Permanent Farming Systems Based on Animal Traction: Farmers Handbook (GTZ, 1995, 183 p.) PART I: Draft cattle (introduction...) 1.1 How to select your cattle 1.2 Training of draft cattle 1.3 Draft cattle management

Permanent Farming Systems Based on Animal Traction: Farmers Handbook (GTZ, 1995, 183 p.)

PART I: Draft cattle

Cattle will do well and are recommended as draft animals where:

- a farmer already owns cattle for milk and beef production
- suitable local animals are available in the vicinity of the novice farmer
- government's services or projects promote and support farmers the use of draft cattle

1.1 How to select your cattle

Not all cattle are suitable for draft work. The suitable ones must be selected at the age of two to three years, when they are still growing. If they are well fed and properly cared for, they will grow into well built animals with a live weight of 400 kg or more at the age of five years. At that weight, one pair of suitable draft cattle is heavy enough to pull a plough working at 20 cm depth or a ridger.

The ideal draft animal is a healthy, docile male castrate (an ox) of local breed. He has a wide, deep chest, prominent hump and straight back and legs. He weighs at least 400 kg when grown up and has the stamina to do draft work for up to six hours a day.

1.1.1 Suitable Cattle Breeds for Draft Animal Use

Local cattle breeds are usually best suited for draft work because they are well adapted to the local climate, food and diseases. Exotic breeds which are not adapted to the environment, may not take the added stress of draft work well, they require good care and are likely to be sick more often than local cattle.

Cattle bred for meat production or for both, meat and milk production, are generally well suited for draft work because they grow big and strong. Dairy breeds tend to be less well muscled and require better feed and management, they are therefore less suitable as draft animals, especially if they originate from temperate countries and are newly introduced into tropical countries.

The three Zebu cattle breeds of the North West Province can be used for animal traction:

The Red M'bororo
A heavy and strong breed. Quite resistant to diseases. Prefers the hillside to the valleys.

Fig. 1.1: M'bororo breed has Red Skin

The White M'Bororo or Aku
Often not as heavy as Red M'Bororo but calmer in temperament. Very resistant to diseases.

Appreciates the valley climate best.

Fig. 1.2: Aku breed has White Skin

The Gudali
A heavy and strong breed. Very good as draft animal, but more susceptible to diseases. Not as common as the two other types and more expensive to purchase.

Fig. 1.3: Gudali breed has Black and White or Brown and White Skin

1.1.2 Sex of Draft Cattle

A herd of cattle consists of different animals:

- a bull (bulls) is a grown-up, male animal
- a cow (cows) is a grown-up, female animal
- a calf (calves) is a young animal of less than 12 months
- a heifer (heifers) is a young female which has never been pregnant.
- an ox or bullock (oxen, bullocks) is a grown-up animal which has been castrated.

Fig. 1.4: Some parts of the body of a cow

The ox is the most suitable animal to begin with draft animal cultivation, because:

-he is as strong as a bull
-he is less wild, hence easier to train and to handle than a bull
-he is stronger and easier to maintain than a cow.

However, an experienced oxen farmer can also train and work with bulls and cows and use them for reproduction at the same time.

Fig. 1.5: Some parts of the body of a bull

1.1.3 What Does The Body of Good Draft Cattle Look Like (Conformation)

In general, the animals you choose for work should be strong, heavy, healthy, docile and intelligent. They should be calm but not lazy.

Which are the most important parts of the body of a draft animal?

Fig. 1.6: A draft animal must have strong and well conformed legs, a straight back and the correct neck to carry the yoke.

The legs must be normal. If they are not normal the joints wear out soon.

Fig. 1.7: No! It must not have X-legs!; Fig. 1.8: No! It must not have O-legs!; Fig. 1.9: Yes! The legs are normal

Fig. 1.10: No! The foot must not be too straight!; Fig. 1.11: No! It must not be bent too much!; Fig. 1.12: Yes! It must be slightly bent!

Fig. 1.13: Yes! The back must be straight!; Fig. 1.14: No! It must not be bent down or concave; Fig. 1.15: No! it must not be bent up or convex.

1.1.4 The Temperament of Draft Cattle

- A good draft animal should be active, intelligent and lively, but not wild and fierce.
- An animal which is too calm and therefore easy to train can be lazy while working.

- An active animal is more difficult to train than a calm one. But later on during work, you only have to control it, you don't have to push it forward.

