Cattle and Open Ranges

What led to the rise of Texas longhorn cattle?

• Spanish cattle bred with English cattle.

• During the Civil War many ranchers were forced to set their cattle free.

• Some ranchers let their cattle roam freely on the open ranges.

• A “maverick” could be claimed by any rancher who caught it.

Why did ranchers ship their cattle to northern states?

• There was not as much competition there.

• The people there were not used to the meat.

• The ranchers were able to sell the meat for a better price.

• They were looking for an adventure.

How did Joseph Glidden’s invention of barbed wire help ranchers?

• It prevented the cattle from trampling the crops.

• It helped close the open range.

• They were better able to control the livestock breeding.

• 
  It made it possible to ranch in dry areas.

How did windmills help ranchers?

• They provided an alternate source of electricity.

• They helped close the open range.

• Ranchers were better able to control the livestock breeding.

• They made it possible to ranch in dry areas.

Complete the sentence by selecting the correct answer:

Ranchers branded their cattle in order to __________________

• sell their cattle to specific businesses

• identify which cattle were theirs

• separate them by gender

Why did ranchers begin selling their beef outside of Texas?

• There was not as much competition.

• Non-Texans had no other source of meat.

• They were able to sell the meat for a better price.

• They were looking for an adventure.

When the ranchers went to fight in the Civil War, what happened to the cattle?

• Many longhorns freely roamed the open range and their numbers increased.

• The longhorn population almost died out.

• The wives and children managed to run the ranches.

• The ranchers sold their cattle to other ranchers.

Which of the following best describes the open range?

• a series of ranches that work together

• unfenced, unowned land used for grazing herds

• land set aside by the government for ranching

• 
  special land grants given to ranchers

Explain the positive changes and negative changes that ranching had on the environment.

Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) Positive Changes

,

(b) Negative Changes

• Fences cut off wild animals' access to water sources

• Windmills enabled ranchers to draw water

• Wind turbines provide renewable energy

• Cattle overgrazed some areas

Why did the cattle industry grow in Texas after the Civil War?

• The Civil War killed all the cows.

• There was a demand for beef in the north and Texas had a large supply of cattle.

• Settlers moved in and brought new cows.