What makes an OX an ox?

Question

I've seen pictures since my time in elementary school of oxen from Europe and from the 18th and 19th century here in the states. My question is what makes it an ox? The pictures for the most part look just like common cattle. There was one I remember from Europe, a drawing, that showed an animal with amazingly large horns, perhaps even bigger than a Texas Longhorn, not sure if they were the same in both places or not. I am most curious about the oxen here in USA during the cowboy days. Thanks

Answer 1

A cow is a female of the bovine species. Ox is a specific kind of animal

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a cow is a female. An ox and a bull are male

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Cow tail soup just doesn`t have much appeal about it

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They are two different animals! It has nothing to do with gender.

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A young female that has had only one calf is sometimes called a "first-calf heifer." A young male is a "bullock." The term "bullock," or "steer," is also used to denote a castrated male, unless kept for draft purposes, in which case it is called an "ox" (plural "oxen"), not to be confused with the related wild musk ox. If castrated as an adult, it is called a "stag." An intact male is called a "bull." An adult female who has had more than two calves is called a "cow." The adjective applying to cattle is "bovine."

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An Ox is a beast of burden, and a cow is a feast of burgers.

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cows are females...oxen are castrated bulls



http://www.educationask.com/trivia/379-Trivia.html

Answer 2

Ox Animal

Answer 3

A cow and an ox are members of the Bovinae subfamily. In terms of physiology, cows and oxen do not have significant differences. But humans differentiate cows and oxen according to their specific use in the farm. So here are some unique differences between a cow and an ox.



A cow is a female. To be called as such, it should be approximately 4 years old and has given birth to at least one calf. Its male counterpart is called a bull. An ox, on the other hand, is a castrated mature bull. So gender can be said as the primary difference between an ox and a cow.



A cow is raised as a livestock for its meat. It is also a dairy animal which is a source of milk and other dairy products like butter and cheese. Meanwhile, the ox is a draft animal. It is used to pull carts, plows, and sleds. It can also be used as a beast of burden for powering traditional agricultural machines like grain grinders or irrigation pumps.



Most often than not, an ox is more intelligent than a cow. That is because an ox is a trained animal. It has been trained to respond correctly to the commands of its handler. It can respond to sound commands or through rope or whip prodding.







Cows on the other hand are usually allowed to graze. Their owners never bother to train them. Commercial cows for large dairy factories are kept in a special corral. All they have to do is to eat and drink so they can produce plenty of milk.



In terms of built, an ox is more massive, muscular, and sturdy. In contrast, cows generally do not have stronger muscles like the oxen.



These are the distinguishing characteristics of an ox and a cow. So when you go to a farm, you will be able to identify which is the cow and which is the ox.









http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-ox-and-cow/#ixzz1TErCdXvd

Answer 4

RE:

What makes an OX an ox?

I've seen pictures since my time in elementary school of oxen from Europe and from the 18th and 19th century here in the states. My question is what makes it an ox? The pictures for the most part look just like common cattle. There was one I remember from Europe, a drawing, that showed an...