Baby Steps

[mstacy]

I started yoking a pair of Devon calves on Monday. Today I hitched them to something for the first time. It was just a fence post, but I was so proud of them pulling it around the yard.

Are there any others just getting started with working cattle? I’d love to hear about your successes and struggles. I’m learning as I go.

-Matt

[bivol]

i dont have any trained cattle but wish you luck with your! keep control and cool head! keep us posted…

[Kent]

I have hit a snag in getting started with oxen and will be delayed for a bit. I had hoped to have calves by now. I am going to get started by making a yoke now.

Good luck with yours,
Kent

[Victoria Reck Barlow]

Hi, Matt —

Congratulations on your boys! It sounds like you’re off to a great start.

My Milking Shorthorns just turned a year old, and I’ve been having so much fun with them.

What helps me the most: learning more about what steers are capable of. Is there any way you can mess around with an experienced, well-trained team? Better yet, can you attend one of the Conroy/Huppe workshops? Also really helpful is watching teamsters in action in the handy classes at fairs. The Conroy/Huppe DVD is chock full of useful tips.

People will tell you to devote some time every day to training, and that seems right to me. It’s easy to do if you count all contact time as training — moving the guys singly in halters, picking up feet, anything you do with them to strengthen your connection to them. Try to get inside their heads, so you know how they think and can predict how they’ll respond to different situations. True confessions, here: my Labrador retriever taught me that food is a powerful motivator! I keep a supply of apple chunks on hand to reward extra good behavior.

Please keep us posted on your progress!

all best,
Victoria

[mstacy]

Victoria,

Thanks for the encouragement. I was lucky enough to attend several great workshops at Animal Power Field Days this fall. I’m grateful to Carl and Lisa for making that event happen and to all the experienced teamsters who were willing to share their knowledge.

I’ve got a four month old heifer and bull calf paired up. I’ve been having a blast pulling a crude sledge with them (they do the hard part). We’re building up to longer pulls and shuttling firewood from barn to house … a few arm loads at a time. I have a slightly younger pair of bull calves (Stanley & Earl) coming along too, but developmentaly they are way behind Luke and Magnolia. Luke and Magnolia spoiled me … “woing” and “going” the first weekend I got them. Stanley and Earl are making me scratch my head and ponder a bit more. Food treats and some of the other tricks you mentioned definitely help. Actually I found a brush to be one my best resources for befriending those two. They LOVE having their neck and jowls scratched. Stanley and Earl are just starting to gee and haw in halter. We each learn at our own pace. One way or another I work each of them nearly every day, usually twice. I’m learning as they learn.

I’ll tried to attach a photograph of Luke and Magnolia pulling the sled last weekend. It was too large for this site. I’ll try to reduce the resolution when I get home. Keeping them even is my biggest challenge. Perhaps my logic is flawed, but I’m thinking its easier to control the rabbit if I keep her close to me. Luke is the tortoise … but very calm and reliable so I keep him on the off side.

Post photos of your team when you get a chance.

Regards,

-Matt

@Victoria Reck Barlow 3717 wrote:

Hi, Matt —

Congratulations on your boys! It sounds like you’re off to a great start.

My Milking Shorthorns just turned a year old, and I’ve been having so much fun with them.

What helps me the most: learning more about what steers are capable of. Is there any way you can mess around with an experienced, well-trained team? Better yet, can you attend one of the Conroy/Huppe workshops? Also really helpful is watching teamsters in action in the handy classes at fairs. The Conroy/Huppe DVD is chock full of useful tips.

People will tell you to devote some time every day to training, and that seems right to me. It’s easy to do if you count all contact time as training — moving the guys singly in halters, picking up feet, anything you do with them to strengthen your connection to them. Try to get inside their heads, so you know how they think and can predict how they’ll respond to different situations. True confessions, here: my Labrador retriever taught me that food is a powerful motivator! I keep a supply of apple chunks on hand to reward extra good behavior.

Please keep us posted on your progress!

all best,
Victoria

[Crabapple Farm]

@mstacy 3725 wrote:

Keeping them even is my biggest challenge. Perhaps my logic is flawed, but I’m thinking its easier to control the rabbit if I keep her close to me. Luke is the tortoise … but very calm and reliable so I keep him on the off side.

That’s reasonable logic. Sometimes the slow one would be better as the nigh ox, if they’re poky and unwilling and the other is willing and eager, so that you can keep on them to keep moving. But it sounds like with your two, slow and steady and willing needs less minding than fast and unsteady.
Generally, the less willing (to follow directions) ox gets put on the nigh side. One thing that can happen with teams as they age is that, because the nigh ox gets more attention, they become more willing, while the off ox, with less attention, becomes less willing. Something that I think can be easily prevented if you are attentive to the possibility, and make sure to reward the well behaved off ox for their good behavior.

[Author]

Posts