By JULIA BARATTA

Michigan Correspondent

SCOTTS, Mich. — When the United States was developing into a nation, one of its most essential parts were the large domestic animals worked by the early settlers. Draft horses and cattle served as important tools in the clearing of the land for homes and towns.

Also known as oxen, cattle were used in teams for large projects including pulling logs, scraping the snow, and hauling blocks of ice from ponds in the winter, as well as spring and summer jobs of cultivating fields and other duties.

While many think of oxen as a separate species of livestock from cattle, they are not; it is simply a job title. In specific regions there are certain requirements as to how an animal may be considered an ox, but they are mostly traditions passed from generation to generation.

Any cattle may become oxen, though primarily they are neutered steers. Until they are 4 years of age, they are referred to as “working steers,” as they are being trained to the yoke for various jobs. Occasionally a cow has been trained to be, and used as, an ox. Much of the determination is based on the animal and its personality.

Though it was common to see oxen at most, if not all, farms before the 1930s, it is fairly unusual to find a pair on one of today’s larger operations. They can be found on some small farms promoting self-sufficiency and organic farming practices.

These majestic animals require a lot of dedication to prepare them for the manual labor of a farm. They are usually used as a team, with some drovers, or drivers, choosing instead to use a single animal. Obviously, they are not as popular as they were a century ago; but for a few small groups around the nation, it is “oxen or bust.”

These people are committed to appreciating the cattle and willing to do the training needed. One group, the Midwest Ox Drovers Assoc. (MODA), holds an annual gathering where members meet, work their animals, learn from speakers, and enjoy the grounds, at Tillers International in Scotts.

The organization’s mission is “to promote the use of oxen to our American youth as well as to those in foreign lands, so that all may be shown their diversity and skills, even in this modern world. We do this to keep our American heritage alive and to educate those who can benefit from our experiences.”

The meeting is always the weekend after Tillers offers a class in Oxen Basics. The week-long workshops provide students with the fundamentals of training the cattle, driving, and making their own handmade neck yokes.

At the 2019 gathering, a young lady named Anneka shared young calves the students had worked with the week before. Anneka was a student and was continuing her experience by leading Carl and Cep around the grounds, mingling with the full-size oxen. These animals were 6-8 weeks old when they were trained.

“They worked well with the students,” class instructor Rob Collins said. “By the end of the week, the working steers were under the yoke and leading that way.”

Collins is a frequent volunteer at Tillers, as well as serving as MODA president. He shared the story of the group’s beginning: “There were students who took the Oxen Basics class and decided to meet annually; I think some of the original members are still in the group.”

Members from around the Midwest showed up with a variety of cattle ranging from miniature Herefords and shorty Dexters to milking Shorthorns. Douglas and Karen Kaufman-Dickson walked their 8-month-old calves, getting the babies used to people, new surroundings, and being under a yoke. They came from Illinois, where they have raised and trained 14 other pairs.

The teams are used to haul mulch, and bring enjoyment to their lives. “They are Guernsey, the first ones that we have had,” Karen said. “We like that they are a little smaller with a laid-back, calm disposition.”

Some owners found the best way to start a pair of oxen is to take on the responsibility of being the animal’s mother, as in bottle-feeding. Renee Fish is one of those who has experienced raising a working steer from early in the animal’s life.

“I got Jude when he was 10 days old,” she said. “I have felt this was a calling a long time ago.”

Kevin Cunningham was the featured speaker and shared his story. He began farming his current location 10 years ago and started working with oxen a year after that. He is a firm believer in the “bottle-baby method” to begin training at a young age.

His talk focused on the way that his family use the oxen to form raised beds on the property. He cares for five acres of intensive vegetable production with 30-inch-wide beds and 42-inch walkways.

This gathering also featured leaving the legacy of training oxen to younger generations. Steve Youdes, a formerly active member of MODA, was assisting his daughter Paige as she brought out her pair of rare white milking Shorthorns.

Because of the efforts of groups like MODA and Tillers International, these rarely seen working animals will still be found doing the same jobs they have for centuries.