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Nat(wasIxy)
ParticipantAgain though, these issues are not about keeping oxen with other cattle – they will even be mounting each other, unless you are proposing keeping them singly? That’s just part of cattle behaviour. And it’s up to you to decide if what the others are eating is suitable for your oxen – it’s not like it’s a concrete rule ‘no oxen with beef herds’ – depends on the situation.
ParticipantThat’s not really about keeping oxen with other cattle though is it, that’s just about relative sizes of cattle – you wouldn’t put a 2000lb bull out to breed those lowlines, would you? Cows also mount each other too, so would you keep a chianina cow with those lowlines? I don’t want oldways to get the wrong impression here.
ParticipantFor me, I wouldn’t see that as enough of a risk to find separate accomodation for grown oxen, as cattle mount each other all the time – all my oxen mount each other at some stage; out of excitment, dominance displays or whatever so unless I kept them singly, which I’m not prepared to do, there’s always the element of risk that they will hurt themselves – heck, they might even hurt themselves kept singly! The bulls mount the oxen too, and cows are at risk when breeding, but it wouldn’t persuade me to rely on AI instead. The only time we’ve had a steer keep the bull off a cow was the one who went to slaughter where we discovered he had a retained testicle.
ParticipantWell I’ve gone and bought it now, came into a bit of money so I paid off my debts, bought a saddle and all the bits and ‘Lake Ngami’ will take care fo the rest of it lol – Hope it’s a really good read!!
I’ve heard another account of someone in the ye olde british empire days going up the nile area with his wife – both mounted on oxen. Not sure if there’s a book to go with it though?
ParticipantHowie have you actually seen that in action, with a few different oxen? I think it must depend on character etc etc – Angus is approx. three times the size of our dexters, a lot bigger than the bull and he’s pretty much bottom of the pecking order…The cows freely boss him around and the bull, well, both of them actually as he’s run with both, are like best friends with him? We also run mature steers, many of, with our bull and NEVER have any issues – the bull is top dog every time.
ParticipantHowie – why? I’m the opposite way round and don’t have a problem?
ParticipantOxnun – Progress is being made, but so far I’m just teacing him how to be ridden. I have taken on the role of Chief Shepherd 😀 on the farm and plan to expand the sheep side of things – my next step will be riding him out just to check the sheep!
Bivol – I figured they couldn’t ride round africa on oxback and only mention the oxen once in the whole thing, but you never know!
ParticipantThere’s many different kinds of treeless, I’m sure there’s one with somewhere to attach a crupper/breeching to. Not sure if my particular one does? Will have to wait and see when it gets here – sure I can improvise something though.
ParticipantHe gets either fresh grass every day with the rest of the beef herd, or when housed for the winter ad lib silage. That’s it. Growing up I did give him grain etc. as it’s a useful bargaining tool…He still gets a handful or so when he’s very good 😉
Obviously if I was working him hard he’d get more, but he barely does anything yet as he’s still only 26mo.
ParticipantMine run with the beef herd, but ONLY when I’m confident I can catch and handle them, so only when they are trained to my satisfaction do they get to go out and ‘play’ – until then they are kept separate, close to the yard.
ParticipantYes sorry 😮 A treeless saddle doesn’t have a tree – there are no solid bits to dig in and weight is distributed via straps and padding and things, this means it can fit a wide variety of horses…and hopefully oxen…
ParticipantI applied the same principle as I apply to training dogs to walk nicely on a lead – if he’s rushing (was/is often to get back to his friends) I stop, or delay him further by turning him across me and leading him in a circle – he only gets to get anywhere when he’s behaving.
I use a different command to mean ‘slow down’ than to ‘stop’ as you don’t really want them to stop do you? You want them to change down a gear. I say ‘Stand’ when I want them to stop and stand still, and ‘steadyyyy’ in a warning sort of way when I just want them to slow down. 😀
Participant@bivol 9216 wrote:
hi!
found something new on the subject!
i cite from a book called “Lake Ngami”, by Charles John Andersson, on traveling in inland Africa.
Bivol – is there anymor ein the book about ox travel? Is it worth me getting?
ParticipantThere’s this idea about choice going on:
By your current system, there seems to be no choice to me at all? You have to get insurance, or you’re on your own. The insurers decide IF they will insure you, and what services you will then be entitled to, according to what makes them money. They have all the control there.
With our system, you don’t get a choice about whether to pay or not, but likewise you’re not discriminated against if you were born with some kind of problem, or you’re over a certain age, and no matter what’s up with you, you will be entitled to everything the NHS can possibly offer. There is no division between rich and poor – richard branson would get the exact same care as a hardworking but poor farmer. You can also choose to sample the excellent care offered by the private sector too, if you can – or both!
Jac proves my point about the execution of the NHS being the sticking point, not it’s existence. Yes we have had some dodgy political decisions made that have put the whole thing in financial difficulties and there’s way too many managers and not enough cleaners – but these points can all be argued over and changed.
ParticipantAnother thing I think about is that if you pay for private insurance, you’re only getting the services they offer, and wy do they offer the range of services they do? Because it makes them money. Something doesn’t earn so many dollars, it’ll be cut. So the idea that we are ‘rationed’ over here looks even more ridiculous, as the only things we don’t get here are things that are ludicrously expensive, that no profit-making insurance company would touch in a million years anyway!
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