[Vicki]

When you no longer own anything, or cannot make any decisions about the use of any property or capital, because it is owned by “the people”, “the state”, “society”, or is regulated by the same, you can no longer decide to use it or give it to help or to better anyone else.

Like Robert Moonshadow, government should leave us alone and concentrate on its Constitutionally enumerated responsibilities.

[Vicki]

Well, the American Dream, which attracted millions from other oppressed and depressed lands, is that you could CHOOSE your goals and your ambitions, according to your values, be they “big” or “small.” Then you live with the fruits and consequences.

I don’t want to work 18 hours a day at a business and grow it huge. But I’m sure glad some folks did, because I wouldn’t be using this computer if someone hadn’t. They would not have been developed, or would be too expensive for most people. Same with all of the goods and services which we enjoy and benefit from. I’m thankful there are folks with drive and ambition to entrepreneur, invent, and risk and that they had a society of freedom to let them accomplish and reward their accomplishment so they could keep investing, because the entire world has benefited.

Pursue your passions. Be happy with the results. Don’t envy those who have more material wealth because they work more or at different jobs. You can’t expect the same wealth being a happy small-time fisherman as one who busts his butt day and night to become a brain surgeon or risks big to grow a company like Henry Ford or Bill Gates. Most of these people believed they had a duty or calling to apply themselves for the betterment of mankind, and they prospered in so doing, and found fulfillment. It’s not all about money even for most “rich” or “successful” people.

It’s good this young guy has been challenged, as we should all be, to clarify for himself his values, goals, and ambitions.

[Vicki]

My oxen will stand fine while I hitch or prepare the load, or on display for an hour or more– if I am nearby. If I go where they cannot see or hear me, after about 10 min. they will go to the best looking food or head to their paddock or trailer. I don’t need to be right by them as long as they can hear me say,”Whoa, stand.” I was too lazy to train them to stand for longer periods while out of sight.

[Vicki]

Sanhester: yes, I see. Most cattle I’ve bought in were young and were assimilated into the herd, or I got two that already knew each other. But I can imagine how one sold away could grieve and if not accepted into the new environment, might pine away and decline.

[Vicki]

Cattle certainly are social animals, herd animals. And they have good and long memory. I’ve not noticed mine “grieving” after selling calves or herd mates.

As for putting down an ox if its teammate dies, I don’t think this is necessary. (Granted, I have limited experience.) Bonds certainly develop between cattle, and between cattle and humans, and perhaps the first bonds are the deepest. But cattle can learn to work with others and do so with success. The Howell Farm team is a case in point: one ox died and a suitable new mate was found and they are working well.

Cattle that are bounced around to many new homes and drivers probably can become more challenging than oxen in long term stable environments.

[Vicki]

Tillers is offering a cart building class this year. Hands on work through the process. No doubt you’d be exposed to various designs and applications and probably get plans. You can for additional cost even have them supply the materials for you to make and keep your own cart.

I have plans for a dump cart, pretty NE style. I have not made it, but one of our MODA board members did. Send me smail mail address and I can send them to you (if I can remeber where I filed them.)

[Vicki]

You could go online to find photos of winning teams in ox pulls. See how the bows slip next to the neck but do not hit the bone point of the forward shoulder. See how the oxen hold their heads, not way down nor way up. If your ox twists his head or throws his head up, the bow is not right.
See how the bow rotates back a bit to fit into the shoulder notch and the oxen can lift and push the neck seat.
It may be difficult to observe this on your own team if you are the only one to drive them. Maybe someone can video you from both sides, and you can observe the yoke dynamics.
Howie is the expert on yoke dynamics here. He uses a system on the yoke attachment to adjust draft angle. You can adjust draft angle somewhat by shortening or lenghtening the chain.

[Vicki]

Driving from side vs. walking in front:
I had a good head yoke man live here for a summer. We did some little jobs logging. Half the time he walked backwards which is a good way to trip. Or get pain in the neck glancing behind.
I drive from the side, but on narrow paths I can move in front, or behind. Sometimes I’ll move in front temporarily if the oxen want to go too fast.

