Economic Life (7) Animal Welfare

Humans are allowed to use animals to assist with their work.

Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain (Deut 25:4).

In Moses time, oxen were an important part of the harvest. When the wheat what cut it was laid on a an area of hard ground called the threshing floor. Oxen would be made to walk in a circle on the threshing floor, and the pressure of the hooves would break the grain off the stalks to which it was attached. The next step took place on a windy day. The farm would toss the trampled wheat into the air with a winnowing fork. The wind would blow the chaff away while the grain would fall to the ground.

The message of Deuteronomy is that it is legitimate to use animals to provide mechanical power. However, the owner has a duty to care for the working animal really well. For example, a team of horses pulling a plough needed to be fed three times a day.