Difference Between Ox And Bull

Ox vs Bull

The terms Ox and Bull applies to bovines including moose, buffalo, etc and belong to the species Bos taurus i.e. cattle. They basically are male cows with a major difference between them. Ox refers to bovine castrated on attainment of puberty, while all parts of a bull are intact. The word castration refers to the removal of one or both testicles of a male reproductive system. An ox is castrated so as to prevent him from reproduction. Castration reduces its aggression, which helps in taming the ox easily. On castration, the rear end of his body develops more than as compared to the front end. This is quite helpful in meat production. Also, meat of un-castrated animals produces bad odour.

A bull is never castrated. Bulls and oxen both serve totally different purposes. Since reproductive organs of a bull are not removed, it is extensively used for breeding cows and heifers. Bulls are quite aggressive and hence it is almost impossible to tame them. The body and built of bulls are quite muscular and heavy as compared to that of an ox. It has a muscular neck, thicker bones and a huge head with protective ridges above the eyes. Their weight is far more than that of the oxen. Since apart from breeding they do not serve any other purpose, they are slaughtered for beef before the onset of puberty.

An ox is mostly referred to as a beast of burden. Since they are not much aggressive, they are used for ploughing fields, grinding the grains, irrigation by powering pumps, carrying heavy loads, etc. Basically oxen are used as draft animals on the farms. Most often, oxen are used in pairs of two in carts to pull heavy loads and cargo. It is said that oxen have more stamina and power than the horses and as a result oxen can carry more heavier cargo for a comparatively longer duration. They are easily trained to understand their master’s signals to do certain tasks on the field. They rarely get injured as have got very strong feet. Since oxen are castrated, they are slaughtered and various body parts like kidneys, tail, skin, livers, and even blood are sold for varied purposes. Oxen do not have the ability to mate or breed because of castration.

Though both ox and bull are born to a cow, their physical differences appear as they grow with age . Testosterone differences also appear. An Ox is easy to handle and is comparatively calm, while a bull is very difficult to be handled and is extremely aggressive. Bull is considered to be very lazy while an ox is very useful and active on the fields. Apart from its breeding ability, it is useless for domestic purposes. A bull is far more mightier than an ox.

Because of their temperament, from ancient times, they have been used in sports like bull racing, bull fighting and bull riding. In Indian households, a bull named Nandi is worshipped as the vehicle of Lord Shiva.