Texas Cattle Research Articles

Genomic Profiling of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Clinical Salmonella Isolates from Cattle in the Texas Panhandle, USA.

Rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Salmonella serotypes host-adapted to cattle is of increasing concern to the beef and dairy industry. The bulk of the existing literature focuses on AMR post-slaughter. In comparison, the understanding of AMR in Salmonella among pre-harvest cattle is still limited, particularly in Texas, which ranks top five in beef and dairy exports in the United States; inherently, the health of Texas cattle has nationwide implications for the health of the United States beef and dairy industry. In this study, long-read whole genome sequencing and bioinformatic methods were utilized to analyze antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in 98 isolates from beef and dairy cattle in the Texas Panhandle. Fisher exact tests and elastic net models accounting for population structure were used to infer associations between genomic ARG profiles and antimicrobial phenotypic profiles and metadata. Gene mapping was also performed to assess the role of mobile genetic elements in harboring ARGs. Antimicrobial resistance genes were found to be statistically different between the type of cattle operation and Salmonella serotypes. Beef operations were statistically significantly associated with more ARGs compared to dairy operations. Salmonella Heidelberg, followed by Salmonella Dublin isolates, were associated with the most ARGs. Additionally, specific classes of ARGs were only present within mobile genetic elements.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b Virus Infection in Domestic Dairy Cattle and Cats, United States, 2024.

We report highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in dairy cattle and cats in Kansas and Texas, United States, which reflects the continued spread of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses that entered the country in late 2021. Infected cattle experienced nonspecific illness, reduced feed intake and rumination, and an abrupt drop in milk production, but fatal systemic influenza infection developed in domestic cats fed raw (unpasteurized) colostrum and milk from affected cows. Cow-to-cow transmission appears to have occurred because infections were observed in cattle on Michigan, Idaho, and Ohio farms where avian influenza virus-infected cows were transported. Although the US Food and Drug Administration has indicated the commercial milk supply remains safe, the detection of influenza virus in unpasteurized bovine milk is a concern because of potential cross-species transmission. Continued surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in domestic production animals is needed to prevent cross-species and mammal-to-mammal transmission.

Interactions of gulf cordgrass, Spartina spartinae (Trin.) Merr. ex Hitchc., habitat with ixodids on the South Texas coastal plain

Many ixodid species on the South Texas coastal plain can transmit pathogens to their hosts. Substantial areas are dominated by gulf cordgrass, Spartina spartinae (Trin.) Merr. ex Hitch. The S. spartinae habitat was examined in terms of abiotic and biotic factors that likely impinge upon ixodids using the plant for questing. Natural enemies, temperature, humidity, and plant structure were investigated as possible mortality factors and improving ixodid survival. Spartina spartinae (soil and foliage) harbored few natural enemies of ixodids, and soil salinity was nonlethal. Conditions were cooler and more humid inside S. spartinae clumps than in the canopies; hence, questing ixodids can rehydrate inside the clump when threatened by desiccation. Leaves were mostly “V” shaped in cooler months and, during warm months, the tightly folded leaf slot predominated, into which larvae crawled. Immature ixodids were more abundant in the concave side of the “V”-shaped leaves than on the exposed convex side. Larvae sought refuge from potential lethal ambient air conditions by entering tight warm season leaf folds. The leaf “V” and fold offer opportunities for rehydration on the leaf without moving to the clump’s base. In addition to five other species collected on the grass, a relatively heavy larval southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini), population was detected, suggesting that abundances in the South Texas cattle fever tick eradication quarantine zone are increasing and might spread further into Texas.

