Ox

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An ox <a href="/en/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English" class="wl">/ˈɒks/</a> (<a href="/en/Plural" title="Plural" class="wl">PL</a>: oxen, <a href="/en/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English" class="wl">/ˈɒksən/</a>), also known as a bullock (in <a href="/en/BrE" title="BrE" class="mw-redirect wl">BrE</a>, <a href="/en/AusE" title="AusE" class="mw-redirect wl">AusE</a>, and <a href="/en/IndE" title="IndE" class="mw-redirect wl">IndE</a>),<a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;">[1]</a> is a <a href="/en/Bovine" title="Bovine" class="mw-redirect wl">bovine</a> trained and used as a <a href="/en/Draft_animal" title="Draft animal" class="mw-redirect wl">draft animal</a>. Oxen are commonly <a href="/en/Castration" title="Castration" class="wl">castrated</a> adult male <a href="/en/Cattle" title="Cattle" class="wl">cattle</a>; castration inhibits <a href="/en/Testosterone_and_aggression" title="Testosterone and aggression" class="mw-redirect wl">testosterone and aggression</a>, which makes the males docile and safer to work with. Cows (adult females) or <a href="/en/Bull" title="Bull" class="wl">bulls</a> (intact males) may also be used in some areas.

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Common bovine draft and riding animal</div>
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<figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:India.Mumbai.04.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:India.Mumbai.04.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/India.Mumbai.04.jpg/220px-India.Mumbai.04.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" data-file-type="bitmap" height="165" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/India.Mumbai.04.jpg/330px-India.Mumbai.04.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/India.Mumbai.04.jpg/440px-India.Mumbai.04.jpg 2x" alt="India.Mumbai.04.jpg"></a><figcaption><a href="/en/Zebu" title="Zebu" class="wl">Zebu</a> oxen in <a href="/en/Mumbai,_India" title="Mumbai, India" class="mw-redirect wl">Mumbai, India</a></figcaption></figure>
<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg/220px-Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="760" data-file-height="406" data-file-type="bitmap" height="118" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg/330px-Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg/440px-Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg 2x" alt="Ploughing_with_Oxen.jpg"></a><figcaption>Ploughing with Oxen by George H. Harvey, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1881</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg/220px-Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" data-file-type="bitmap" height="165" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg/330px-Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg/440px-Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg 2x" alt="Traditional_Farming_Methods_and_Equipments.jpg"></a><figcaption>Oxen used in farms for plowing</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Niger,_Filingué_(35),_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Niger,_Filingué_(35),_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Niger%2C_Filingu%C3%A9_%2835%29%2C_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg/220px-Niger%2C_Filingu%C3%A9_%2835%29%2C_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="3588" data-file-height="2176" data-file-type="bitmap" height="133" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Niger%2C_Filingu%C3%A9_%2835%29%2C_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg/330px-Niger%2C_Filingu%C3%A9_%2835%29%2C_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Niger%2C_Filingu%C3%A9_%2835%29%2C_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg/440px-Niger%2C_Filingu%C3%A9_%2835%29%2C_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg 2x" alt="Niger%2C_Filingu%C3%A9_%2835%29%2C_boy_on_ox-drawn_cart.jpg"></a><figcaption>Boy on an ox-drawn cart in Niger</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Ox_skull.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Ox_skull.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Ox_skull.jpg/220px-Ox_skull.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="3679" data-file-height="2463" data-file-type="bitmap" height="147" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Ox_skull.jpg/330px-Ox_skull.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Ox_skull.jpg/440px-Ox_skull.jpg 2x" alt="Ox_skull.jpg"></a><figcaption>Ox skull</figcaption></figure>
Oxen are used for <a href="/en/Plough" title="Plough" class="wl">plowing</a>, for transport (pulling <a href="/en/Cart" title="Cart" class="wl">carts</a>, hauling <a href="/en/Wagon" title="Wagon" class="wl">wagons</a> and even riding), for <a href="/en/Threshing" title="Threshing" class="wl">threshing</a> grain by trampling, and for powering machines that grind grain or supply <a href="/en/Irrigation" title="Irrigation" class="wl">irrigation</a> among other purposes. Oxen may be also used to <a href="/en/Skidder" title="Skidder" class="wl">skid</a> logs in forests, particularly in low-impact, select-cut <a href="/en/Logging" title="Logging" class="wl">logging</a>.

Oxen are usually yoked in pairs. Light work such as carting household items on good roads might require just one pair, while for heavier work, further pairs would be added as necessary. A team used for a heavy load over difficult ground might exceed nine or ten pairs.

An ox /ˈɒks/ , also known as a bullock , is a bovine trained and used as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration inhibits testosterone and aggression, which makes the males docile and safer to work with. Cows or bulls may also be used in some areas. Oxen are used for plowing, for transport , for threshing grain by trampling, and for powering machines that grind grain or supply irrigation among other purposes. Oxen may be also used to skid logs in forests, particularly in low-impact, select-cut logging. Oxen are usually yoked in pairs. Light work such as carting household items on good roads might require just one pair, while for heavier work, further pairs would be added as necessary. A team used for a heavy load over difficult ground might exceed nine or ten pairs. 