OAK ISLAND
CHOOSING AN OX
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So, you want an ox to use and play with. What do you look for after you have decided on the breed, or crossbreed? Two aspects regarding the choosing of an animal, whether as a calf, steer, or ox, are body conformation and temperament.
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First of all, make sure the animal is healthy and alert. If choosing a calf, avoid one that had moderate to severe scours; it tends to stunt its growth. Check his eyes. Make sure they are bright and shiny, pointier rather than blunt, with well-formed eyelashes. Make sure he is not wild-eyed, with wide, staring, or protruding eyeballs. His coat must be clean, and free of parasites and diseases.
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The head must be well-formed, not too bullish-looking, nor too feminine or long. Neck must be well-developed, thick and of medium length (not too long and spindly, or too short and heavy). Nostrils should be large, with a well-formed muzzle. He must be straight-jawed with no overbite or underbite. Horns have to be solid, and they should be nicely-formed and of even length to look impressive. Avoid a weak-horned, or nubby-horned animal. Horns of a young animal will not be solidified, but, if good genetics are there, they will be strong and rigid when he is older. Avoid an animal that has polling in its genetic background. Regularly seen in this animal is a pronounced ‘bump’ on top of his head. Even though horned, he may never have truly solid horns, and it may cause him discomfort later in life.
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The animal’s back should be straight; hips and shoulders at the same level, and not narrowed, sloped, or weak-muscled. His belly should not be sagging as displayed by a ‘hay belly’, often mistakenly described as a ‘water belly’. Once attained, this condition usually persists. He should be open-ribbed, not closed, or tight-ribbed. This usually results in a stronger ox. Make sure the animal is not fat, thick, or muscle-bound. This animal will be slow, stubborn, and lazy. He should not have an overly pendulous brisket or sheath. Most old-timers wanted the end of the tailbone to be at or above the hock, never below. They thought this made a tougher, hardier ox. Make sure the animal doesn’t have a soft tailbone area. This indicates a parasitic worm is present, and over time (usually within a year), it will migrate up and compromise the spine.
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Another important area to consider on a calf, steer, or ox is his feet and legs. Choose one that has strong, well-shaped legs; straight and square, but angular at the joints. Avoid one that is cow-hocked, post-legged, sickle-hocked, or bow-legged. An animal with moderate to extreme cow-hockness will have a splayed look. A post-legged ox, meaning he has extremely straight legs from hip to foot, will have tremendous swelling in the joints later in life, and render his walking painful. An animal should not be overly sickle-hocked, which mainly occurs when he has longer rear legs than front legs, though some teamsters believe an ox with a little sickle-hockness is stronger. An ox should not be bow-legged as he will be tipsy when turning, especially on forested trails. An ox should have an even, straight ahead, leg stride, and not tend to throw his feet outward or to the side. If an animal does tend to throw his feet there could be a lot of toes being stepped on: his, his mate’s, or yours!
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He should have durable, dense feet. His hooves should be sound (not cracked or blemished), and have nice curvature, with his toes pointing straight ahead. The claws of a hoof should be the same size with decent walls, gradually inclining into the pasterns with smooth, flush coronets. The walls and soles of white hooves are, usually, thicker than dark hooves, but contrary to popular belief, they are not harder than dark hooves. What constitutes a hoof being dry and hard is the lack of oils in the keratin. Try to always see that hooves are adequately hydrated. The ox will walk prouder and less clumsy.
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As far as temperament goes, remember to choose an animal that isn’t easily spooked, wild, nervous, afraid, stressed, or aggressive. Ask yourself, does he appear fast acting or mild-mannered. Which would you prefer? After you have been acquainted with an animal, one trick is to quickly approach him, and watch his eyes and body as you do so. Does he relish the interaction with glee, is he nonchalant, or does he want to take off in obvious terror? If you have the opportunity, view any siblings, especially his brothers, for their attributes. As well, the characteristics of a prospective animal’s sire and dam are good indicators of traits he might have as an ox. Also, as a younger animal ages he will be more indicative of his stature in maturity. If you keep in mind these criteria when you are on your quest for an ox you shall not go wrong. And much pleasure will come your way.