[Howie]

sanhestar

You want to listen to all this advice, and then run it through a strainer to get all the bs out of it. Use what makes sense to you.

P.S. There is no right and wrong way to train cattle. Just my way and your way.

[Howie]

:mad:One huge problem that the farmer today has is that the largest part of our population has no clue of how to treat, and care for an animal. The next problem is that he thinks he knows it all.

[Howie]

:mad:The biggest problem with the Devons is that he so smart that he will pick up on the handlers mistakes.

[Howie]

After being on good colostrom for a few days I do not think there is anything to be gained by not putting them on good 100% milk, milk replacer.
P.S. If you want the best you should have bought a pair of Milking Devon calves.

[Howie]

Rod
The more I look at that cart the better I like it. I think if I were to build one like it I would adapt it so I could change the shafts for a pole to use a team.
I have all the stuff to build a New England type dump cart now if I can just find some get up and go.

[Howie]

Johnny Lamb used to work an ox and mule in a team.

[Howie]

When I can help someone with their oxen, It makes life worth living.

[Howie]

The best time to start them is right after they come off of collostrum. Bottle feed them and convience them that you are their mother. What wouldn’t you do for your mother? Train and correct them the same as your mother did you.
You can tell a lot about what a pair of steers will be by what their mothers are. If their mothers match they most likely will also, if they are out of the same bull.

[Howie]

A horse will work out past his lung capacity so then you have to rest him.
He can travel faster than an ox because he has a larger lung capacity.
An ox is smart enough not to out work his lung capacity except when he believes it is necessary and with less capacity he will travel slower. He will seldom need to stop and rest. There are a lot of jobs where he will catch up to the horse while the horse is resting.

[Howie]

A lot of the Amish who do not have a large farm, have a good combination horse. They use it in the buggy and draft both.

[Howie]

I have a hay rack at the far end of my medow which I put a 4 by 5 bale of hay in with the steers. When I want the steers I put a dish of corn screenings off the dryer by where I hitch them and call them. The hay rack is 500 yards from the barn but by the time I get their yoke out they will be coming through the gate. All the feed they get is that hay and a 2 pound can of the corn screenings, when I want to use them.
PS It won’t be today. We have about 20 inches of snow on the ground and it snowing hard. Good day to work in my shop.

[Howie]

I spend a lot of time making ox equipment, there is very little of it that the average person can’t make if he can find someone to tell or show him how.
Back 100 to 150 years ago a lot of the oxen were taken into the logging camps with no yoke and not even broke. The teamster would hew out the yoke and bend the bows, no steam, and the smith would make the iron for it.
most of these steers would be about 3 years old. Within a very short time they were either skidding logs, or feeding the logging crew.

[Howie]

I think that Carl pretty much coverd it.
It is easy to prevent it, but it will take quit a while to stop it.
Keep them out of reach of each other for the first couple weeks then keep them out of reach for about an hour after feeding. Ideal time to be working them.
A calf should be bottle fed, not bucket fed. I have never seen a mother carrying a bucket.

[Howie]

It is a great show. I have gone a couple times. It is 6 hours from here. I gave a lot of thought to taking Pat and Willie, but it is a long ride for them over the mountains in the middle of winter.

[Howie]

Sorry. I put the yoke on backwards.

[Author]

Posts