Facts about Ox

The term ox commonly refers to a member of the cattle species of the subfamily Bovinae and family Bovidae.

Oxen are most often used in teams of two, paired, for light work such as carting.

Some require that the castrated male needs to have reached the age of four years old to be considered an ox.

Oxen were commonly used to skid logs in forests, and sometimes still are, in low-impact select-cut logging.

Use of oxen for plowing survived in some areas of England (such as the South Downs) until the early twentieth century (Copper 1971).

A tradition in south eastern England was to use oxen (often Sussex cattle) as dual purpose animals: for draft and beef.

That this was once the standard name for domestic bovines is shown in place names such as Oxford.

The freight lines were purchasing over 150,000 head of steers each year for oxen (Van Ord 2002).

Narrowly defined, an ox (plural: Oxen) is any adult, castrated male of domesticated cattle (Bos taurus or Bos primigenius) that is trained as a draft animal.

Ox trainers favor larger animals for their ability to do more work.

A plowing team of eight oxen consisted of four pairs aged a year apart.

The ox is a most noble animal, patient, thrifty, durable, gentle and does not run off.

The ox will plunge through mud, swim over streams, dive into thickets and he will eat almost anything.

Oxen are therefore usually of larger breeds, and are usually males, because castrated males are generally larger.

Use of oxen for plowing survived in some areas of England (such as the South Downs) until the early twentieth century (Copper 1971).

Females can also be trained as oxen, but as well as being smaller, they are often more useful for producing calves and milk.

The ox has been a loyal companion and servant for human beings for many years.

A plowing team of eight oxen consisted of four pairs aged a year apart.

Oxen can pull harder and longer than horses, particularly on obstinate or almost unmovable loads.

Van Ord (2005) similarly considers the accepted terminology today to be an ox that is of least four years of age but stipulates that it also must be trained.