raising South Devons, Simmentals, Gelbviehs, black Angus, and Red Angus (I think that's a complete list). They were also into a branded beef business selling Piedmontese beef for a little while and were starting to sell some Pied bulls (I think). In addition to their purebred herds they also sold lots of hybrid bulls; I believe they called them Stabilizers and Rangemakers.

As you may be aware the infamous Leachman Cattle Co. came upon hard times a few years ago and eventually went out of business. The dad and one of the boys have started up a new operation still in MT, and one of the other boys is developing a cattle genetics company in CO. I don't believe either operation is promoting S. Devons at the moment.

 

[Australian Cattleman]

Mr Leachman came to Australia a few years back and had a number of people besotted by what he said. AI bulls of the South Devon breed came to our country but did not do much to lift the profile of South Devons. Calving problems were re introduced,the cattle were too later maturing and would not put on beef out in the paddock. Once the cattle were bred away from his bloodlines,they weren't too bad.
Dubiousness (if there's such a word) was how most treated Leachman cattle as to what was in their breeding. He had lookalikes and some people wondered at the composition of what breeds may have made up the SD.
If anyone had ever looked at their catalogues it was very hard to determine what breed you were actually looking at.

Cheers
Colin from Chevalley South Devons
Australia :lol:

 

[BA]

Leachmans did have South Devons. I purchased some females from them on two occasions, and found that they were overhyped, as they were about average or slightly below in my herd. They still have some So. Dev. blood in the two composite programs.