4 Survey of Mycoplasma Wenyonii Infection in a Texas Beef Cattle Herd

Abstract Mycoplasma wenyonii is hemotrophic bacteria known to cause mild anemia, localized edema, and pyrexia in infected cattle. It has been previously detected in cattle herds across the world, including United States beef herd. Mode of transmission, prevalence, and a full profile of symptoms associated with this species of bacteria have not been established. This case study aimed to elucidate the percentage of infected cattle in a local Erath County beef herd and determine which groups of cattle may have the greatest infection rates. Groups were determined based on sex and age, bull, cow, or unsexed calf. Blood was collected from 4 bulls, 61 cows, and 55 calves from the same producer on the same day. A blood extraction kit that utilized spin column-based nucleic acid purification was used to extract DNA from blood samples. Primers were constructed to be highly specific to the m. wenyonii sequence to avoid confusion with other common mycoplasma species. Extracted m. weyonii DNA was quantified using qPCR. Melt curve analysis was performed to verify the amplicon product size. Standard deviation of the melting point was calculated and selection was made within 2 standard deviations of the control. Animals with any detectable amount of m. wenyonii DNA present in their blood were considered positive for infection for the purposes of this case study. This survey yielded positive results for 2 of the 4 bulls, 19 of the 61 cows, and 0 calves. The lack of positive samples in the calf population suggests that the placenta functions as a barrier to infection. This study provides perspective on the prevalence of this microorganism in Texas cattle populations and serves as a basis for future studies. More investigation is needed to better understand the impact of this bacterial infection on Texas beef cattle producers.

XIT: The Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller

Reviewed by: XIT: The Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller Kevin Kipers XIT: The Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana. By Michael M. Miller. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2020. 288 pp. Illustrations, tables, maps, notes, bibliography, index. $29.95 cloth. In XIT, Michael M. Miller examines the XIT Ranch’s cattle business activity by contextualizing the company’s place in the American livestock industry and against the broader context of an ever-emerging economic system of capitalist enterprise, often run by businessmen overseas, on a disappearing western frontier. Miller weaves together his narrative through examinations of XIT cattle activity in Texas and Montana from 1885 to 1912. Events in chapters 2 and 3 represent the setup for Miller’s narrative about the ranch’s origins and subsequent business growth until its operations ceased in the early twentieth century. In chapter 2, Miller discusses provisions in the 1876 Texas constitution aimed at promoting open settlement for average small farmers, yet loopholes around and constant legal increases in acreage limits resulted in many public lands falling into corporate ownership. Miller, in chapter 3, details the chaotic set of events surrounding reconstruction plans for and disagreements about the Texas capitol between 1881 and 1888 and the role XIT associates played in it while dysfunctional leadership delayed project completion. Although this chapter tells an important story about how an expensive real estate venture ultimately inclined XIT to invest in cattle as a potentially more profitable market, Miller does not make this premise explicit until chapter 4. For the remainder of the book, Miller effectively describes XIT’s transition from investing in real estate to cattle, as well as the challenges company officials encountered in securing desired levels of revenue. XIT owners started their initial cattle operations in 1885 on lands purchased in the Texas panhandle. There they intended to profit through selling the livestock to prospective settlers hoping to obtain land in the waning era of open westward expansion. Miller highlights several underlying sets of obstacles that plagued goals of XIT affiliates and settlers alike, including cattle diseases, harsh winters, and difficulties securing transportation contracts with railroad companies. Cattle frequently suffered fevers that spread among herds, for which XIT operators in Texas constantly received blame, hindering efforts to expand when nearby jurisdictions imposed laws restricting transport of cattle. Securing transport agreements with railways like the Fort Worth & Denver City, and eventual additional land purchases for cattle grazing in Montana, initially helped offset some of the issues with dwindling property availability in Texas and business growth. Still, XIT businessmen were ultimately unable to accomplish long-term sustainability and profits. Cattle prices and demand among buyers declined into the early years of the twentieth century, and the company mismanaged its operations. Miller’s work skillfully sheds light on a declining livestock market in a period when open western settlement was also diminishing. [End Page 359] Kevin Kipers Department of History Washington State University, Tri-Cities Copyright © 2023 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana

XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana

XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller (review)

XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller (review)

Costs of Horn Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Control for Cow-calf Producers in Tennessee and Texas, 2016.

Tennessee and Texas cow-calf producers were surveyed to assess their 2016 expenses for horn fly control methods. Cattle producers who were members of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and Tennessee cattle producers who have participated in the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program participated in the survey. Average horn fly management costs in Tennessee and Texas were $9.50/head and $12.40/head, respectively. An ordinary least squares regression and quantile regression were estimated to examine how horn fly costs are influenced by producer and farm demographics, seasonality of horn flies, producer horn fly perceptions, and management practices. When controlling for these variables, Tennessee and Texas cattle producers did not spend significantly different amounts on horn fly control methods. Horn fly costs were associated with producer and farm demographics, producer perceptions of horn flies, and management practices. For example, results indicate that horn fly management costs vary depending on a producer's level of education and income. Having Angus cattle and larger herd sizes were associated with lower costs per head spent on horn fly management. Producers who did not consider horn flies to be a problem until greater quantities of flies were present on the animal spent 15% less per head on managing horn flies. In terms of horn fly control methods, feedthrough insecticides increased horn fly costs the most, followed by using ear tags. This is the first known research to estimate horn fly management costs among cattle producers.

