[Oxhill]

[Oxhill]

Thanks Donn. It is also interesting that the head doesn’t just have a simple curve to it. It curves up but then has a gentle curve back toward the front. Somewhat shaped like a “S”.

[Oxhill]

I am lucky. I just go down stairs to talk ox!

[Oxhill]

Very good! That is a heck of an ice cube!

[Oxhill]

Nice video! How many cameras did you go through practicing?

[Oxhill]

I don’t think I have ever been asked that. “How long did it take to train them?” Seems to be a favorite.

[Oxhill]

You should contact Ray Ludwig.

Few people have as much practical experience training cattle to do farm work like you expect to do.

I dare say no one has as much training Devons to do it.

Devons have been considered the very best breed for oxen due to their beauty intelligence and mainly their activity. The only quality that I have ever seen questioned in old farm journals is their size. One writer stated that to breed them larger would cause them to slow down and then they would be no better than any other ox.

It is interesting that you have the same concerns that teamsters did over 150 years ago!

[Oxhill]

I have been told a lot of older cutipackers use wood bearings.

[Oxhill]

I didn’t see that part Carl. Notice it even has a code to tell you what part of the country that term is used. For instance I found the book looking for information on “go-devils”. It seems the term “go-devil” varied from a forked tree used to skid logs to a loose built sled to a two wheeled cart.

I remember some posts in the past about how to chain logs to the bunk. The book covers it on page 158.

[Oxhill]

@Kevin Cunningham 38882 wrote:

Dave,

I worked both of my boys singly and together in halters before I put a yoke on. It was awhile mainly because I hadn’t made the yoke yet, but when I did put the yoke on they didn’t hardly react at all. I think a lot of ground work before the yoke makes it an easy transition but then again I am no expert.

I would agree completely.

[Oxhill]

Very Nice! I like the clover of hearts.

[Oxhill]

@Eli 38563 wrote:

I dont have any input but was wondering who made or makes the bale mover in ox hills picture. thanks and good luck! Eli

The info on it is “GRABILT; Graber Welding, R5 Box 23A, Bloomfield, IA. 52537 515-830-2971”

It is well built and I think the only maintenance it has had is to replace the break cable every few years.

If you google “tumble bug hay mover” or something similar a bunch of different ones should come up.

[Oxhill]

That is excellent to hear! I have not ordered it yet myself but is is bookmarked to go on my next order.

[Oxhill]

Kevin is correct. You never want to hitch her to a load she can’t haul. If she is a young heifer then you want to start small and slowly build her confidence. You will be conditioning both her body and mind. A simple stone boat is a great tool. You can use it to haul fire wood, pick rocks from your garden of field, haul dirt manure etc.
It is difficult to get into specifics of what is or isn’t to much for her because so many variables exist. For instance how old is she? How big is she? How well broke and conditioned is she? What size round bales do you have? What are the conditions like? If you put the bale on an old car hood and pull it over snow it will pull very easy and maybe even run you over. In the other extreme if you put the bale on a old tire and pull it on dry ground it will pull extremely hard. Most likely the bale is too much now but with some ingenuity can be done in the future.

This is what we use to move bales. Those are my dad’s cows but right now we use it on a small tractor.

I am not an experience plowman but I am sure that plow is too big. I think you want an eight inch plow.

[Oxhill]

They are common many places. Cuba, Italy, India and I have seen several here in the U.S. As a hobbiest who starts calves and currently has no interest in driving from behind I see no value in them. In the movie the new cow he starts is awfully big for an eighty year old man to break and I bet he sees a great value to it. From what I understand about driving from behind the biggest issue is having a reliable way to stop them. Rings are just one of many ways I have been told of to do so. If you do put rings in, and take them anyplace, don’t underestimate the public!

[Author]

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