I'm not much (if any) better off than you in this regard, but I've gleaned some info from previous discussion on this and other lists that I may be able to add into the discussion.
> Although the Orlanthi talk about cattle and use that as their
> currency, they probably keep more sheep (and pigs?) than cattle.
Generally true, but it probably depends a little on the clan. Some have lots of forest for pigs to root around in, some little. Some have lots of good land for growing crops, and will dedicate most of their pasture and hay to cattle rather than sheep.
Probably the biggest difference to keep in mind on deciding how much of what is what they need and what you get from them.
>From pigs you get meat and not especially nice leather. They are
easy enough to keep, being only semi-domesticated, but they are
nobody's idea of fun to care for.
>From sheep you get meat--although not especially prized meat by most--
leather, milk, and wool. They need a lot of care, as they'll pull
grass out by the roots left in one place long enough, they aren't too
good at defending themselves against predators, and are notoriously
stupid. Converting the wool into something useful is a lot of work,
which helps make Dark season more than dead time for the productivity
of the stead.
Cattle give you meat, some milk, good leather, and most importantly, labor. To plow your fields and to pull carts with heavy wheels and ungreased axles through muddy trails up and down hills, you need the power of the Ox. In fact, the ox is the prime non-human source of labor for the Orlanthi, even more important since few clans keep any or many thralls. You need a certain number of Oxen to be able to plough a certain amount of ground in a reasonable time. An ox has a certain useful life span (what it is I'm not sure), so you need a certain number of cows to be able to have enough male calves to support the number of oxen needed for your fields. Of course there is the prestige factor too, and certainly roasting a cow or ox makes a much more impressive feast than roasting sheep or pigs. The cattle aren't as rough on pastures, but they still need to be moved around to find fresh grass. They are somewhat more able to take care of themselves than sheep are, but of course losing one cow is worse than losing a few sheep.
> Sheep and cattle need to be moved from pasture to pasture by
> herders. There are seasonal high and low pastures.
I think this depends on the land. Sartar is hilly, so most clans will have some highlands that aren't good for growing crops, but which will grow grass once cleared of trees. Meanwhile as much as possible of the low lands are cultivated or used for hay. Hence it makes sense to graze the uplands as much as you can, but of course you don't want to spend the winters there, and the grass is slower coming up. Hence, yes, many clans will move from lower to upper pastures, but others will have other arrangements, depending on their lands.
When to move the herds probably varies some. For starters on your altitude (when are the upper pastures ready, and how late are they green?), but also on the animals (i.e. yearling cattle will be moved early, oxen after the planting is all finished, cows with calves maybe not at all, or maybe later in the year for a little while, etc). But I'm sure someone can give you real world examples for various cultures.
> Do Orlanthi use oxen or horses for plowing? IIRC, the horse collar
> was a significant invention IRW - which is not to say the Orlanthi
> can't have them.
Very clearly they use oxen for plowing. This suggests that they
don't have the "modern" horse collar (what they do have straps across
the front of the horse, which inhibits their breathing if they pull
hard. All right for light carts or chariots that are more about
speed than heavy pulling, but not good for plowing or heavy pulling.)
>
> During the good seasons, do the herds stay out in the pastures all
> day and night? Presumably herd-boys stay with them, maybe with
alynx
> assistance?
I think so. There has been discussions on some list or other about
this, and the suspicion is that most of the young adult boys (and
maybe girls to some extent) spend the warm seasons out with the
herds, in the company of a few full time herdsmen and a few warriors
(who besides offering some protection drill the youngsters in weapons
and war).
>
> Would there be a small stead (or even just a hut) at the high
> pasture for the herders?
I can't imagine that there wouldn't be. Another thing to keep the lads busy, chinking or thatching the shelter! Still, sometimes they are probably sleeping wrapped in a cloak, near the animals, depending on how spread out the upland pastures are. Simple tents are probable in some cases too, I'd imagine.
--Bryan
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