Evaluation of Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Wheat (Triticum aestivum) for Resistance to Hessian Fly, Mayetiola destructor, in a Controlled Environment

Small grains are widely grown as a cool-season forage crop for beef cattle and dairy industries in Texas. Small grains such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for grazing are typically planted early in the fall and hence are more vulnerable to infestation by Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say). Although delaying planting until cooler weather can reduce pressure, Texas does not have a “fly free” date like many northern states. However, other small grains such as barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) might be less prone to damage by Hessian fly. An experiment in a controlled environment was used to determine resistance of winter barley, hard red winter wheat, and hard red spring wheat lines to Hessian fly and compare infestations among species. Infested tillers of winter wheat were collected and put with barley and wheat lines at Feekes growth stage 1.1 in a growth chamber. Approximately 2 weeks later, plants were dissected and numbers of Hessian fly larvae and pupae were counted. Hessian fly infestations significantly greater than zero using Fisher's LSD (P < 0.1) were considered susceptible while those not significantly different were resistant. Results showed that 42 of 136 (30.9%) winter barley, 31 of 40 (77.5%) winter wheat, and eight of 24 (33.3%) spring wheat genotypes were susceptible to the biotype of Hessian fly. The average numbers of Hessian flies per tiller were 2.2, 4.8, and 7.6 for barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat lines, respectively. Barley was a less preferred host than wheat and might be better suited in areas with abundant Hessian flies.

XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana. By Michael M. Miller

<i>XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana.</i> By Michael M. Miller

XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller

Reviewed by: XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller Renée M. Laegreid XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana. By Michael M. Miller. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2020. Pp. 268. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index). The XIT ranch in the Texas Panhandle holds an indelible place in the history of post-Civil War cattle ranches, both in fact and in lore. Despite its relatively short existence (1882–1912), cities, museums, and businesses in Texas still celebrate the cowboy and cattle drive legacy of the XIT. Miller’s goal in XIT: A Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana is to move beyond this romanticized view of the ranch and show “the true story of how the backup plan for a group of Chicago land developers, with support of an international cartel of investors, grew into a cattle ranch that sprawled from Texas to Montana” (1). He does so by constructing a corporate [End Page 211] history of the ranch, clearly situating its origins, operations, and, ultimately, its demise within the context of Gilded Age industrial capitalism and the rise of what he terms imperial ranches. The chapters move chronologically, with Miller’s narrative constructed and driven by corporate correspondence, documents, letters, and ledgers; each chapter clearly and consistently connects the ranch’s history to corporate interests and decision-making processes. Miller begins by introducing the origins of the ranch, a three-million-acre land grant in the Texas Panhandle set aside by the legislature, from which proceeds from its land sales would finance the state’s new capitol building in Austin. A group of Chicago businessmen known as the Syndicate agreed to market and manage sales. But construction costs ballooned, and land sales failed to materialize. Miller traces the morass of Texas tax policies, political players, and controversies over building materials that pressured the Syndicate to increase profits. By 1885 they abandoned their original plan to sell the land and decided instead to use it to raise cattle. The timing was fortuitous; their entrance into the cattle business occurred alongside the rise of powerful organized lobbying groups and organizations—the first Cattle Convention and The Bureau of Animal Industry (a sub-agency of the Department of Agriculture) both emerged in 1884. Syndicate members used their extensive national and international business networks, as well as ensuring that its men held political influence at national and local levels, to protect their interests. While 1885 was not a great year to start ranching, with overstocked ranges, falling prices, and extreme weather that led to the “big cattle die-off” of 1886–87, Miller shows how modern management strategies allowed the XIT to overcome these challenges and emerge more competitive by developing efficient land, cattle, and crop management strategies. In 1890, the XIT expanded into Montana’s “Big Open,” the last of the “free” livestock ranges located between the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, as part of a business strategy to exploit shifts in transportation, production, and consumer demand. The Montana plan lasted until 1898 when it inexplicably suspended operations. It reopened in 1902, then shut down permanently in 1912, as did all XIT operations, when the Texas real estate market shifted and the Syndicate returned to its original and now profitable mission of selling the land grant’s three million acres to small ranchers, farmers, and speculators. Michael M. Miller provides a meticulously researched and intensely focused study on the men and business strategies behind the mythic XIT ranch. Although one would hope that by now readers who enjoy western history understand that the post-Civil War cattle business was, indeed, an industry, Miller not only reinforces that point, but also shows how the XIT dominated this era of imperial ranches with near hegemonic power, [End Page 212] utilizing their network of financial and political forces to help shape agricultural enterprises in Texas and the West into the twenty-first century. Renée M. Laegreid University of Wyoming Copyright © 2021 The Texas State Historical Association

