MIDWEST OX DROVERS ASSOCIATION

What is an Ox?

 

An ox is any cattle, usually over the age of 3 or 4 (depending on who you talk to) which is used for draft. Younger cattle are referred to as working steer.

An ox may be any breed and any sex. Usually the oxen seen today in the United States are steers, but on the Oregon Trail Ezra Meeker stated, in his book,Ox Team Days on the Oregon Trail, that he saw “whole teams” of cows on the Oregon trail.

 

Historically in the United States Milking Shorthorn were used, but many other breeds were put to work also.

 

Dirk Hildebrant and his team of Shorthorns-King and Baron at Old World Wisconsin

In African countries the Zebu type cattle are used. In

Canada you can see horned Herefords in head yokes, in New England you will see predominately Milking Shorthorns and Devons in neck yokes.

 

At a MODA gathering you never know what you are going to see. We have had most of the dairy breeds represented as well as an occasional water buffalo. Traditionally teams of two head of cattle, are driven, but a single ox is not uncommon and often for harder work such as plowing you will see several teams hitched together.  Occasionally oxen are hitched with other species when cattle are in short supply, but this is not common.

 

A Jersey Team in the lead drover-Abby Richmond, Jeff Hieb second with his team of Guernseys, followed by Dave Schrupp, Dirk Hildebrant, and Maurice Collisi all with Shorthorn teams. (Picture taken in Old World Wisconsin Sept. 1999)

Oxen have been used since Biblical times as draft animals. They are still important farm animals in many developing countries.

In the United States the oxen were an important part of the developing of our nation. The first settlers used them for farming and the pioneers preferred them on the Oregon Trail. They withstood the rigors of pioneer life better than a horse and if you found yourself without food you could eat them. 

Drew Conroy, in his book, OXEN a Teamsters Guide, has a very good history of the use of oxen world wide, if you are interested in more on this topic.