Health Care

Due of hard work, draught bullocks are prone to physical stress and occupational injuries. In addition, they are susceptible to common diseases of bovines.

The types of injuries commonly encountered in working bullocks include bruises and open wounds caused by hitting or whipping and undue pulling on the nose rope, sores caused by badly fitting harness and yokes, concussion caused by stones or dried and hardened mud stuck in the cleft of the hooves and chronic irritation from head ropes leading to horn cancer. Unequal pairing, ill-fitting yokes, working long hours, forcing the animal to pull loads beyond their capacity, careless ploughing, and sadistic beating and ritual branding are some of the reasons for injury. These should be avoided. All injuries should be attended promptly. An animal with injury should be given sufficient rest to recover from it. Regular vaccinations against common diseases like foot and mouth disease, rinderpest, haemorrhagic septicaemia and black quarter may be given under the advice of a veterinary doctor.

Good temperament of a work animal

• A work bullock should be docile and accept handling by the owner.
• It should not kick or butt other bullocks. If one animal in a pair is aggressive, it may force the other bullock to pull unevenly or stop.
• It should not lie down when yoked or become nervous when approached by strangers.
• Bullocks used for carting should not be scared of vehicles.