Evaluation of Autogenous Vaccine Use in Mitigating Salmonella in Lymph Nodes from Feedlot Cattle in Texas

Managing the presence of Salmonella in ground beef has been an ongoing challenge for the beef industry. Salmonella prevalence can vary regionally, seasonally, and within the animal, making the development of interventions difficult. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of an autogenous Salmonella vaccine in mitigating Salmonella in lymph nodes (LNs) of feedlot cattle. An autogenous vaccine was developed using the most common Salmonella enterica serovars (Salmonella Kentucky, Salmonella Anatum, Salmonella Muenchen, Salmonella Montevideo, and Salmonella Mbandaka) identified from cattle managed at a South Texas feedlot with historically high Salmonella prevalence. Fifty-five heifers were selected for even distribution across five groups: (i) BASE, which received no autogenous vaccinations and were harvested after the stocker stage, (ii) CNTRL, which received no autogenous vaccinations, (iii) FARM, which received autogenous vaccinations at the ranch only, (iv) SPLIT, which received autogenous vaccinations at both the ranch and feedlot, and (v) YARD, which received vaccinations at the feedlot only. One heifer each from the BASE and CNTRL groups did not complete the study. All treatment groups except BASE were harvested after reaching market weight. Left and right superficial cervical and subiliac LNs from each carcass were collected and analyzed for Salmonella presence, and positive samples were serotyped. No salmonellae were recovered from LNs derived from BASE, FARM, SPLIT, or YARD groups. Cattle in the BASE group were expected to have a low occurrence of Salmonella based on previous research. However, the percentage of Salmonella-positive animals in the CNTRL group was 20.0% (2 of 10), which is lower than expected based on historical data from the same feeding location. There could be several causes of decreased Salmonella presence in the LNs of control cattle, creating an opportunity for future investigation into the development of preharvest interventions to combat Salmonella in feedlots.

97 Impact of Regionalized Forage Quality and Quantity and Feed Grain Water Use on the Daily Texas Beef Cattle Water Footprint and Supply Chain Efficiency

Abstract Livestock water use sustainability is a growing concern in the beef cattle sector. The Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) method has been used to quantify the water footprint (WF) of beef products but does not suggest any specific management strategies to decrease the WF of beef cattle (WFB) within and across the beef supply chain. The WFB is primarily influenced by forage and grain production water uses (m3/t), which are directly linked to dry matter (kg/d) and water intake (L/d) and cattle growth (kg/d). Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the alteration of forage quality and above-ground biomass production (t/ha) of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), in addition to published WF estimates for corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) production (m3/t) on the daily Texas WFB. A dynamic Texas Beef Water Footprint Model (TXWFB) was developed to predict WFB, using the System Dynamic methodology and equations from the Ruminant Nutrition System (RNS) and Beef Nutrient Requirements (NASEM) models. Results indicated that forage and crop biomass production is a high-leverage solution to offset the daily Texas WFB (%∆ = -55 to 130). The alteration of forage TDN had less of an impact on the Texas WFB (%∆ = -39 to 17). An ANOVA with a Tukey Posthoc test indicated that all WFB scenarios were significantly different (P &amp;lt; 0.05) except for the low versus base TDN under low water use conditions scenario. The variability in the use of green and blue waters for grains indicated that the final WFB, in the feedlot phase, may be lower than the WFB in the cow-calf or stocker stages under certain efficiency conditions. Identification of high and low-leverage solutions may help Texas cattle stakeholders implement systemic strategies that aid in the efforts for sustainable beef water use.

