As this forum represents the combined knowledge of all mankind. Someone must know the answer.
What sort of minium turning circle is a cow, or oxen is happy turning round for an hour or so on a rotary treadmill sort of thing?
When I say happy, I can't see it getting much pleasure, so maybe efficient would be a better choice.
Anyone?

based on the mill boom tracks in a barn I know, Id allow a radius of 2.5m ish.

The horse mill shown is what we imagine it to have been like, from what limited evidence we have. One or two horses would be brought in for the day to walk around a circle about 16 to 20’ in diameter, pulling “sweeps” attached to some kind of structure which would support the turning of a large horizontal wheel, perhaps 8’ in diameter, and high enough to be above the horses heads. There is just room enough for such an arrangement in the post & beam construction of the Campbell Carriage Factory.

http://agora.virtualmuseum.ca/edu/ViewLoitLo.do;jsessionid=737D8473DD0BB2EA4418DF1C5D794E62?method=preview&id=254&lang=EN

This two horse mill design is closer to 3m radius then.

British oxen are soft.
2m elsewhere. Just google images for ox mill

Cheers all!

I'd have suggest 2.5m after watching Conan…

Thank's Ian for that thread title, it made me grin on what has so far been a slightly grim day.

err, if your thinking of powering your mill, ide go with the 3m jobby, but if your looking for an absoloute minimum, say, for making a pathway in which it couldnt turn around, then i would say its length, it could do a bovine kind of 3 point turn surely?

if you want a bovive 3 point turn, its just a matter of voltage surely?

edit: i just realised a 3 point turn isnt a turning circle, sorry.

edit2: having said that, could it not turn in its own length, but leaving its rear legs stationary (or at least shuffling them a bit) and side stepping its front legs?

tighter still if the back legs can be persuaded to side step in an opposite direction to the front?

i think the question you really need to be asking is;

can cows tango?

Yes, but will it actually take off?