1.2 Training of draft cattle

Before the oxen can be used for farm work, they have to be trained. During training, animals learn to respond to human language and how to pull the various implements.

A new oxen farmer can learn to train oxen with the help of other farmers and extension staff.

He may use experienced oxen to help.

An experienced farmer trains new oxen himself.

1.2.1 At what age should the Training start

Fig. 1.16: The best age to start training the animal is between 2-1/2 and 3 years, because:

- animals which are younger than 2 years are not strong enough for the training and the tedious farm work, which follows the training
- animals which are older than 3 years can be headstrong and wild. Also, because of their weight and their power, they are more difficult to train and can be dangerous.

Young animals can be bought for a cheaper price than old ones. If well fed, they still grow and gain weight while they are working. When the farmer sells them because they are too old for work, he gets a higher price because they are heavier than when he bought them.

Moreover, the working life is longer for young oxen.

1.2.2 Basic Rules for the Training of Draft Oxen

-be patient with your oxen throughout the training
-start from the known to the unknown
-move from an easy step to a more difficult step
-return to the previous step if the oxen fail to learn the new step
-don't force the oxen if they cannot put up a constant performance every day
-give simple, friendly and clear commands
-avoid beating and hostility
-learn the speed, the temperament and the character of your oxen. Adjust to these.
-allow short breaks

-try to understand the behaviour of the oxen. If they are not behaving the way you want, check first whether your own behaviour was correct and do not just punish them.

1.2.3 How to Approach your Ox

Fig. 1.17: Approach your ox from the front and call his name!

Whenever you approach your oxen, you should:

-Come from the front, so that it can see you! Never come from behind.
-call it's name, so that it -can hear you and respond to you!
-lure it in the beginning with salt m your palm or with other food!
-tickle it in the ears, dewlaps and flanks and talk in a friendly way to it!
-be consistent and firm as you deal with your animals!

Follow these rules whenever you approach your animals for any purpose. If you frighten the animal, it may try to defends itself with its horns or hooves, eventually harming you.

If you follow these rules, your oxen will soon know their own names and they will become your friends, understanding the training stages well.

Teach all the members of the family, how to approach and handle the oxen and your oxen will become new members of the family.

1.2.4 Training Steps

Before the actual training of the oxen starts, the oxen are paired. They are trained as a team and have to work as a team.

Fig. 1.18: A pair of oxen should be equal in size, weight, height and temperament. Here a new pair is tied in the dressing room or stock.

The training is divided into learning steps. Only when both oxen have learned one step, can you continue to the next.

STEP 1: Conditioning of the animals (about 3-4 days)

-tie the selected animals together in the dressing room.
-put the yoke on the first day, but less than three hours.
-don't allow the ox to lie down
-put the complete harness: yoke and halter chain (or nasal ring), head joint and steering rope
-allow the animals to get used to the harness in the dressing room on the third day.

Every time you talk to your oxen, call their names, touch and tickle them, remove ticks, give salt but no grass to oxen under the harness. Stop giving salt as soon as possible. After the conditioning the farmers can:

-tie and pair oxen correctly
-touch the oxen
-remove ticks
-feed them .
-harness them the oxen are:
-used to the voice of the farmer
-learning their names
-used to the dressing room
-used to the harness
- used to eachother

Move to Step 2, when Step I was understood by you and your oxen.

STEP 2: Walking and Steering (about 3-4 days)

-harness the animals in the dressing room and check the adjustment of your harness
-take the oxen out and teach them how to walk properly as a pair under the yoke
-initially let them walk freely to adapt to a walking rhythm

- your trainer will show you how to hold the steering rope, how to use commands, how to walk and control your oxen

- teach them to go in line
-use the steering rope to keep them in line
-teach them to start and stop: use the command "go" and "stop"
-teach them to walk straight: use the command "go straight"
-teach them to no right and left. Use the commands "no right" and "go left"

-continue to call the names and give simple commands until the oxen master the art of starting, walking straight and stopping

-support your commands with the steering rope

Allow short rests from time to time. Avoid shouting, give clear commands, go slowly and steadily, never beat the oxen, be patient, show no anger.

Fig. 1.19: Teach them to go in line!

Fig. 1.20: Use the steering rope to keep them in line!

Change positions from time to time. Allow both the farmer and the partner to learn the handling exercise.

