anyone raised and trained their own team from bottle calf on up ? are readily available dairy bull calves ok. want tthem to plow, pull logs and a cart. what's your experience ? we're old subscribers, but new to this forum. thanks Joy / Tn.

-- Joy Goubeaud (jgoubeau@sewanee.edu), February 24, 2001

Answers

Joy:

You might try the Small Farmer's Journal. It specializes in practical horse-farming, but have had articles on oxen as well. Plus they carry a book on the subject. P.O. Box 1627, Sisters, OR 97759 (agrarian@smallfarmersjournal.com).

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 24, 2001.

Rural Heritage is another good publication. They have a website too. ruralheritage.com

-- Amy (gshep@aeroinc.net), February 24, 2001.

Hi Joy. I too am interested in raising and training oxen. If all goes well and my two heifers calve next year, I plan to train their offspring as oxen to do some light pulling work (even if they are females). I am currently reading a book called "Oxen - A Teamsters Guide" by Drew Conroy which I ordered from Rural Heritage magazine. It has loads of info on selecting,raising, training, and caring for oxen. According to the book, dairy calves are often used. Drew Conroy also has a video available called "Basic Training of Oxen". Hopefully someone who has experience with oxen will respond to your post and give us some firsthand info.

-- Barb (rosemontfarm1@aol.com), February 24, 2001.

Joy, if you go to the Rural Heritage website (which someone already listed) they have a forum where you can ask questions, as well as read all kinds of information and order Drew Conroy's book (which we also have, and it's very good).

-- Kathleen Sanderson in NH (stonycft@worldpath.net), February 24, 2001.

a good information source is Tillers international they have some good publications on equipment design for animal power and give workshops for people who are able to devote that much time and funds www.wmich.edu/tillers/ Email TillersOx@aol.com

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), February 25, 2001.

This is a 10 year old Dexter that I got when he was 2 months old. He drives alone and drove for a few years hitched with a miniature donkey. I don't do much training ~ I drove him on the trail the day I introduced him to the cart and I rode him on the trail the day I introduced him to a saddle. He's also ridden and driven in parades.

This pic is at a HORSE show! We entered (the silly folks let us! -G- ) the costume class. I went in as a COWgirl and we took first place! This was the 4th time I was on his back:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=75009&a=547162&p=12317588&Sequence=1&res=high

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), February 26, 2001.