Up the Trail: How Texas Cowboys Herded Longhorns and Became an American Icon by Tim Lehman

Reviewed by: Up the Trail: How Texas Cowboys Herded Longhorns and Became an American Icon by Tim Lehman Tim Keane Up the Trail: How Texas Cowboys Herded Longhorns and Became an American Icon. By Tim Lehman. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018. 184 pp. Notes, suggested further reading, index. $19.95, paper. Chasing grass, good weather, and greed. Tim Lehman's book is terse, inviting, and a fun read. The primary characters in this story are the cattle, the drovers, and the fickle climate of the Great Plains. Supporting roles are played by railroad and cattle barons, the beef market, and western expansion following the Civil War. From this great open-air saga emerged an American icon built upon rumor, legend, and folklore. The "Texas longhorn" was an invasive species that, while wild and dangerous, represented "cash on the hoof." Vast herds of cattle represented a resource free for the claiming to anyone who could gather and burn their brand onto their flanks. But the markets for the beef they provided were in the East and the railheads were to the north. Lehman describes the beginnings of the trail drives and the herders they required in accurate and compelling text. He shows the difficulty of managing wild herds with boys of varied skills, fortitude, and commitment, many of whom were teens and people of color. And as Lehman notes, most only made one drive. Interesting was the observation that the laconic nature of the stoic cowboy was likely due to the depression of spirits that resulted from the monotony and isolation of the trail. Lehman's story of the characters of the trails north is engaging and informative. However, I longed for a stronger characterization of the free ranges of tallgrass that covered the Southern Plains and fed the cattle and horse on their trails to Kansas, and likewise, the devastation [End Page 172] of these grasses and soils as markets boomed and tens of thousands of cattle moved north, many wintering on ranges around the rail heads to gain weight and kill off the Texas fever–carrying ticks. Lehman deftly shows that just when the trail drives should have ended, the chase for quick and easy profits moved the routes west and farther north. He notes that taking Texas cattle to the Northern Plains and the cool-season grasses (that cured into highprotein forage) was made possible by the near eradication of the bison and necessitated by the impounding of the Native peoples of the region. These northern drives and winter stocking essentially ended when the deadly winter of 1886–87 hit the overgrazed Northern Plains. From the dust and ashes of the trails rose an American icon, the cowboy. Lehman traces this transformation in cogent fashion, from the night-herd songs and poems, to the "dime novels," to the Hollywood "horse operas" of the early 1900s. Gone from this legend were the hardship, the cruelty, and the extreme toll exacted from the land, the stock, and the men of the trail drives that we are given glimpses of in this appealing book. Tim Keane College of Architecture, Planning & Design Kansas State University Copyright © 2020 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

66 Future-proofing the feedyard workforce: Survey of Texas beef cattle stockpeople indicates positive attitudes towards animals and the workplace while highlighting opportunities for improvement

Abstract A survey was administered to Texas cattle feedyard employees (n = 111) from 31 different operations measuring stockperson perception, job satisfaction, and socioeconomic status using Likert statements and multiple-choice questions. Differences among employment roles (manager, pen rider, processor, doctor) were evaluated using a Kruskal-Wallis test followed by a Multiple Comparison procedure. Managers more strongly agreed that “beef cattle are not dirty” than doctors (P = 0.03) and that “cattle behavior is affected by the way we treat them” than pen riders (P = 0.002) or processors (P = 0.01). Managers were less likely than doctors, pen riders and processors to believe they have too many cattle to look after (P = 0.05, P = 0.006 and P = 0.01, respectively). Pen riders reported less confidence in performing euthanasia than doctors (P = 0.02) and managers (P = 0.02), and, along with processors, agreed that cattle were not always euthanized in a timely manner (P = 0.02 and P = 0.02, respectively). While all roles viewed Holstein cattle unfavorably (P &lt; 0.001), processors viewed them more positively than pen riders (P = 0.05) and managers (P = 0.001). Socioeconomic results showed that Texas feedyards have a dedicated, passionate workforce, with 43% of participants having worked in the industry for 9+ years and 49% of participants working at cattle feedyards because they enjoy working with animals. Unfortunately, it was evident that stockpeople are underpaid (57% of participants making between $10–15/hr) and overworked (76% of participants working 50+ hrs/wk). Survey responses identified critical role-dependent knowledge gaps and biases. A disconnect was observed among compensation, workload, and the duration of time stockpeople spend interacting with cattle. Increasing industry investment in feedyard employees and providing breed-specific and employee role-specific education may promote an encouraging workplace that ensures cattle experience good welfare.