Fig. 1.21: Teach them to walk straight: use the command "go straight"!

Fig. 1.22: Teach them to start and stop: use the commands "go" and "stop"!; Fig. 1.23: The steering rope should never hang down like this. You cannot control your oxen.

- continue to call the names and the commands until the oxen have learned to follow the commands.

Fig. 1.24: Start to teach them to turn left and right by using the commands "go left" - "go right"!

At the beginning of the Training Step 2, one farmer may be in front of the oxen holding the head joint rope, while the second farmer behind the oxen gives commands and does the steering and vice versa (farmers change positions). At the end of Step 2, the farmers and their partners should be able to control the oxen alone.

STEP 3: Pulling (about 6 days)
When the oxen walk steadily and follow your commands you

- hook the pulling chain to the yoke and continue practising for the first day

As soon as the oxen are accustomed to the chain

-attach a small light log to the end of the chain and pull
-teach the animals to pull straight
-give commands to turn left and right while pulling
-increase the size of the pulling log
-attach a harrow, first upside down and pull - then turn
-give a short break after some minutes

Try to control the oxen alone as far as possible. Change with your partner, to allow him to learn the exercise as well.

Check the adjustment of your harness before you start pulling. Wrong adjustment can hurt or wound the oxen.

Fig. 1.25: Develop draft effort by pulling a log

STEP 4: Plowing (about 4 days)
Learning to plow is a very critical step for the oxen. They have to pull against a strong resistance for the first time. Before starting plowing check the adjustment of your harness and your prow.

-attach the plow and try to prow, but set the plow to a very shallow depth on the first two days

-do not exceed working time for plowing on the first two days: 30 minutes to I hour is enough depending on the strength and the progress of the oxen!

-continue and set the plow to work on average depth for the next two days .
-continue and set the plow to work on maximum depth.

Before starting plowing, one farmer is handling the implement, the other one is steering.

They change positions regularly.

STEP 5: Ridging (about 6 days)
Ridging is the most important exercise for the oxen farmer. He will use the ridger in the farm for ridging, weeding, reridging and moulding. Before starting ridging, check the adjustment of your harness and your ridger

-attach your ridger and try to ridge on a plowed, soft place
-start with small ridges (adjust your ridger)
-continue for 2 - 3 days and try to establish straight ridges
-adjust the working width of your ridger and produce larger straight ridges for 2-3 days
-adjust the ridger to maximum working width and produce very large straight ridges

During ridging, one farmer handles the implement, the other one the steering. Change positions regularly.

STEP 6: Transportation (about 3 days)

-attach an empty bullock cart and pull along the road for 1-2 days
-continue with a light load .
-continue with a full load

NOTE:

-master the loading technique (even distribution of the load on the bullock cart)
-master the steering technique
-master the braking technique
-master the unloading technique
-master the highway code

STEP 7: Clearing with the Roller Cutter (about 3 days)

-attach the roller cutter and pull without load on a field with poor vegetation
-accustom the animals to a heavier load (add some stones)
-add load according to the pulling capacity of the oxen

NOTE:

-avoid turning the cart on one spot which forces the oxen to walk sideways

The indicated days for the different training step are a guideline. If the training effort is more successful, continue with the following steps and repeat later on.

1.3 Draft cattle management

Healthy draft oxen can bring you a lot of benefits.

With the help of the oxen

-farm work becomes easier
-farm work becomes faster
-you can increase the size of your farm and produce more
-you can produce manure
-you can do contract work for additional income

Only a healthy ox can give you all these benefits. Therefore you have to manage your oxen well. Draft oxen management includes:

-working technique
-feeding / watering technique .
-housing .
-preventive and curative healthcare

1.3.1 Working Technique

When you are working with your oxen you have to follow very important rules:

-start working with your oxen early in the morning

Like yourself, your oxen have more energy during the cooler periods of the day

harnessing should start at 6:30 am
actual work should start at 7:00 am

-use only implements which are in good working condition
-check your harness adjustment to improve traction and reduce the draft
-give a short rest of 1 minute every 5 - 10 minutes and a longer rest after 1 hour
-never allow the oxen to eat during work or under the harness
-give simple and clear commands, avoid shouting and don't beat at all
-use the steering to guide the oxen
-do not work longer than 4 hours

stop working at 11:00 am (before midday)

-remove the harness immediately after work

-never allow another farmer, who is not accustomed to your oxen to work with your oxen without you

1.3.2 Feeding Technique

To perform the farmwork, the draft cattle have to be fed well. Sufficient and regular feeding and watering of the oxen is one of the main tasks of an oxen farmer.

