# dexter cows as draft animals



## JimG (Jun 6, 2017)

Hi,
We're hoping to replace our tractor with oxen - to pull a sickle mower with a 6-foot blade, a hay rake, a hay wagon, and a manure spreader, and maybe to skid the occasional log.  Most of the year they wouldn't have any ox-type work to do.  Since we have limited pasture, we'd rather not have freeloaders, so we thought it would be nice to use cows, rather than steers.  This seems to be uncommon in North America these days, but apparently wasn't in previous centuries, and isn't now, in other parts of the world (see, for example, http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/ctvm/Research/DAPR/Training Publications/Cows 001/9202_Using_Cows.pdf).  Also in the interests of efficient pasture use, we'd like to use Dexters.  Our question is, would a pair of Dexter cows be able to do the work mentioned above, or should we look at larger breeds?

Many thanks for any guidance!


----------