15 Future-proofing the feedyard workforce: Survey of Texas beef cattle stockpeople indicates positive attitudes towards animals and the workplace while highlighting opportunities for improvement

Abstract A survey was administered to Texas cattle feedyard employees (n = 111) from 31 different operations measuring stockperson perception, job satisfaction and socioeconomic status using Likert statements and multiple-choice questions. Differences among employment roles (manager, pen rider, processor, doctor) were evaluated using a Kruskal-Wallis test followed by a Multiple Comparison procedure. Managers more strongly agreed that “beef cattle are not dirty” than doctors (P = 0.03) and that “cattle behavior is affected by the way we treat them” than pen riders (P = 0.002) or processors (P = 0.01). Managers were less likely than doctors, pen riders, and processors to believe they have too many cattle to look after (P = 0.05, P = 0.006 and P = 0.01, respectively). Pen riders reported less confidence in performing euthanasia than doctors (P = 0.02) and managers (P = 0.02), and, along with processors, agreed that cattle were not always euthanized in a timely manner (P = 0.02 and P = 0.02, respectively). While all roles viewed Holstein cattle unfavorably (P &lt; 0.001), processors viewed them more positively than pen riders (P = 0.05) and managers (P = 0.001). Socioeconomic results showed that Texas feedyards have a dedicated, passionate work force, with 43% of participants having worked in the industry for 9+ years and 49% of participants working at cattle feedyards because they enjoy working with animals. Unfortunately, it was evident that stockpeople are underpaid (57% of participants making between $10–15/hr) and overworked (76% of participants working 50+ hrs/wk). Survey responses identified critical role-dependent knowledge gaps and biases. A disconnect was observed among compensation, workload, and the duration of time stockpeople spend interacting with cattle. Increasing industry investment in feedyard employees and providing breed-specific and employee role-specific education may promote an encouraging workplace that ensures cattle experience good welfare.

Evaluation of the Texas Feed Yard Workforce: Survey of Stockperson Attitudes and Perceptions towards Euthanasia, Animal Care and Employee Value

A survey was administered to Texas cattle feedyard employees (n =111) from 31 different operations measuring stockperson perception, job satisfaction and socioeconomic status using Likert statements and multiple-choice questions. Differences among employment roles (manager, pen rider, processor (those who vaccinate and implant incoming calves), doctor (non-veterinarians)) were evaluated using a Kruskal-Wallis test followed by a Multiple Comparison procedure. Managers strongly agreed with the statement “beef cattle are not dirty” more than doctors (P = 0.03) and that “cattle behavior is affected by the way we treat them” than pen riders (P = 0.002) or processors (P = 0.01). Managers were less likely than doctors, pen riders and processors to believe they have too many cattle to look after (P = 0.05, P = 0.006 and P = 0.01, respectively). Pen riders reported less confidence in performing euthanasia than doctors (P = 0.02) and managers (P = 0.02) and, along with processors, agreed that cattle were not always euthanized in a timely manner (P = 0.02 and P = 0.02, respectively). While all roles viewed Holstein cattle unfavorably (P < 0.001), processors viewed them more positively than pen riders (P = 0.05) and managers (P = 0.001). Socioeconomic results showed that Texas feedyards have a dedicated, passionate work force, with 43% of participants having worked in the industry for 9+ years and 49% of participants working at cattle feedyards because they enjoy working with animals. Unfortunately, it was evident that stock people are underpaid (57% of participants making between $10-15/hr) and overworked (76% of participants working 50+ hrs/week). Survey responses identified critical role-dependent knowledge gaps and biases. A disconnect was observed among compensation, workload and the duration of time stock people spend interacting with cattle. Increasing industry investment in feedyard employees and providing breed-specific and employee role-specific education may promote an encouraging workplace that ensures feedlot cattle experience good welfare.

