what breed do you prefer to work with?

[cowGirl87]

My husband and I plan on getting a pair of oxen each, and were wondering what breed is preferable to work with in terms of temperament and docility. We have been warned away from dairy breeds, but were wondering if they’re ok as we have easiest access to them (I raise and hand milk cows). I currently have two (very different) holstein cows and three Dexter-Brown Swiss-Jersey cows (full sisters) and access to a Dexter bull, with a Jersey bull coming up next spring. Would any of these combinations be easier or harder to handle? What about a bull/steer/cow preference for a working animal? Your advice is appreciated!!

[mother katherine]

I’ve heard that many 4Hers start with Holsteins, which should be fairly easygoing but fast growing. Brown Swiss can be very mild, as well. I have a pair of Jersey crosses and they are bright, willing and energetic.
It’s odd to a New Englander to hear you were warned off the dairy breeds – those are our preferences. They are more plentiful, cheaper and aren’t so apt to have unwanted weight gains which lead to shorter lives and foot/leg problems.
I don’t know much about the Dexters, but Vicki Solomon who writes on this forum has them, I believe, and loves them.
oxnun

[Vicki]

Howie always says to get what YOU LIKE, because if you like them, you will work with them, and they will know you like them, and that contributes much to success and satisfaction.

Many say Swiss are good for beginners, because they are slow-ish moving and forgiving. I trained some Swiss: cute and sweet but seemed like slow learners after my Dexters.

Dexters are hardy, rugged and well-muscled. Jerseys tend to be skittish and fine-boned, but I’ve seen fine Jersey oxen. It depends on how big you want your oxen and what you want to do with them.

Shorthorns are all-around super as oxen, but they can get big.

I’d put that Dexter bull on those Dexter cross sisters! Yes, I love my ten year old Dexters!

If you have Swiss x Dexters, send me some photos! Sounds weird to have such large and small breeds crossed. But Dexters are smart and Swiss are docile–could make a fabulous steer. I’d be interested in perhaps purchasing a Dexter cross or two.

[Joshua Kingsley]

I agree with Vicki, get what you like. I would like to see some photos of those crosses as well.

Joshua

[Berta]

I’ve worked with cows of a few different breeds and had a weekend working with different breeds of oxen as well as my team – I’m not particularly experienced but I’m biased for jersey. I really like my team. Small, smart, willing. they will try to out think you though! I was told that Jersey are not for beginners but I think I’d be bored with holstein or swiss.

[cowGirl87]

Thank you all for your advice!! I will post some pictures of my Dexter cross cow and her heifer calf out of a Hereford bull. The cow is small, but super-smart and nice to work with. The calf was born on the 4th of May and follows me everywhere around the barn. If you are interested in pictures of my Holstein which was bred to a Dexter (both have horns) and/or her calf, let me know and I will post them as soon as the calf is born later on this month. Again, thank you for your help, and if you have more info, please keep it coming!

[clayfoot-sandyman]

Hi,

I’ve started fairly recently with Oxen and having researched quite a bit decided upon Dairy Shorthorn – (what you guys call Milking Shorthorns I believe!) – because they seemed like a good generalist type beast; not too dopey but equally not too wild either.
I’m finding them great so far. If I hadn’t of found these guys I probably would have gone for a dairy cross, probably a holstein/friesian type crossed to a Hereford which there’s heaps of around here on dairy farms and they too are quite a good calm sort of beast in my experience.
At the back of Drew Conroy’s book (‘Oxen – A teamsters guide’) he has a list of different breeds and crosses, giving them a ‘tractability rating’ based on their ease of training – I found this useful when thinking about breeds. The big plus for dairy breeds is you can get them as young as day olds which is great for developing the relationship – last year I tried as a complete novice to halter train a simmental/shorthorn cross which was weaned off its mum at 6 months and it was a resounding failure……! I’d say as a novice you have no choice but dairy breeds or dairy crosses because you get the time to acclimatise to the calves pace and learning needs with a young one AND they are immediately at ease with you and respect you whereas an older beast requires you to get straight in and know what you are doing. So beef breeds are a bit of a no-no for beginners because no-one wants to take them off a suckler until atleast 5 or 6 months old.
However I have meager experience so I’m just relating bits I’ve read / researched and the 5 and bit months I’ve put in with my lads – and I have even heard it said that any breed will do providing you train it right (but I don’t believe it!)

Good luck, Ed

P.S. I’ve attached a photo of my two five month old boys – ‘Lark and Sparrow’ sitting in a particularly symmetrical pose!

[Vicki]

Nice looking steers and I love the names. I must commend you for starting again with calves even after your less-than-ideal experience with the beef calf. Keep us informed on how you and they are coming along.

[Howie]

I have been told that the Dexter was developed from the Kerry and Devon. If you were to breed your Dexter cows with a Milking Devon bull you should get a small super smart animal.:)

[Howie]

Now Vicki knows where her steers got their smarts.:o:(;)

[Vicki]

My beef cow who is from the Devon bull I got from Greenfield Village and a Hereford, is gorgeous, smart, placid, and has the most energetic calves. Wish I had steers like her.

[clayfoot-sandyman]

Which Devons do you guys mean when you refer to Devons? – I see them all the time in U.S Oxen literature – we have two kinds

Ruby Red Devons?
http://www.redrubydevon.co.uk/index.htm

or

South Devons?
http://www.sdhbs.org.uk/

We sometimes refer to South Devons as ‘Orange Elephants’ as they’re big and orange!:D

Your cow’s a beaut by the way Vicki…!

[Joshua Kingsley]

I most often think of American Milking Devons
http://www.milkingdevons.org

They seem to be a favorite here for oxen if you can find them and afford to get them.

Joshua

[mother katherine]

From what I can gather, I believe the Devons American teamsters use are a form of the red ruby. The beef features are not so pronounced, as the people here kept the triple purposes in balance: meat, milk and draft.
They’re a medium to smaller breed, extremely intelligent, quick and emotionally active( I don’t know if high strung is the right term). We had a pair and they were wonderful – however, they had never been convinced that the teamster is the dominant member. They were 6 years old when we got them, and after a year of remedial work -with no beating or correcting of that nature – we had to ship them. Sometime, I’d like to start a pair of calves: it would, presumably, turn out much happier and safer for us all.
oxnun

[Vicki]

clayfoot: The Devons we speak of are the American Milking Devons to which breed association Joshua linked.

The American Milking Devon is an American rare historic breed that developed here from the cattle brought by Colonists (largely the Red Devons) to North America. Their genetics have lately been preserved by a few folks to retain the qualities of a triple-purpose breed, especially the smarts and quickness desired in working cattle, when others began interbreeding to produce more commercially economical animals. Interbreeding produced the beef Devon in the U.S. in contrast to the American Milking Devon.

Howie and Drew Conroy breed American Milking Devons, and they are kept by many historical sites in the U.S. like Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon.

[Author]

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