Good feeding and watering is essential in improving and maintaining the strength and the health of draft animals.

Fig. 1.26: OXEN TIME TABLE; 07:00 - 1 1:00 WORK

11.00 - 18.00 GRAZING

During the night feeding in the cowshed

Food is the fuel an ox converts into pulling power to work the farm Oxen that are not well fed with the right feeds, will lose the ability to work, and are more susceptible to diseases.

Fig. 1.27: This animal has not been well fed. It is very weak, often sick and it cannot work.

Fig. 1.28: This animal is well fed. It is very powerful and healthy. It can do a lot of work.

1.3.2.1 How much Feed does an Ox need?

An Ox needs feed to

-keep alive (maintenance needs)
-grow
-work

Maintenance needs:

To keep alive without doing work, the ox needs feed. These basic needs are called maintenance needs. The maintenance needs depend on the weight of your ox The bigger your ox, the more feed he needs. Fed on a good pasture, an ox with

200 kg	needs about 15 kg of fresh grass per day
300 kg	needs about 20 kg of fresh grass per day
400 kg	needs about 25 kg of fresh grass per day only to keep alive, without doing work

Growth needs:

When you receive your oxen for training, they will not be mature. They need additional feed to grow. The better you feed your ox, the faster he will grow and the more power he will develop.

To grow well, he needs about 2.5 kg of good fresh grass or supplementary feed like ricebran = 0.5 kg or crushed corn = 0.3 kg per day in addition to the maintenance needs.

Working needs:
During work, the oxen need a lot of energy. The heavier the work, the more energy or feed the oxen need.

In general. the working ox needs
2 x the maintenance requirements during normal work (weeding, ridging, transport, etc.)
For heavy work. like plowing, The working ox needs
2.5 x the maintenance requirements
For normal work. an ox with
300 kg needs 40 kg of grass and additional feed to grow. In the table "Feed Needs For Your
Ox" on the next page, you can find out the needs for your working ox.

DAILY FEED NEEDS FOR OXEN OF DIFFERENT WEIGHT

Life- weight (kg)	Maintenance		Growth		Work Kende/Maize			Total Kende/Maize
	FU	Grass (kg)	FU	Grass (kg)	FU	Grass (kg)	Ricebran (kg)	FU	Grass (kg)	Ricebran (kg)
200	2.0	13	0.3	2	2.0	10	0.5	4.3	25	0.5
250	2.3	15	0.3	2	2.3	12	0.5	4.9	29	0.5
300	2.6	17	0.3	2	2.6	14	0.5	5.5	33	0.5
350	2.9	19	0.3	2	2.9	16	0.5	6.1	37	0 5
400	3.2	21	0.3	2	3.2	18	0.5	6.7	41	0.5
450	3.5	23	0.3	2	3.5	20	0.5	7.3	45	0.5
500	3.8	25	0.3	2	3.8	22	0.5	7.9	49	0.5

VALUES OF SOME DIFFERENT ANIMAL FEED

FEED	NUMBER OF FEED UNITS (FU) PER KG/FEED	KG OF FEED EQUAL TO 1 FEED UNIT (FU)
1. Green Fodder
Poor Pasture Grass	0.1	10
Good Pasture Grass	0.2	5
Average Pasture Grass	0.15	6.5
Fresh Corn	0.2	5
Pueraria Grass	0.3	3.5
Bracharia	0.3	3.5
Elephant Grass	0.2	5
Guatemala Grass	0.2	5
Cassava / Sweet Potato	0.2	5
Leaves	0.2	5
2. Grains
Corn	1	1
Rice	1	1
Rice Bran	0.4	2.5
3. Oil Cakes
Groundnut Cake	1	1
Soyabean Cake	1	1
Cotton Seed Cake	0.6	1.5

1.3.2.2 How to feed Cattle

Your oxen need:

-enough feed
-rich feed
-regular feed

A working ox that has not enough feed, cannot grow and cannot work. Cattle feed normally on grass. Non-working cattle are grazing all day. It selects enough and rich grass.

