ox 



ox 



OVIS. The generic name of the 

 sheep. The Mouflons are supposed 

 to be the original of our donicstic 

 animal, but this is questionable. 



OVIVIPAROUS. Producing liv- 

 ing young, enclosed within an egg- 

 like membrane ; the marsupials, the 

 viper, flesh fly, and several mollusks, 

 are instances. 



OVULUM. In botany, the rudi- 

 mentary seed before impregnation. 



OWL. Raptorial or preying and 

 nocturnal birds of the genus Strix ; 

 they prey on mice and small birds, 

 and are useful to the farmer. 



OX. For the varieties, see Cattle. 



" The ox or steer is the castrated 

 male of neat cattle. He is called an 

 ox calf, or bull calf, until he is a twelve- 

 month old, a steer until he is four 

 years old, and after that an ox, or bul- 

 lock. A sufficient number of the 

 most likely of the male calves being 

 selected for the future propagation of 

 the breed, the others are castrated 

 between the first and third months. 



'• The advantages derived from tlie 

 performance of this operation are 

 very great. The nutriment, which is 

 no longer directed to the sexual or- 

 gans, goes to the general enlarge- 

 ment of the frame ; the propensity to 

 fatten is abundantly increased, and 

 the animal becomes far more docile 

 and tractable. The use of the ox in 

 agricultural and other labours may be 

 traced in almost every country, and 

 to periods of the remotest antiquity. 



" The education of the steer should 

 commence between the second and 

 third year. At an earlier period he 

 has scarcely sufficient strength, and 

 at a later one he may have become 

 obstinate and self-willed. His edu- 

 cation should be founded on patience 

 and kindness, and then the term of 

 it will be far shorter than is generally 

 imagined, and the result will be per- 

 manent. 



" There has been much dispute 

 with regard to the comparative ad- 

 vantage of the employment of cattle 

 and horses in agricultural labours. 

 The former are said to cost less, and 

 ta be supported at less expense. For 

 the latter it is pleaded that a smaller 



Z z 



number are needed, that the work is, 

 on pressing occasions, far more quick- 

 ly performed, and that it is always 

 abundantly greater. The plain mat- 

 ter of fact, however, is, that, although 

 the ox is still used for slow and heavy 

 work on many farms, he is not so 

 generally employed as he used to be, 

 even by his warmest advocates, and 

 the use of him has been completely 

 abandoned by a very considerable 

 number of agriculturists. 



" In the native counties of the best 

 breeds, lie is still admired and valued 

 as a beast of draught, but by the ma- 

 jority of farmers his value is now 

 chiefly or solely estimated by the 

 quantity and quality of the meat that 

 he will yield, according to the care 

 that is bestowed upon him, and the 

 expense that is incurred. He is in 

 the fullest perfection at four years 

 old, and he will then prove more 

 profitable to the farmer than if he 

 were worked four or five years lon- 

 ger, when the quality of his flesh 

 will be deteriorated, and his disposi- 

 tion to fatten considerably impaired. 



" The diseases of cattle may be 

 conveniently made the subject of 

 consideration in the present article. 

 They are not so numerous as those 

 of the horse, but there is often con- 

 siderable difficulty attending the 

 treatment of them. From the pecu- 

 liar temperament of cattle, and the 

 comparatively great quantity of blood 

 which flows in their veins, prompt- 

 ness in the recognition and the treat- 

 ment of disease is of far greater con- 

 sequence than in the horse, rapid as 

 is often the progress of his maladies. 

 Few of the diseases of the horse de- 

 stroy him at once ; but there are 

 many maladies of the ox which must 

 be met at the instant, or they will be 

 uselessly struggled with afterward. 

 Let the owner and the veterinary 

 surgeon take good iieed of this. 



" The diseases of calves should be 

 first considered. They are as numer- 

 ous as those of the colt, and more 

 fatal. At the head of them stands 

 diurrluca. This sometimes occurs 

 when the calf is suflercd to continue 

 by the side of its own dam. Both 



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