Super helpful content. I have a single steer that I am training to pack/drive and work under saddle. I don’t live anywhere near other folks that work driving teams at all (much less a single animal). I’m going to try to pick through this and make it work for us!!
Heard of a guy that broke us black Angus bull to harness , using a horse collar turned upside down . He used him to pull the hay racks and feeder around , plenty strong !
Just subscribed, great content. I'm looking at working a couple of the current calves into oxen. Your yoke videos really answered alot of questions thanks. I did hear your piece on your calves having the scours and thought I could offer a piece of advice on the young calves on replacer...I've raised jersey steers calves for 20 years and had that problem a few times. My cousin told me to put a raw egg in the bottle, mixed up well. I started that and it can take 2 or 3 feedings but it warms up and straightens out the gut in a day or two. Works for me, just thought I should pass it on
Great video. Ive been working with cattle (working cattle and milk cows) for about 40 years and hope to be doing it another 10 or 20. This seem like real solid, balanced information.
I has been on my 'bucket list' to acquire/raise a yoke of working steers for some time. I have raised beef cattle for many years and so feel fairly comfortable around cattle. I did have a yoke on a pair of Highlands I picked up but they were about a year old and had not been pinched. When one of my neighbours was looking a Highland bull I let him pick the one he wanted and put the other in the freezer (try that with horses). Your series is very helpful and I look forward to working my way through all of your posts.
We got a black Angus bought for meat but my husband feed him once and all the sudden .....let's make him into a tractor. All info is great. Again thank you very much for making your channel. Im A new sub. I really look forward to learning from you and your family.
I think a good part of choice of breed has to do with availability and price. For years dairy breed steers has less demand for going to feeding operations (the ones seeking to produce high quality beef). Personally I would like to have a pair of milking Shorthorns. Big problem is there isn't as much milking shorthorn stock as there was nce was, so I will probably end up Guernseys or Jerseys.
It seems that there is a real bias in the oxen community against using Jerseys as oxen. They seem to get as big as preferred breeds and they are reputed to be intelligent. My jersey steer is friendly and active. He seems intelligent as well. Have you had trouble with them being smarter than the ox drover if he or she doesn't have enough experience? I a really interested in why people don't like them for oxen but love them for milk cows.
I agree with you. I think some of the bias is legitimate simply because of the jerseys build. Other than that, I’ve found that the concerns about training them are unfounded. The jersey team we have are exceptional and we’re easy to train and as long as you assert your dominance and don’t let them misbehave they’ve been fine. I don’t think inexperienced teamsters having problems with some high-intelligence breeds is really an issue. In my experience it’s more about fixing misbehavior quickly. Intelligent animals test limits quicker to see what they can get away with and an inexperienced teamster may not respond quick enough and stay dominant but that can happen with any breed. My first team when I was 12 were Devons and they remain my best team I’ve had so far and they were extremely smart. I just was able to spend the time with them needed to break them of any idea that they could get away with mischief.
Super helpful content. I have a single steer that I am training to pack/drive and work under saddle. I don’t live anywhere near other folks that work driving teams at all (much less a single animal). I’m going to try to pick through this and make it work for us!!
I'm wanting to do the same thing! Did it work out for ya?
Heard of a guy that broke us black Angus bull to harness , using a horse collar turned upside down . He used him to pull the hay racks and feeder around , plenty strong !
Just subscribed, great content. I'm looking at working a couple of the current calves into oxen. Your yoke videos really answered alot of questions thanks. I did hear your piece on your calves having the scours and thought I could offer a piece of advice on the young calves on replacer...I've raised jersey steers calves for 20 years and had that problem a few times. My cousin told me to put a raw egg in the bottle, mixed up well. I started that and it can take 2 or 3 feedings but it warms up and straightens out the gut in a day or two. Works for me, just thought I should pass it on
You know, now that you mention the egg trick I recall someone telling me that years ago and I had forgot!
Great video. Ive been working with cattle (working cattle and milk cows) for about 40 years and hope to be doing it another 10 or 20. This seem like real solid, balanced information.
I has been on my 'bucket list' to acquire/raise a yoke of working steers for some time. I have raised beef cattle for many years and so feel fairly comfortable around cattle. I did have a yoke on a pair of Highlands I picked up but they were about a year old and had not been pinched. When one of my neighbours was looking a Highland bull I let him pick the one he wanted and put the other in the freezer (try that with horses). Your series is very helpful and I look forward to working my way through all of your posts.
Go for it!
We got a black Angus bought for meat but my husband feed him once and all the sudden .....let's make him into a tractor. All info is great. Again thank you very much for making your channel. Im A new sub. I really look forward to learning from you and your family.
Thanks for the support!
I think a good part of choice of breed has to do with availability and price. For years dairy breed steers has less demand for going to feeding operations (the ones seeking to produce high quality beef). Personally I would like to have a pair of milking Shorthorns. Big problem is there isn't as much milking shorthorn stock as there was nce was, so I will probably end up Guernseys or Jerseys.
Good video. Hope to put this information into use in the future. Maybe you can teach our homestead how to do it!
Absolutely!
Thank you so much.
It seems that there is a real bias in the oxen community against using Jerseys as oxen. They seem to get as big as preferred breeds and they are reputed to be intelligent. My jersey steer is friendly and active. He seems intelligent as well. Have you had trouble with them being smarter than the ox drover if he or she doesn't have enough experience? I a really interested in why people don't like them for oxen but love them for milk cows.
I agree with you. I think some of the bias is legitimate simply because of the jerseys build. Other than that, I’ve found that the concerns about training them are unfounded. The jersey team we have are exceptional and we’re easy to train and as long as you assert your dominance and don’t let them misbehave they’ve been fine.
I don’t think inexperienced teamsters having problems with some high-intelligence breeds is really an issue. In my experience it’s more about fixing misbehavior quickly. Intelligent animals test limits quicker to see what they can get away with and an inexperienced teamster may not respond quick enough and stay dominant but that can happen with any breed. My first team when I was 12 were Devons and they remain my best team I’ve had so far and they were extremely smart. I just was able to spend the time with them needed to break them of any idea that they could get away with mischief.
The videos are looking good!
Thank you so so much