Ox vs Cow: What Are the Differences?

By md.admin Last updated Jul 3, 2022

Comparing Ox vs Cow

Both oxen and cows belong to the Bos genus.

A-Z-Animals.com

	Ox	Cow
Sex	– A castrated mature male – Rarely a female bovine	A mature female that has been bred
Size	– Larger, heavier, and more muscular than cows when male	– Smaller than oxen and not as muscular – Larger than heifer
Purpose	– Used solely for work purposes – Often trained for upwards of four years	– Used to birth calves – Raised for milk – Slaughtered for meat
Morphology	– Most species’ males have horns – Muscular, rounded shoulders – Large head with prominent brow ridge over their eyes	– Some species’ females have horns – Possess udders – Wider midsection and more angular shoulders
Age	– Four years or more	2 years or over as long as it’s had a calf
Shoes	Shod for working in difficult situations	Not shod

The 6 Key Differences Between an Ox vs Cow

Best farm animals — Cows are female and ox are male in almost all cases

iStock.com/DutchScenery

The greatest differences between an ox and a cow lie in their sex, purpose, and age. Oxen are males in the vast majority of cases, but female oxen can exist if the owner needs a work animal but does not have a male available. Cows are female by definition, and there is no wiggle room on that terminology.

Oxen are trained from a very young age to be draft animals, and they are solely raised to do work. Cows are raised to birth calves, produce milk, and be slaughtered for meat.

Oxen are typically between three and four years of age when they start their “job” in the field. That gives them time to train and learn the signals that the farm or other individual needs to communicate with the animal. Cows are usually over the age of two because they become cows after they’ve had a calf.

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Heifers, female bovines that have not given birth to a baby cow, are sexually mature at 12-15 months. When accounting for the gestation period of a calf, they’re about two years old or older when they become cows.

These differences are noteworthy, but these animals are unique in more ways than these three.

Ox vs Cow: Sex

Deadliest Animals in America — Oxen are males that have been castrated to promote docility

Laura Hedien/Shutterstock.com

Oxen are male, and cows are female. A female bovine will rarely be trained as an ox. Oxen are castrated male bovines that have reached the age of sexual maturity and beyond, giving them the muscle development that they need to perform heavy pulling.

Cows are females that have already had one calf in their lives. Female cattle that have not had any calves are called heifers.

Ox vs Cow: Size

An ox is much larger, heavier, and muscular than a cow. Cows, while larger than a heifer because they have given birth, are smaller than oxen. Nevertheless, an ox, even though it lost the ability to produce important hormones through castration, will be bigger and stronger than a bull due to its breeding.

None of these animals is small, though. Cows can weigh up to 1,760lbs and oxen can weigh up to 2,200lbs. Both creatures can stand almost 5ft at the shoulders and grow between 5ft and 9ft long. On the whole, oxen will be larger because they are bred to be the largest, strongest animals capable of doing work.

Ox vs Cow: Purpose

oxen working together — Oxen are specifically bred to work on farms and other areas

iStock.com/tadija

Oxen are used for work on farms and in other areas of life while cows are used to birth calves, produce milk, or get slaughtered for meat. However, oxen are not used for meat because they are too valuable to lose.

Oxen have been raised and bred to serve as work animals for thousands of years, dating back to the Bronze Age. Most of the time, oxen are raised and trained from birth to fulfill their purpose as draft animals, learning calls and hand signs from their owners. In that sense, oxen make better use of their intelligence than cows, bulls, and steer.

Ox vs Cow: Morphology

Cows will have less musculature, a thick midsection, and udders

iStock.com/Scott Allan

Most species of oxen have horns along with the same muscular, rounded shoulders as bulls. Below their horns will be a large head with a prominent brow and a very powerful, thick neck.

Although some cows have horns, other prominent morphological differences between an ox vs cow exist. They include having udders along with a wide midsection and angular, less-rounded shoulders.

Ox vs Cow: Age

Some definitions stipulate oxen are still steer until they start working in a field after they’re fully trained. Four years is the average length of time it takes to train oxen completely. That doesn’t mean they’re useless in the meantime, though. They can perform many tasks as they are being educated.

Cows start life as heifers. They become cows when they have had their first calf, and that usually occurs when they are about 2 years old or older.

Ox vs Cow: Shoes

Oxen have to be shod so they can work in various settings, but cows are not shod because they spend most of their lives in a pasture or other farm area.

Like other ruminants, oxen are cloven-hoofed, so humans use a careful process to bind and shoe oxen. Also, oxen require unique shoes to fit their hooves. Since they are more unruly than most horses, the process of shoeing a horse can be complex and dangerous.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Are Oxen Smarter than Cows?

Oxen are smarter than cows because they are trained to use their intelligence whereas cows are not. Both animals have a high potential for intelligence, but cows are most likely to never use theirs.

How Are Oxen Different Than Bulls and Steer?

Bulls are male bovines that are intact and raised for breeding. Oxen are castrated male bovines that are used for work. Steers are male bovines that are neutered and raised for beef.

About the Author

Kyle Glatz

I am a freelancer specializing in SEO content writing. I write in a variety of niches such as video games, animals, and managed service providers. I’ve been writing full-time since 2018, so I’ve been doing remote work before it was cool. When I’m not working, I can be found reading, trying to catch up on my tv show backlog, playing video games, and starting stories that I’ll never finish.