[Vicki]

Oh my! Precious!

[Vicki]

It depends on whether the calf is scouring from a bacteria or from a virus, or both, or crypto or caccidio. Some problems cause sloughing of intestinal wall.

I give homemade electrolyte solution, sometimes with a bit of molasses, between feedings if there is any watery stool.

Storey’s Guide to Raising Beef Cattle has a good section on calf scours including recipe for homemade electrolyte solution.

One little Jersey too stubborn to suck, should have died many times over, probably a viral scours that led to bacterial, but with tubing every couple hours and my sheer stubborness not to lose her, she pulled through, went to a few shows, and is now a decent working milk cow.

I kept her in my bathroom for 3 weeks, bedded on old sheets and towels, as it was january in Ohio–brrr–else I wouldn’t have gone out to her every two hours and she would’ve frozen. I was crazy to do all that for a stupid heiffer, but the farmer I raised her for will do almost anything for me now. (And I learned a lot!)

[Vicki]

One advantage of the neck yoke is that, as long as the animal has the proper neck size, it can be put into the yoke; so animals can be quickly switched off or paired up as necessary–a plus if an animal goes lame or dies, or on extended journeys like the great westward migration on the Oregon Trail, or for training a green animal alongside an experienced one.

In contrast, head yokes which have horn boxes need to be fit to the specific animal–no biggie for someone like my friend Bud, but it takes some time and tools, and needs to be modified as the horns grow; and the yoke is usually not reusable on different cattle. These require head pads and straps–usually leather but perhaps felt, but not readily available in the North American frontier, or in some parts of the world. Same with collar or pad systems.

So the context of the working of the cattle helps determine advantages or disadvantage. Anatotomy influences, too–humpless European cattle require something beyond a beam and skeins.

I contend that head yokes and neck yokes do not injure nor pain the cattle when they fit and are designed well. Design and fit are the crucial factors, not the style itself. It must work with cattle anatomy and physiology.

Competition in New England and the Maritime Provinces has spurred the development of very fine tuning in yoke fit, yoke design and yoke dynamics, in the same way that auto racing has resulted in high-performance engines and body designs.

Granted, some traditional yoking systems around the world are not very efficient or comfortable, and though less than ideal, they persist because it’s just the way it’s done.

Tillers International rural development projects have introduced improvements in yokes and hitching systems among people who depend on animal traction as a matter of life and death. I was priviledged to help in northern Uganda where we introduced a dropped hitch point and bows to their heritage of beam and skein style yokes. These modifications increased the efficiency and willingness of their small zebu cattle. We easily constructed bows from locally available plastic pipe, heated over an open fire, bent around a wood form, reinforced with wooden dowel. Introducing a vertical evener for multiple hitching greatly increased the possibilities of ox jobs there. The Tillers guys also designed and crafted donkey harness with locally available resources for a different camp in the region. You wouldn’t believe what they had been using.

A big advantage of Canadian head yokes is there anything more handsome than these stout cattle in their decorated head pads and bells

[Vicki]

http://www.modaox.us Welcome to the wonderful world of working cattle. For yoke rental call Rob at 616/891-2697

[Vicki]

Midwest Ox Drovers Association was formed in 1995 to create an exchange of information about the care, training, and working of oxen in order to:
*Develop cameraderie among ox drovers and enthusiasts that will help promote common events, newsletters, and sharing information;
*Encourage the promotion of cattle breeds used as oxen and the refinement of skills and equipment for working cattle; and
*Educate the public about the historical role of oxen.

Ox Drovers’ Gathering is free and open to the public. June 20 through June 22, 2008 at Tillers International in Scotts, MI.

$15.00 annual membership. Contact Vicki for free complimentary newsletter evrgrn@nls.net

[Vicki]

Here in northeastern Ohio we have a long and economically important sugaring tradition. Tapping usually starts in early March, but is weather dependent. Weather this year is looking good for a good season. Daytime temps in the 40’s after freezing nights, with low atmospheric pressure, make for the best “runs.” Some days the sap can rise and fall more than once, that’s when your buckets will overflow faster than you can gather! You don’t want to tap too early in the season, even for one good run, because if it stays cold for several days the taps close up and you’ll have to re-tap–a lot of extra labor and stress on the trees. Knowing when to tap is an art, an intuition, helped these days by extended meteorological forecasts.

The season ends when it warms enough that the maple buds begin to break. Budding releases a hormone in the sap which makes the syrup sour, thus the derogatory term “buddy” syrup. So you don’t want to wait too long and miss the best early runs and have the season end with a sudden warming.

The sap needs to be boiled right away, because it begins to ferment, all the faster the warmer it is. That’s why they call it the sugar “camp”, because you stay out there at the sugar house until all the run is boiled, sometimes long into the night, boiling eggs right in the front pan and roasting sausages in front of the arch because you’re so hungry from emptying buckets all day.

Sadly, in Geauga Co., few folks want to do the labor required for sugaring. But new operations are opening, using new technologies like tubing and reverse osmosis.

There still are many Amish sugarbushes, and they are generally well-managed mixed hardwood stands, but basswoods, beeches, and soft maples are taken to favor the shoogs.

I’ve worked my oxen in local sugarbushes collecting sap. I love the sugar camp. Sadly, this year I will miss the season because I am going to northern Uganda to train oxen and help Acholi farmers learn the skills to work them again, after twenty years of war. If the season here is late, I might catch the end of it after i return.

[Vicki]

Ray Ludwig’s Pride and Joy of Working Cattle is another very helpful booklet for the novice. He gives very explicit directions for disciplining yourself and your steers, and for a logical training progression.

Ray and his wife, Jean, are delightful people and Ray is one of the finest oxmen and farmers anywhere.

Les Barden wrote a booklet Training the Teamsterwhich I wish I had found earier in my first ox training. I believe the New England 4H clubs use this booklet.

[Vicki]

Rod, if you’re really green, you might consider driving the steers conventionally for awhile so you learn how, and so you learn what your boys actually can do, and learn to read them. A good team and good driver won’t need lines even driving from behind, IF you know you can trust them.

[Vicki]

I saw your question on the RH Front Porch, too. One of our MODA members, Bill in VA, drives with lines from behind. He could advise you better than I.

But you could start by having a helper drive the oxen conventionally, while you, after having attached lines to the steers’ halters, begin giving cues through those lines.

There are photos of oxen worked with lines on the Hindu folks’ website
http://www.iscowp.org/Ox%20Power/Working%20With%20Oxen.htm

[Vicki]

My oxen are Dexters, nice longer-legged Kerry-ish type, and I have a short-legged cow. Sure are easy keepers. Great grass-based genetics.

[Author]

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