The working ox has limited time to eat, because he is working in the morning time. In the time remaining after work, he may not be able to find enough grass to replace the energy he lost during work. He may cover only his basic needs. When you continue to work without giving additional feed, he will lose weight and power.

A working ox needs rich feed. Different feeds have a different value.

Fig. 1.29: 1 kg. of maize has the same food value as 7 kg of grass.

That means 1 kg of maize gives as much power to an ox as 7 kg of grass.

A working ox needs rich feed in addition to grass. He needs supplementary feed. As fertilizer increases the production of crops, supplementary feeds increases the power of your oxen.

Supplementary feed like:

-ricebran
-maize (good or weviled)
-maizebran
-cooked cassava, yam, potato give energy and protein for work.

Supplementary feed like:

-groundnut cake
-cottonseed cake
-soyabean cake provide protein for the muscles of the ox.

Minerals strengthen the bones and the health of your oxen. You can find minerals in the following products:

-natural salt
-limestone
-potash ash of bones
-special mineral mixtures produced by fodder industries

Vitamins help to develop the muscles of your oxen and improve their health. Vitamins are found in grass and fruits.

Apart from enough and rich feed, your working oxen need regular feed all the year round. In the rainy season, there is plenty of grass and it is easier to feed the oxen. In the dry season, the feeding of your oxen is more difficult. The grass becomes hard, scarce' the stems tall and leaves dry. Your oxen don't like this grass. They get thin and after the dry season when you start plowing for the new season, they have lost plenty of strength.

To conserve the strength of your oxen in the dry season you

-look for good grazing areas (valleys)
-cut additional fresh grass for them
-grow fodder crops like Guatemala Grass, Bracharia
-give them supplementary feeds

-conserve green fodder as hay and silage and use later as feed (ask your demonstrator how to do this)

Fig. 1.30: Idle cattle can survive on good grazing, working oxen need supplementary feed.

General Rules for feeding

1. Use a fixed time for feeding and watering every day.
2. Don't feed in the morning time before work.
3. Unharness your oxen before feeding.

4. Allow your oxen to graze from 11:00 am (before midday) to 06:00 pm (before it is growing dark)

5. Choose an area with fresh and different grasses for grazing.
6. Choose a pasture where grasses are not too low and not too high.
7. If you tie your animal, change the position after some dime (1 1/2 - 2 hours).
8. Never tie your ox in dangerous places (cliffs, roadside, etc.)

9. Allow your oxen to graze freely for at least 2 hours a day, so that they can select their preferred grasses.
10. Provide additional grass, supplementary feed (Maizebran, Ricebran and maize etc.) and minerals (salt) regularly.

11. Avoid dirty and mouldy feeds

12. Feed ad lib (as much as your oxen can eat). Your oxen are fed ad lib when they stop to pick grasses and rest to ruminate.

NOTE:

Oxen are different from goats.

Arrange with your family members, friends or other oxen farmers to watch the oxen during grazing. An accident can happen very fast, if you don't watch your oxen well.

1.3.2.3 Water Requirements of Draft Oxen

The water requirements of your ox depend on the

- size/weight
- the work and
- season

A big ox needs more water than a small ox. A working ox needs more water than an idle ox, because he is losing water by sweating during work. In the dry season, your ox needs more water that in the rainy season. In the rainy season, the grass is fresh and the oxen can get part of their water needs from the grass. In the dry season, the grass is ally. The ox needs water from the river.

In general, your ox needs about 40 lifers of water per day in the dry season, less in the rainy season.

NOTE:
Weight loss of your oxen can be due to poor watering

General Rules for Watering

1 Never allow your ox to drink immediately after work
2 Water your ox at mid-grazing time.
3. Allow your ox to take enough water. Water several times a day in the dry season.
4. Avoid standing and dirty water sources.
5. Avoid risky drinking points such cliffs and muddy spots.
6. Avoid hand watering
7. Water for oxen must be fresh and clean. Water from running rivers is preferable.

1.3.3 Housing of Draft Cattle

During the night, your oxen are kept in a COWSHED. An oxen farmer without a cowshed is no real oxen farmer. The housing of your oxen win give you a lot of advantages.

