Country Lifestyles
Doan’s Crossing
By Shannon Gillette
At the end of the Civil War, Texas was economically crippled. The one commodity that was extremely abundant was Longhorn cattle. While Texans were cash poor and cattle rich, the Northern portions of the country were suffering from a beef shortage. The time-proven theory of supply and demand came into play and the era of cattle trails was born. Ranchers rounded up the longhorns, tagged or branded them and hired cowboys to herd them north to the railheads in Kansas. The cattle drives lasted two decades, coming to an end when railroads reached Texas, making the cattle drives unnecessary. There is no accurate accounting of exactly how many Longhorns traveled up the dusty cattle trails, but it is believed to be in the millions.
Cowboys would start the herds up the trail in the spring. Several feeder trails throughout Texas funneled into the larger trails such as the Chisholm and the Western Trails. They traveled ten to fifteen miles a day depending on what hazards they encountered. The entire trip to Western Kansas took anywhere from 25 to 100 days to complete. Usually a twelve-man crew could handle a herd of 2,000 to 3,000. Often the herds were comprised of cattle belonging to several different ranchers. Depending on the cowboys’ rank, they were paid $60 to $125 per month. The cook was considered the most important member of the team although his pay did not often reflect that status.
To read more pick up the December 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Annette Bridges
A friend and I were recently talking about our husbands. She made a comment that I felt also perfectly described me and my hubby.
“He slows me and I hurry him. I’m sure that is why we do well together,” she said.
“Precisely!” I thought. Why?
Because when two different worlds collide, it can be magical.
No matter what those two different worlds are- a man and a woman with very different personalities, beliefs, or backgrounds, two partners with contrasting passions, strengths, or talents, or when a country boy marries a city girl.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Watauga, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, is known for its rich history as a railroad stop, but over the course of the last year, one teen girl has put it on the map for agriculture as well. Emma Harvey has lived in Tarrant County her entire life. Despite being highly involved in her local 4-H chapter, she still felt there was more she could do. In the spring of 2023, she stepped up to the plate to take over the title of Tarrant County Teen Miss Agriculture USA.
“It all started when I put in an application for the teen title here in Tarrant County,” explained Harvey.
The Miss Agriculture USA program is a national non-profit, age-inclusive pageant program that offers both competition and non-competition titles to women dedicated to the promotion of agriculture.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
Photo by Hannah Claxton.
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