> p.s. I've a feeling we don't use the word steer much in the UK, that
> we just poleax 'em young and make cat food or human food. keeping
> them alive is more for extensive farming. Or is it just pig-
> ignorance on my part? (That last question is not for Chris).
You use them for heavy hauling. They're called Oxen, then.
Steer = young castrated bull destined to be turned into meat early on (or an
ox that's too young to haul heavy loads yet)
Ox = Castrated bull used for heavy hauling, *then* turned into meat at the
end of it's natural life
Bullok = another name for Ox; not to be confused with:
Ballocks = Balls! An exclamation of dismay.
Bringing this back to Glorantha, ort at least somewhere close...
A cattle herd will produce 50-50 cows and bull-calves (unless you have some
funky magic working!). You generally keep the cows, as they are a
self-replicating resource.
You might keep a bull, to keep the resource self-replicating. You don't
actually have to have your own bull; you can pay to have another man's bull
"cover" your cows. A fine bull is an important commodity! (Cattle-raid of
Cooley, anyone?)
You keep several oxen for plowing and hauling carts. Officially, you need 8
oxen to qualify for "Full Carl" status. Since they have to be of a certain
size before they are really able to do this, you'll have some 1-4 year old
steers in the herd that aren't quite ready for work.
Any bullcalves above those needed above are fed up to a good weight, then
slaughtered, usually in the fall (Thunder Rebels lists Slaughter Day around
Dark/Harmony/Darkness Season). Unusual ones might be kept for sacrifices
instead.
During the FimbulWinter of OiD, oxen will be the first of the "saved" animals to go, followed by the weaker cows. If you've got a good bull, or good cows, you'll save them in hopes of the future, if at all possible. But when it comes to your family starving or your pure-black bull, which do you think gets put into the pot?
It will take many years for the cattle herds in the affected areas to get built back up to strength. There may be attempts by the tribes bordering Prax to steal herd animals to use as a substitue. Catte raiding into Tarsh is always a possibility.
RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has
done what he has done.
- Richelieu
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