Fig. 1.31: A good cowshed

-is necessary to collect and produce manure
-protects your manure against rain and sun
-protects your oxen against theft
-protects your oxen against poor weather conditions
-allows your oxen to rest and ruminate well. This improves their strength and health
-provides storage room for your tools, crops and additional feeds
-avoids farm destruction by your own cattle in the night
-allows easy harnessing of the oxen
-allows easy treatment of the oxen (deticking, deworming)
-allows your family members to get used to the oxen

1.3.3.1 How does a cowshed look like

Fig. 1.32: A good COWSHED is made up of three rooms.

Two rooms are for the oxen and the cowdung. You put your oxen into the first room until the manure heap has grown considerably. You change the oxen in the empty room and give time for the manure in the first room to rot. When the second heap has grown up, you remove the rotten manure from the first room and allow your oxen to stay inside while the second heap rots.

The third room is used for storage of tools and animal feed. You can also prepare a "banda" under the roof of your cowshed to store crops.

NOTE:
The cowshed should be near enough to the compound for you to hear any nod' from the cowshed. It should not be too near, to avoid flies in your house.

The cowshed is made of local materials like sticks and a straw roof.

A good cowshed needs to be sturdy. It needs a good roof that is not leaking. needs a strong gate with a lock.

1.3.3.2 How to manage the cowshed

The cowshed is the feeding and the sleeping place for your oxen.

Fig. 1.33: Put down enough litter (dry grass, banana leaves, residues etc.)

litter provides good, dry bedding for your oxen
litter increases manure production

Fig. 1.34: Provide additional grass and supplementary feed to your oxen in the cowshed.

A cowshed needs maintenance. You have to protect your cowshed against destruction.

-Brush the sticks with solignum or old engine oil to protect white ant destruction.
-Exchange rotten sticks.
-Repair the roof when it is leaking.
-Dig a ditch around your cowshed to avoid running water entering your cowshed.
-Clear the area around your cowshed to avoid fire destruction.

1.3.4 Preventive Health Care of Draft Cattle

Preventive Health Care avoids diseases. Preventive Health Care is the key for successful draft cattle keeping. Preventive Health Care is a major task of the oxen farmer!
Preventive Health Care includes:

1. A rational working technique (see chapter 1.3.1)
2. Sufficient feeding and watering (see chapter 1.3.2)
3. Good housing (see chapter 1.3.3)
4. Deticking of the cattle
5. Deworming of the cattle
6. Vaccination of the cattle

Deticking of the cattle:

Ticks suck the blood of your oxen. The oxen will lose strength. Ticks make wounds that can cause other infections. Ticks transmit other dangerous diseases to your cattle. Ticks are a danger to the health of your cattle. Detick your cattle every morning before the work.

Fig. 1.35: Check the following arts of your ox very carefully and remove the ticks. Collect the ticks in a small container (tin) and burn them.

Deworming of cattle
You cannot see worms. They are inside your oxen. They affect your cattle mainly in two ways:

-They live in the digestive tract and damage it. They prevent your ox from digesting his food.

The ox gets thin and may die.

-They enter into some other parts of your ox. (e.g. lungs, liver) and damage them. Your ox will loose strength and may die.

To prevent worm problems, you have to present your cattle twice a year (March and September) to your extension or veterinary staff for deworming)

Vaccination of Cattle
There are some diseases that can kill your ox very fast. Vaccination can prevent such diseases. The cost of vaccination is very small in relation to the value of your oxen.

The veterinary services in some countries conduct regular vaccination campaigns. Present your oxen to the veterinary staff on the vaccination dates.

NOTE:
It is important to use all preventive methods to protect your oxen.

Keep records on deworming and vaccination of your oxen and present these records to your veterinary staff.

Fig. 1.36

1.3.5 Curative Health of Draft Cattle

For a good farmer, it is important to recognize signs of poor health on his oxen in time. To distinguish between normal and abnormal, the farmer must know the normal condition of his cattle.

How does a healthy ox look:

-the eyes must be bright, clear and clean
-the muzzle must always be cool and wet
-the ox must chew the cud regularly
-the ears must be upright and clean
-the neck has no wounds from the yoke
-the base of the horns have no wounds from the rope
-the skin must be supple and the coat smooth and dense
-the faeces must be of normal consistency
-the urine must be a normal yellow colour
-the belly must be of normal size
-the ox must stand comfortably on all 4 legs
-it must react on your voice or other disturbances
-tail and ears must be active
-the ribs cannot be seen
-when lying down to rest, legs are turned inward

How does a sick ox look:

-dull eyes, watering eyes, discharge, deposits
-dry muzzle
-no regular chewing the cud
-ears are stiff or hanging
-wounds from parasites, yoke or beating
-the coat is poor and rough, hairs standing up
-the faeces is of abnormal consistency, mixed with blood
-the colour of the urine is red or dark brown
-the belly is longer on the left side
-the ox is not standing on all 4 legs
-the ox is limping the tail is inactive or stiff .
-the ribs can be seen
-the ox is standing with an arched back

In the case of abnormality, inform your nearest extension staff or veterinary officer immediately.

