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  • From: Mark Ludwig <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: Re: [grazersedge] Oxen
  • Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 10:58:59 -0600

Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 06:59:34 -0500
From: kate less-madsen <Lessmadsen@skow.net>
Subject: Re: [grazersedge] Oxen
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For four years in college, I trained oxen teams. We had an old "Yankee" farm
manager who saved the old research ponies (a sore point with the
administration) and trained them for driving. He also did oxen. We trained
them all year, then showed them in the livestock show at the end of the
school year.

Now, that I raise Shorthorns, in an "oxen area" (they are big with the
4-Hers up here) I don't need to sell my bull calves for nothing. Reds are
premium (they match better) and we get a minimum of $100 for a weaned red
calf. At the end of the season, teams are for sale for $1200 and up. Around
here, anything can be used for a team. Jersey steers are big because the
kids can buy them for cheap or get them for nothing. They make good pulling
teams because of their energy level. Shorthorns are liked because of
disposition, and they don't get huge, like Holstiens.

The problem is: now I'd like to start a team, and because there aren't many
shorthorn breeders around, we usually sell what we have as calves. I saved a
roan team, closely matched, for myself (roans are too hard to match for the
"show" classes) and just sold them to a horse teamster who wanted a good
team for doing logging.

My son has a mismatched team that we are about to start working in the
woods. (Mismatched on color but perfect on size, looks, etc)The fairs are
starting a lot of scooting classes for oxen, so if you don't want to pull,
or just "show", now there is the scooting.(scooting is how well a team can
pull a log around a course, etc)

The hardest thing? Finding yokes. Tempted to stop by some houses and ask if
they'd sell that yoke hanging on the barn or garage for decoration.....
(There is a fellow who makes them up here but he is $$$...my son is taking
woodworking, maybe he can start a project....????
(Oh, we band the calves when a few weeks old, some oxen people wait until 3
or 4 months...)

Kate in Maine








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