permaculture

[Mark Ludwig <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

> 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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