Forum Replies Created
- AuthorPosts
Nat(wasIxy)
Participant@Baystatetom 26765 wrote:
Although I must say I spend a lot more time trying to slow mine down then speed them up.
same here! I’m thinking maybe some mozart or something? lol
Participantalso true – few horses are harnessed up as young as oxen are, so it’s our own fault really!
Participant@dominiquer60 26609 wrote:
There are many advantages to having oxen over horses, but needing different sized yokes as they grow is not one of them:)
Erika
Ahem, just for fairness’ sake I need to point out that this is not a disadvantage of oxen, only yokes 😉 I’ve used one 3pad harness since Ang turned 18 months and he would have to grow tremendously to outgrow it completely, and as he’s now 4 I can’t see it happening. I also look forward to my hereford growing into it 😀
Participant@KGerstner89 26499 wrote:
But arn’t they herd animals that’s why i figured i should have 2. ether way it will be a long while before I finally get my own place till then ill probably just go with a small team or single to play with pulling a sled or cart to learn. and my mom likes the ideal of having miniature cattle at our 1 acre lot in the country.
really good idea to practise on tiny ones first!
ParticipantJersey X BB don’t eat a lot and are perfectly hardy down to -19C, maybe beyond we don’t know! Ours live on nothing but grass. They will graze until the end of january, we do house a little but it’s more to do with the grazing than giving them shelter.
One big ox does have advantages but yes I would only keep a minimum of two because they are herd animals. Also, two that can work apart or together gives a lot more flexibility – for smaller jobs you could just use one, and if it was an ongoing job you could rest them alternately too.
Participant@KGerstner89 26459 wrote:
I havent really seen any dairy breeds around here in south texas but i have seen plenty of longhorns.
Longhorns seem to do really well at all this kind of stuff – especially riding. They seem tough and intelligent, not to mention absolutely beautiful. I’d sell my granny to get one if I could!
ParticipantNo reason I couldn’t work the cows of course, and maybe I will! But I’ve been on a waiting list for these BBx for 18months and there hasn’t been a single one born for a year! TYPICAL!!!
Participantyes, but only heifers right now – would like a team of 4 ‘Blue Js’ as I call ’em, but I really can’t justify 7 oxen!!!
Participantoh wow, I would really love a mammoth donkey!
ParticipantI’m guessing the amount of work you’ve mentioned there would be beyond miniature cattle – I’d definately go for a jersey cross, not necessarily dexter although they would be good if you get plenty of help to get started. My favourite jerseyX is the belgian blue – they are a sensible size, really great temperament and not double muscled, but muscled enough. Pretty too. A hereford would also be a good cross? Shorthorn? Milking Devon? The possibilities are endless really!
ParticipantI think smaller cattle are a good idea – I struggle to find enough work for my biggest, he eats a lot, I have to comply to special regulatiosn to transport him – bigger trailer, bigger car, more fuel and so on…if I had my time again, I’d go for a pair of jersey crosses instead.
A mini ox could probably do as much work as a mini horse – I think on a small market garden type plot a pair of them would be very handy?
Dexters I can quite see are very strong for their size and rugged and certainly smart, but we breed the things and I don’t fancy trying to train and work with them. The jerseys are much more biddable. Wouldn’t rule out a team of dexters though, but maybe start on something a bit more chilled?
ParticipantI start them at about 2 weeks and the first step is simply to get the halter on and tie them up. I leave them til they settle down, that way the thing they are tied to is taking all that struggling, and I only start leading once they know they can’t get away from a halter. Some of them never do struggle – I’ve had two like that. Some take a bit more time. That first time I wait for them to calm down, then release as a reward. Mine have always seemed to appreciate short lessons with one, clear message – introducing leading at this stage would be too much IMO. They are very young babies after all.
ParticipantHmm, I think the willingness to work thing IS a big issue with oxen, but in my own experience it sounds very like the donkey – yes, if they do the same thing day in, day out (necessary in a working environment of course) they will need to be pushed to do it or else become like robots and do their routine with no verve or deviation, but I go out of my way to interest my animals (because I get very bored quickly too and hate repetition!) and this greatly increases their willingness. I find that in their training, they only need one, maybe two short sessions being taught something and once it’s in, it’s in and they really don’t like to go over old ground – they like to ‘get out there’ and do it 😀 And this has created animals which do genuinely seem to enjoy ‘working’ with me – they call to me as I go past and hang over fences, crowd me for attention when I go in and I can often walk and have the lead rope draped over their neck and they will still follow; even Angus, who is quite lazy and aloof, gets jealous when I tack up any of the others…
ParticipantIs the length of the beam not to adjust the height of the traces? Them being low down would hold the thing on better, twist it a little in line with the animal’s neck when the head comes down to pull? :confused:
It strikes me that a single yoke would slip around on an animal’s neck and not sit stable, hence the other ‘inventions’ cropping up. The oriental breeds seem to cope with a single yoke but they have much more heavily muscled shoulders/neck to keep it in place?
ParticipantAha! I spotted you in the ox section and thought I’d say hello to a fellow UK-er! I’m in Yorkshire – before I got into oxen fells were one of my favourites and certainly a candidate for me to work with, I grew up in East Lancs and spent a lot of time in the dales and lake district fells.
I too think smaller animals are better for my current needs – I started with a very big ox but now I think it would have been better to get two or four smaller ones!
- AuthorPosts