[Oldways]

Thanks Howie, I will take you up on support. Can you email me your address?
scottschotz@yahoo.com

[Oldways]

Hello –
Somerset is near the shores of Lake Ontario, between Niagara Falls and Rochester. There are really no ox teams around here, some work horse teams. I have thought about a horse team, but it seems expensive, and cheap holstein bull calves are really plentiful around here. Having Highlanders for a few years I have some experiance with beef cattle, although I have never ventured to start a ox team. I would like to this spring, God willing of course. There are a good deal of large dairy farms around here, and they all snicker when they see my shocks of spelt, or my loose hay. I have 2 old farmalls that tote my loads (they laugh at them too) and a ox team would make them split a side I guess.
Scott

[Oldways]

Horns make you modify feeders and other things they can get them stuck in. One difficulty is getting my Highlanders into a headgate. You have got to watch so your hands and fingers don’t get caught while turning thier horns to get them in.
When working close to the animal, I always rest one of my hands lightly on a horn, not grabbing, just “feeling” where that horn is. They may have an itch and if your not paying attention you may loose some teeth.

[Oldways]

Hello, You mentioned you used Highlands. I raise Highlands for beef and often wondered how they would do as oxen. How are they to work in the heat? When did you start training them?
Thanks

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