Ce._I am training a team of Oxen. I have helped with fathers teams of horses used for feeding hay in the harsh winters or just to enter a parade.I showed and raised.beef and dairy cattle where each animal.served its purpose very well. Now I decided to train my very own for fun. I bought five calves three months ago. They are all being broke to lead and am hoping for two on the end to make a fine team of Oxen. As soon as I learn to post photos I will make sure everyone has an opportunity to see them. I welcome any and all advice.
While my mind is at work, my heart is back home on the farm.
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts
Posted - Mar 10 2010 : 9:16:01 PM
hi laurie welcome to the forum. i too am from bend wow well actually redmond. my friend lisa has a jersey steer she wants to train. we are farm girls i milk cows and goats lisa milks cows e-mail me your number we have a group here called the central oregon milkmaids lots of fun sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm farmgirl #1014
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts
Posted - Mar 10 2010 : 9:33:06 PM
Okay ladies- I know about horses but not much about bovines. Oxen are different than just plain old steers or cows, right? A different breed?
What fun! I always wanted to find someone to plow my gardens using either horses or oxen. But no one does it around here. Is it alot of work to train them? I guess they are bred to work hard. And that's a good question Alee asked. I would love to see them. Maybe a video, too?
You said you got 5. Will you keep them all or sell the ones you won't use later?
I happened to spend some time watching the man working oxen at a local living history museum last fall. I think he said that oxen are just steers that are being used as working draft animals. They don't have to be from a specific breed, but of course usually the larger ones were trained for working.
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 07:18:59 AM
I see! I think it would be interesting to have some animals around the place that could help out with some of the heavier labor. Just before I got up I was dreaming about gardening and digging up the garden soil! LOL
I think it's interesting that the covered wagons were usually pulled across the country by ox team, not horses. But you never see modern people driving oxen. Maybe because they are less versatile than horse, and less desirable from a pet standpoint? Laurie, I hope you post lots of pictures soon.
my own team of oxen.
Posted - Mar 10 2010 : 8:48:54 PM
