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There is a new Farmer at Colonial Plantation who has trained 8 oxen! She drove Frye easily and commented on how far he has come along. Success!

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Mat- Thanks ever so much for your kind post. In fact, I have found the process of training Frye to be unexpectedly easy, not that I have him trained yet. I have only spent about 1/2 hour twice a week with him for 2 months so far, and he has made enough progress to save his life. Now other living history museums members can handle him easily, whereas when I started I was quite frightened of him and so was everyone else.

I thought I would have to spend an hour a day twice a day indefinitely to make much progress, but that has not been the case.

Your point about training an ox being easier than learning to drive a car is quite amusing. Also your comment about how common bovines are in the 3rd world was useful

The only reason I persisted was because I knew that oxen are used in other countries extensively and had read on the Tillers site that in the African villages where they facilitate training, steers often were not started until age 2.

Then there was an online picture of a giant water buffalo being ridden by a 3 year old.

Thanks again.

Sarah

Here is a picture of Nancy Kalal (Cranberry Meadow Farm, CT, owner of Rock and Roll and myself with Frye in training.

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Sorry about those pictures- I think I got it right this time. Sarah

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August update:

I haven’t given up yet and started to make some progress. We got Frye off the tether, and I found Nancy Kalal of Cranberry Meadow farm in CT who has a team (Rock and Roll) to coach me. She came down last week to see Frye and assess him. She felt he was workable, and I’m way more comfortable with him. We are still not sure how he will develop as a worker but at least he is doing what I ask right now.

We are using one of the Boynton single ox yokes. I understand I need to use a harness with a single yoke. I found pieces of a harness in the barn. I know it is a horse harness, but I think I can modify it to fit Frye. Does anyone know anything about this kind of harness? I think it is used to pull a cart. It has a medallion that says “Keim Supply Co. NY”.

Here is a picture of Nancy with Frye and the harness in pieces- I’m reconditioning it right now.

Thanks for your help.

Sarah from Pennsylvania (Colonial Plantation Living History farm)

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Hey all- I have been visiting Frye twice a week, and attempting to make arrangements to be more involved. He is the property of a living history museum, the Colonial Plantation in Pennsylvania. In April the farmer who bought him and raised him from a calf quit.

The priority of the Plantation is education and re-enactments, so there is not much cash for the animals. The fences are either snake fences or split rails that are falling down. Frye has a habit of getting out whenever Abigail, the ancient Belgian, is needed for a show and tell. The public will be petting her and Frye runs up and tries to mount his beloved Abby even though he is castrated. This is somewhat disconcerting to the educators.

The result is that Frye is kept 24-7 on a tether chain. He gets off the chain only when I visit. He is unruly when he is released, and there is no way I can control him. My job is to help move him from one grazing place to another. For this I have had to use Abigail, and he follows her willingly. Once he has bucked around and gotten some good grass in him, I use Abby to encourage him to come to his training area where we tie his halter to a short lead. We brush him and give him treats.

The situation seems quite hopeless at times, since I am only a volunteer at Colonial Plantation. I don’t think he should be kept on a tether, and there are alternatives, but my opinion carries little weight. Decisions about the animals have to go through the Board of Directors, some of whom are ancient. The decision process is glacial.

The facts:
1)Frye is an important future resource to Colonial Plantation.
2)Frye may not be trainable under the circumstances, we have no yoke or anything for him to pull and very little experience with training cattle.
3)There will probably never be another steer at Colonial Plantation if we don’t manage to train him.

Fortunately, Nancy Kalal the teamster at Cranberry Meadows Farm has been very generous with her advice, as has Dale Parsons from Tillers.

Are there others who might be able to offer constructive suggestions other than “GIVE UP NOW!”?

Thanks, Sarah from SE PA

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I visited Frye this morning. He was on his tether. He had many flies on his face, so I sprayed him. At first he tried to get away from me, but I took his chain and said “STOP!”. He actually stopped pulling away and allowed me to spray his face and neck. I was surprised. Perhaps it is not too late to get him to listen.

How would you go about getting a yoke?

Thanks very much. It means a lot that you are taking the time to help. Sarah at Colonial Plantation, PA

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Thanks for your honest feedback. I can see I need to drastically change my expectations. Frye is now being taught to graze on a tether, so at least he is not able to do anything he wants. I was thinking that a next step might be to get him used to being tied on a short lead for 15 minutes or so. Then I was going to get a yoke and get him used to being tied with that on. Is this more of a realistic plan?

Honestly, I would like to try to work with him. I will attend the Draft Animal Field Days to learn more this summer according to your suggestions.

Sarah

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I recently faced this situation myself with my valuable lgd. I learned that it progresses slowly so changed my dogs diet to mostly raw food. I figured I would wait a year before doing anything else. It is not easy to get good raw food for dogs or people so I started raising my own meat birds.

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