The Burtergill South Devon stud was founded in 1974 with an initial purchase of heifers from Harlau Stud in Timaru. When Harlau was dissolved in 1978 further heifers and the pick of the studs imported English cows were purchased.

Imported English cows from Woodah Stud were added to the herd in 1980 giving Burtergill South Devons a base of pure English cows.

In the early years English A.I. Sires were used extensively along with our own home bred bulls and selected sires purchased from New Zealand breeders.

Our current breeding program involves two polled Australian semen sires, Thowra Downs Romany and Gadara Poll Zion 27 (both are exclusive to Burtergill South Devons in New Zealand), followed up with home bred bulls Burtergill Harry 2 and Burtergill Harry 815. This year Burtergill South Devons have calved 60 registered cows including rising 2 year old heifers.

Burtergill South Devons aim to produce sound early maturing polled cattle with placid temperaments, medium frames and good fleshing - guaranteeing that they will shift anywhere.

At weaning the cows are trucked to a dryland hill country block where they remain until a month before next calving.

The weaned heifer calves are moved to Burtergill where they are grown out on a diet of unirrigated pasture and green feed supplemented with hay and baleage. The bull calves are shifted to a 26 acre irrigated block amongst the family vineyard where they join the rising 2 year old bulls and are fed pasture and green feed and supplemented with hay and baleage.