1.3.6 How to produce Grass for your Oxen

Grass is a complete feed for oxen. Non-working Oxen, which are idle or grazing do live on a grass diet and some salt and water in addition. Therefore we have to find out how to produce a sufficient quantity of palatable grass for the oxen without spending much time and money on it.

Fig. 1.37: Traditional herdsmen are herding their cattle

HOW TRADITIONAL HERDSMEN FEED THEIR CATTLE

-A grazier is watching the cattle all the time
-they need large grazing areas
-they do transhumance: Grazing in special, wet areas during dry season.

The oxen farmer cannot employ a permanent grazier. Instead he builds a fence around his grazing area. Fenced -in grazing land is called a "Paddock". The area of the paddock should be 2 HA for one pair of oxen. With good knowledge of supplementary feed, one hectare will be sufficient.

Fig. 1.38: The Paddock is a fenced-in grazing area. It should have free access to water. Plant trees in your paddock. They will produce fruits.

HOW TO BUILD A FENCE

Put the poles 3 to 4 meters apart. Use live poles if available. Plant cuttings of sunflowers or similar bushes along the fence. Reinforce the end or corners of the fence as shown.

Fig. 1.39: Construct your fence of strong poles and reinforce the corner posts.

Each plot must have a gate. There are two different designs of gates shown below.

Fig. 1.40: Gates can be made of poles or wire.

The oxen farmer has only a limited grazing area because he needs a lot of land to plant his crops. Therefore, he must make intensive use of his grazing area. He is doing Rotational Grazing.

What is Rotational Grazing?

Rotational Grazing means, that the oxen are only grazing on one section of the total grazing area. While the animals graze on one section, the grass is crowing rapidly on the other sections. When the grass on one section is finished the oxen start grazing on a fresh section. They rotate around the plots.

Why do Rotational Grazing?

Due to Rational Grazing:

1. We can increase the grass production and reduce losses.
2. We maintain the pasture in good condition for years.
3. Erosion is checked
4. The life cycle of certain animal parasites is broken.
5. Valuable species of grass are maintained.

Fig. 1.41: For rotational grazing, you will have to divide your paddock into equal parts. The different parts are called "Plots". Each plot has a gate.

Fig. 1.42: Oxen like best the grass which is just about reaching their bellies in height (40 cm).

Fig. 1.43: When the grass is too short, the oxen cannot eat it. We have to take the oxen away from this plot and let the grass grow until it is reaches their bellies again.

Fig. 1.44: When the grass is too high and too old, the oxen do not like it either. It is dry and stalky and bad food. We have to cut this grass in order to let young grass grow again.

HOW WE MANAGE OUR PADDOCK

March

Figure

In March, when the rains make the grass grow again, we start grazing ton that plot (1), where we have made a bush fire 4 weeks earlier.

April

Figure

In April, when the oxen have eaten most of the ass down to the bottom, we start grazing Plot
2 and cut all the high grass in Plot 1, which the oxen did not eat.

May

Figure

In May, when the oxen have finished Plot 2, we start grazing Plot 3, and clear Plot 2. If we don't clear, the grasses which the oxen don't like grow will stronger and stronger.

June

Figure

In June, when Plot 3 is empty, we start grazing Plot 1 again and clear Plot 3.

Continue like this, grazing your animals in one paddock after the other, until the rains stop.

Preparation for dry season

One Paddock is closed 1 month before the rains stop, after the oxen have eaten all the grass on this paddock. Only the remaining paddocks are used for grazing as long as there is grass. The grass of the closed paddock is a reserve for the dry season. It can either be cut, dried and stored as hay or it can be grazed after all the others are empty.

If the area of the paddocks is not sufficient for the oxen, additional fodder supply (Elephant and Guatemala grass) is necessary.