[mother katherine]

I’ve been reading this with a great deal of interest. We are as grass based as I can get for now. I have primitive sheep(Icelandics) who eat lots of browse. I put the pickier Romney lambs in with adult Icelandic aunties and they taught them to eat more variety.
I’ve used Jersey cross steer calves to brush out an overgrown pasture perimeter. When they were a few months old, they ran with the Icelandic sheep. When they were about a year I began to tie them to trees and machinery strategically parked in the scrub. I moved them about twice a day and they did a wonderful job clearing, fertilising and generally renovating these areas without my having to lift a finger. A place a mile or so from us began to renovate a massively overgrown field using cattle. Within a year or so, it looks terrific.
My boys just adored burdock(anathema to wool sheep), and, I believe, they ate poison ivy as well. Of course, the fruit got into the tail switches, which wasn’t so great. They’d swing at flies and it sounded like they were beating themselves with clubs. I worked at taking them out but some always remained.
I have read also that variety of what an animal will eat can be traced to its forebears genetics. As more and more cows are bred for confinement systems with hot feed, they are less and less willing to taste or eat growing greens.
Great topic. Thanks.

[mother katherine]

Ixy, I couldn’t remember your web site to talk to you directly, but – I’m finally (almost) riding!! The saddles just wouldn’t stay put without some kind of crupper arrangement, so I gave it up for now.
The past 2 days I’ve been on Snooks bareback with reins and he’s done quite well. He’s not used to my not being in front or beside him, so has trouble thinking it’s ok to walk forward. Once I can convince him to start out, he walks along without trying to throw me. He does, however try to go through brushy places, maybe to brush me off, but not vigorously.
I am so buzzed!! I love it!! I can’t wait to keep it up.
If I had a round pen or somebody to help lead it would be easier, but we work with what we have. I do wear a helmet.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Thanks for the video. I watched it yesterday on broadband. It brought back a lot of memories from my childhood in Maine. Apparently, the video is for sale. I can’t wait to get one; my little stash of ox videos is, indeed, little, but inspiring and comforting in this draft cattle void.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

So wonderful to look at and think about. I’ve tried to print the pictures of the yokes….but nothing happens.
Thanks for the inspiration
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Bivol,
What a good idea! There is the American livestock Breed Conservancy. They have a website.
Another possibility is International Cow Protection (ISCOWP) They have awebsite. These people have devotees in Ukraine and Serbia, among other places. They, too, have a website at US headquarters. William Dove is the president and just returned from your area.
If it works out with all the legalities of transporting semen and so forth across borders, I’d love an old “primitive” breed like this. Wouldn’t my Serbian friends be surprised – and, maybe a little homesick. They call me Goveditsa.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Bivol! Such interesting things you post. I’ve copied some to send to Serbian friends of mine.
I read your article in “Rural Heritage” yesterday.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

So great!! Am looking forward to when I can do some of that with my guys.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Well, I don’t know if bRod or Snook will jump, but I bought an old saddle to try to ride them. Snook’s brother was really into this saddle thing, but was killed a week ago when the shed they were all in collapsed. The other 3 got out in time, but Snifter waited just a hair too long.
So far I’m only at the sitting with bRod cross tied stage. I “backed” Snook for the first time yesterday. He knew what to expect, having seen his brother do it.
I’m excited. I know nothing about riding, so it should be an adventure for all of us.
An added bonus: the saddle will help hold the yoke in place when I begin Snook as a single.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

I don’t know when you tried to contact Alyson, but she just had a baby in January. I suppose she’ll be back to work now. Try her again.
If you’ve contacted Tillers, ask them about using PVC pipe. For some of the smaller yokes we’ve done that. Apparently, Tillers is using a heavy duty PVC to make bows in some of the African countries where they are training teamsters.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Quick PS
That same group has another young team with fighting in the yoke. Again, their solution was the same wider yoke instead of correcting the behavior.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Are they trying to establish their social order after being tied for awhile and unable to do the pushing that guys generally do in adolescence?
We had a team that went from avery wide yoke at their former employment to a narrower yoke that we had. The off ox was dominant , and problematic in his dominance in his former home. Something they didn’t tell us when we bought them. He would try to joust in the yoke because he didn’t like his brother “in his space”. I was able to discourage that behavior. But…..we had to ship them anyway for dominance issues. It turned out he was supposed to have been the nigh steer but kept poking the teamster with his horns. Their solution was to put him in the off postion out of reach. WRONG answer.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Rod, glad your guys are fine. I looked out yesterday morning to see our new machine shed/steer shed on the machinery and ground. Went flying out of the house to see what was left. 3 steers standing out side and one crushed under a truss. From his leg position, he was just deciding to get up and join his brother. Must have been some sound warning for the others to have gotten out.
Dairymen came down and dug it out. Machinery is fine. Yearling steer calls for his brother.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Tim is right. We have that video – I watch it regularly, as there aren’t a great number of cattle videos out there. The team is “hauling out” a bit because they’re on the relatively hard surface of that road. When you see them later on hauling the logs and spreader they’re on softer ground and more parallel.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Victoria, Glad to hear Ike’s doing well. Will you be coming to the logging workshop at Loudon again this year?
I still wear my Swansey oxen button on my “to go town” coat.
oxnun

[mother katherine]

Glad to hear from you again, Bivol.
How are things in your neck of the woods?
Fabian, I want to try a laminate yoke. The man who has been helping me make yokes hasn’t been wanting to do that. I recently hewed out the 8 inch myself. Now, I’m fired up to try the laminate, whether he wants to or not.
oxnun

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