[Vicki]

I have never kept a beef bull beyond 2 1/2 yrs. old. None were “mean” but we never let our guard down with them either.
As for Dexters, poor treatment and I suspect lack of culling for bad temperament seems to result in these stories I hear of horrible Dexters. The breeders I’m familiar with all had dexters sweet and tractible, as are mine. But they are very smart and do hold a grudge, so I believe if left wild, handled overbearingly, or allowed to assert their dominance, they would be awful. If you find a breeder with good stock, cows with good temperament, and handle them wisely, they’re great. For thriftyness and fine meat and milk I can attest. BTW, the Devons are beautiful, the breed needs help, are also thrifty milk, meat, and muscle, but I found the two I bred VERY independent and aloof. My Dexters enjoy human contact.

[Vicki]

I love horns on cattle. I’ve kept cattle for only 11 yrs. now, but have both horned and polled. My Dexters have some pretty wide and impressive sets. My tiny Dexter cow has beautiful horns and she milks great. My two hereford brood cows are polled, their sister has Milking Devon horns, but she is the lowest in their herd. If I let the Dexter steers with the hereford cows there are no problems, but the Dexter cow–only 36″ tall– will use her horns on the bellies of the herefords and so by intimidation become the top with them.
So as far as unfair advantage at mixing horned and polled, it depends on the temperament of the animals. If she wants to be dominant, she will use the horn advantage to become so. If she was not dominant and doesn’t care to assert herself, the horns won’t mean anything in the dynamics.
For me, I’ve never had an animal challenge or threaten me with its horns. If one ever does=hamburger.

[Vicki]

All these folks who say, “Oxen are so slow'” have probably never pulled logs or gathered sap with any. ALL the oxen I’ve trained, bought as trained, or retrained from early retirement were pretty quick. Especially bringing a load uphill. Now my Dexters at 9 have slowed to my easy pace, except with a reasonable load uphill they still accelerate. Of course, none of mine were ever worked hard daily. The only oxen I’ve known to be naturally slow moving are Brown Swiss.

[Vicki]

Bulls are worked in parts of the world. We trained 2,3, and 4 yr. old bulls to work and plow in northern Uganda. Small zebu type, not castrated, most had know severe handling. They all tamed down and learned to work in two weeks’ time.

[Vicki]

I just saw Carl’s comments about trusting your animals, in response to something I said a while ago. Yes, Carl, you are right and expressed that well. It is the human’s responsibility to be trustworthy. I do mean that you know your animals’ “minds”, anticipate their responses, know how much they understand and respect your leadership, so you do not lead them into “trouble.” This requires time.

[Vicki]

I like a calabash ring on my yoke, or I’ve used a grab hook on the yoke, in addition to the ring. I like a chain 10′ to 12′; my oxen are rather small. Usually a grab on one end, slip on other. For pulling logs, I usually bring a 3′ length to put on the log(s)that has a ring or slip on one end–maybe this is what you call a choker chain?–then I don’t need to adjust the working chain. Like Howie, and because I learned from him, I use a pole often, especially with a sled or scoot.

[Vicki]

My best team are my first. They were “wild” on their mothers until almost three months old. The mothers were tame, though. I had to separate the calves into a big box stall, start bottle feeding them to get them to trust me, then started tieing, brushing, teaching set-in/set-out and so on.

They are Dexters who are very smart. Also very affectionate. They are a very fine-tuned and totally trustworthy pair and we just about read each other’s minds. It was perfect for me. I didn’t have time then to raise newborns.

They were past the stage of sudden dying, didn’t depend on the bottle though I used it for a long time, zippy as all get-out, and bonded to each other already. Being Dexters, at 3 months they were still little and I could physically control them (barely.)

I have since raised several baby calves and trained them. While I find they are usually very tame and learn commands easily, I also find they have less “manners” about dominance. They are more apt to crowd, butt, etc. than the Dexters ever were; and more apt to resist training by refusing to walk or lying down.

Some of these differences may be accounted for by breed and individuality, and by my own committment to the training; but I liked the older calves.

My ideal is to have cows that are somewhat trained, then leave the calves on them, and work with the calves. Cattle that are in a herd have more “fear of God” in them, IMHO, which I think helps them to follow and trust my leadership.

I think the temperament of the dams, the general attitude of the calves’ herd toward people, and the calves first impressions of humans (pain and fear or positive associations) will have a big influence on the tractability of calves.

[Author]

Posts