[Oxhill]

@Greenmtnboy 36804 wrote:

I suppose one would just plan calving around specific tasks to be sure they are not heavily pregnant when you want to gather sap or rake a hay field. Are there rules of thumb as to how/when to work pregnant cows? Or even lactating cows?

Yes I would plan around heavy labor if you had any. Also I would be careful to condition them properly so as not to overly strain them when pregnant. I don’t know of any rules of thumb but I would try to be considerate and take it a little easy on them say a month before and after calving. As far as lactating I think you would be best served with a heritage breed that won’t have a huge udder anyway.

From what writing I have found cows where worked out of necessity by poorer farmers. It did affect their milk production but not enough to pay for a pair of steers. I think steers where just more convenient.

[Oxhill]

@CharlyBonifaz 36803 wrote:

I’d be extremly cautious and careful on that one

Absolutely! I wouldn’t take it lightly. I would be very cautious and he would never leave the farm. I have a well mannered bull now but he is too big to start. I don’t trust him. Every time I think how well mannered he is I think of a line from The Princes Bride: “Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.” I am not certain I will do it but it does interest me.

[Oxhill]

Mr.Kuhlmann and the forehead yoke we got from Anne has inspired me. If I get my next bull young enough I may break him. Working a single bull in a forehead yoke seems correct and interesting to me.

[Oxhill]

Nine times out of ten a teamster uses what is traditional in his area. You can use a shoulder yoke with a britchen on cattle with no horns. Otherwise they have no way of backing or holding back a load. Here are a few pics of dads old cows.

http://i1063.photobucket.com/albums/t507/oxhilldevons/Daisy-Maespreader.jpg
http://i1063.photobucket.com/albums/t507/oxhilldevons/Mae.jpg

[Oxhill]

Your heifers will train and work just like a pair of steers. I wouldn’t discount them for work if you needed them. Anne Wiltafsky relayed to me about a man in Europe who farms with cows and a bull as a single. He has no need for steers to work his farm. Keep us posted!

[Oxhill]

Congratulations! That is a great pic too.

[Oxhill]

Karl. It sounds like you were lucky too! Maybe trying to build some good karma should go on the list of preparations.

Jonathan. Yes taking them off the trailer would be a last resort. In this case with these cattle I think it would be possible. In a different situation or with different cattle it may not even be an option!

[Oxhill]

Thank you. They are very well and keeping busy. Dad and I have shows with the Devons for the next two weekends!

[Oxhill]

He very well may have a less desirable personality but it is very common for them to flop over and lay down rather than lead. If you nip it in the bud they normally won’t do it for long.

[Oxhill]

Thank you for the ride Andy. I had a great time! I think you have a lot of potential in those three. I have been giving ours 14% textured grain and they are eating very well. Of course they came pre weaned. Some people might think breeding Devon and Ayrshire is like throwing gas on a fire but their cattle are well behaved and have a good temperament from what I could tell. They also all had a good thick build without looking beefy. I think Andy took the best of their ox crop this year but if any one is looking in the area next year I wouldn’t hesitate to look Threshold Farms up. They are also great hosts and very passionate and excited about their farm!

[Oxhill]

Any chance you could post some pictures?

[Oxhill]

We tossed a dead coon in the hay field in the morning and it was being picked clean by no less than eight buzzards by the early afternoon! It amazes me how fast they can find a fresh carcass!

[Oxhill]

Milking Shorthorn and Milking Devons are two of the best breeds in my mind. The differences between them can all be positives or negatives depending on what you are looking for. In my opinion Shorthorns are not dummy but Devons are smarter. Devons are smaller making them a little more handy unless you really need the bigger Shorthorn. I like being able to see over them. Devons are quicker to cover ground. Some people say that Devons are too fast for them to keep up but if you are going to do field work and are in shape I would say it would be a positive. Good and bad specimens of either breed can be found. Devons are generally considered to be more hardy. I tried my best not to be too bias.

There are several teams listed on Rural Heritage that sound good but I don’t know any of them. A phone call or email to some of the 4-H leaders would also be a good idea. They should be able to point you to a well trained and well conditioned team.

Practicing your training skills on heifers is a fantastic idea.

Anyone selling oxen should be more than happy to give you a lesson with the cattle. Don’t have them just demonstrate their capability. I would try to get them to send you some video of that before you make a deal if possible. Have them teach you how to drive your new oxen. Pay close attention to how they drive. What specific commands do they use? How do they use their voice, goad, and body position? How do they house, feed, yoke and hitch them?

I welcome yinz to the Burgh even though I just moved out an’ ‘at! GO Stillers!

[Oxhill]

A single ox is a great idea but we never had just one animal. Cattle are herding animals and as such should do best in a herd but I have seen this same issue addressed in family cow circles and the consensus seemed to be that single cows do just fine.

[Oxhill]

It’s not a dumb question. An ox can’t just be put in a common horse caller and work well because a horse and ox are built different. As Droverone stated historically some people did use modified or purpose built leather collars and harness on oxen. From what I can tell it seemed to be most popular around Minnesota, North Dakota and the corresponding part of Canada. Oxen have also been used with Head yokes, Forehead yokes, Wither yokes, Shoulder yokes and various other types of collars. They all have their pros and cons and none can claim to be the best for all things. It is critical that a teamster understands the design construction details and fit of what ever system they use. When the shoulder yoke is designed, constructed and fit properly it works very well. Historically it was popular because leather was scarce and wood was plentiful.

[Author]

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