Training older steers to a yoke…

[Nat(wasIxy)]

OK so I got ray ludwig’s book and am quite taken, as I frequently am, with getting a pair in a yoke – something I’ve not done before. All mine are trained singly: to ride, pack, drive, pull (in collars) and be good companions 😀

At the moment I have Ted, who’s a yearling (and a bit) Jersey steer. He’s absolutely wonderful, perfectly willing to do anything you want no problem. I’ve had him doing a little of everything except driving from behind and he’s taken to it all like a duck to water, I’m now merely waiting for him to be big enough to ride which with me being heavy (and expecting in a few weeks!) and him being a wee Jersey, could literally be years yet…

Then I have ‘Pretty’ who is a two year old Jersey steer. He has no training whatsoever as he was intended to be a beef animal BUT he was the absolute bottom of the pecking order and looked so bad I thought he was ill, and wrote off the idea of beefing him (not worth it). However, since the dexters moved away to do some conservation grazing and he got a fair share of food, he has blossomed, not only growing and putting on weight but also becoming far more friendly and characterful. basically, whenever I work the other oxen or do anything with the herd (we move them daily) he is there, highly interested in what you’re doing, quietly begging for attention. If you didn’t know he wasn’t one of the oxen, you’d think he was as well trained. I’ve never started an older animal because I prefer to do things the easy way, but he is so interested, quiet and steady I feel confident. So far I’ve just started upping my contact with him – I can brush/touch him all over incl. legs while he’s loose in the field. I’ve also stuck a halter on him with very little drama indeed.

To top it all, Ted and Pretty hang around together a lot, it’s almost like Ted is coaching Pretty to suck up to the humans for a better life than the run of the mill beef herd! But this seems to me the ideal basis for a team?

So…am I insane to try putting a yoke on a trained 1yr old and an untrained 2yr old? (due to Pretty’s bad start they are a similar size) Obviously Pretty has a long way to go – I want to get him leading well and to accept a saddle and some weight at least before I try yoking him. He may not even ‘pass’ that stage.

Has anybody else trained older animals successfully? Or put together a team later in life? etc etc etc

We do have some jersey X dexter calves on the way that I would be very tempted to use as a yoked team if this doesn’t work out, so I can start the ‘proper’ way if it doesn’t work!

[Nat(wasIxy)]

I realise they whacked yokes on untrained older animals in the past, but as far as I can tell, usually when they had the backup of trained animals to keep them in line…Ted is very, very good but the yoke would be new to him too! Ted is my bovine soulmate and it’s of utmost importance to me that he is not ruined in any way!

[bivol]

Hi Ixy, oops, Nat! 🙂

well, let’s see…

*sidenote: hello everyone, im back, sorry it took me this long!*

you’re not insane, ofcourse! IMO putting a yoke on two equally sized animals is never bad, given they get along (which, in this case, they do)

At the age of two and a half, or three years at most, we should begin to tame and accustom him to the yoke. If longer delayed, he often becomes perfectly ungovernable. Patience, mildness, and even caresses, are the only means which should be employed. Force and harsh treatment serve no other purpose than to dispirit and render him totally unmanageable. He should be stroaked [sic] and caressed; … Some [444] days afterwards, he may be yoked to the plough along with another ox of the same stature, which has been previously trained. They should be tied up together at the manger, and led to the same pasture, in order to make them thoroughly acquainted, and acquire the habit of having always the same movements.

from The OX

I rest my case.

and yes, a lot of people have trained older animals successfully, and wild ones at that, not tamed well behaved and small Jerseys.

so, if you like, first tie them both up with collars on neck and let them run on pasture for a while to get used to moving together.
then simply yoke em up in your yard on in some place they feel safe and familiar. yoke em up, put a halter and lead them about dragging a small peace of wood. that should work.

after that come the commands, etc, and then it’s a matter of polishing.

Conroy said that its doable, and you dont feel the difference in age of animals later on.

So, don’t give up! 😉

Marko

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Haha wow, good to see you back bivol – a LOT has changed since this post! I didn’t work ted in a yoke in the end, and Pretty went to slaughter. I started with Rum & Raisin instead in a yoke made especially for me, and I like it. The only problem is that Raisin is in such poor health. I have another pair, bubble and squeak who are similar, Bubble is extremely cow hocked, Squeak is good. Unfortunately Rum & Squeak don’t fit together because Rum is huge and Squeak is tiny! grrr!

I have a pair of dexter calves, Rook & Raven, but they are 6mo and still living wild out on the marshes currently! The fun will start when they come in for the winter…..

[bivol]

wow, that IS a lot of change (and glad to be back)!

i do believe you have it busy!
well, you could feed Raisin more, if he’s not grown up totaly you could use “compansatory growth”. like aside from normal food feed him oats in skimmed milk, together with garlic (does wonders for health). ofcourse, depends for how much trouble you think is worth or how much time you have on your hands (guess that’s a real problem).

ill try to be a bit more active now!

regards
Marko

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