The Old Chisholm Trail: From Cow Path to Tourist Stop by Wayne Ludwig, and: The Chisholm Trail: Joseph McCoy’s Great Gamble by James E. Sherow

Reviewed by: The Old Chisholm Trail: From Cow Path to Tourist Stop by Wayne Ludwig, and: The Chisholm Trail: Joseph McCoy’s Great Gamble by James E. Sherow Andrew Offenburger The Old Chisholm Trail: From Cow Path to Tourist Stop. By Wayne Ludwig. Nancy and Ted Paup Ranching and Heritage Series. (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2018. Pp. xx, 307. $37.00, ISBN 978-1-62349-671-5.) The Chisholm Trail: Joseph McCoy’s Great Gamble. By James E. Sherow. Public Lands History. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2018. Pp. xxii, 338. $29.95, ISBN 978-0-8061-6053-5.) For most of the nineteenth century, a network of cattle trails connected southern Texas with major transportation nodes in New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Joseph, Missouri; and Abilene, Kansas. Men drove their herds to market over these paths despite complicated geographical and political lines; they forded the Trinity River near Fort Worth, Texas, as much as they attempted to cross from South to North during the nation’s midcentury political crisis. Though hindered by the Civil War, vast drives resumed when national markets reopened, unimpeded by separatism. Cattlemen like Jesse and Thornton Chisholm and stockyard investors like Joseph McCoy recognized the potential for profit that soon gave rise to the famous Chisholm Trail, over which millions of Texas cattle tramped their way to midwestern railheads and, eventually, to urban markets in the Northeast. The heyday of these cattle drives occurred between 1867 and 1872, a blip in time compared with the Chisholm Trail’s cultural significance, which has been enshrined in popular depictions of the West ever since. Two recent books explain this history in distinct ways. Wayne Ludwig’s The Old Chisholm Trail: From Cow Path to Tourist Stop, researched with passion and attention to detail, immerses the reader in the region’s history of cattle trails. He explains how one small segment came to be known as the authentic Chisholm Trail, and how it was transformed “from a simple path to a legend” (p. xv). Ludwig sets his goal “to avoid preconceived conclusions, seek the facts, follow the trail of evidence wherever it led . . . and just let the chips fall where they may” (p. xiv). This investigative approach often produces rewarding and straightforward explanations, with clarity fit for lectures to undergraduates. Such passages include a description of how cowboys broke horses to accept saddles, a functional overview of a standard herd and drive on the trail, an analysis of stampedes, and a description of how the trails came to an end with the entrenchment of settler society in Kansas and with barbed-wire fencing, agriculture, and ranching. At other times, Ludwig’s clinical approach to history can test a reader’s patience. The author examines and analyzes evidence, guiding readers through a series of possibilities before discarding some and coming to an informed conclusion. This strategy appears in the text when the author separates documented facts from trail lore. For example, in chapter 6, “Two Chisholms and a Chisum,” readers are introduced to a series of hypotheses on the origin of the trail’s name. The result leaves readers full of facts and minutiae but hungry for meaning. James E. Sherow, in The Chisholm Trail: Joseph McCoy’s Great Gamble, dishes out context by the ladleful, crafting a broader narrative informed by economic, cultural, and environmental history. The great cattle drives could not [End Page 931] have existed, the author persuasively argues, without increased demand for beef in the urbanizing United States. Yet cities like New York City could no longer tolerate the trade’s foul-smelling consequences. After setting the industry in this post–Civil War context, Sherow is able to explain the results of urban demand. He focuses on the drives from the hinterlands of Austin, Texas, to markets in Abilene, Kansas, and on all of the human and ecological entanglements they created, understanding them as an environmental historian does—as transfers of energy. What others have called good business sense, Sherow explains through the environment: how “prairie grass, the stored solar energy fueling the trade,” allowed cattle to make trips from Texas pastures to Kansas stockyards, to fatten, and then to board stockcars headed...

Up the Trail: How Texas Cowboys Herded Longhorns and Became an American Icon by Tim Lehman

Reviewed by: Up the Trail: How Texas Cowboys Herded Longhorns and Became an American Icon by Tim Lehman Richard W. Slatta Up the Trail: How Texas Cowboys Herded Longhorns and Became an American Icon. By Tim Lehman. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018. Pp. 172. Illustrations, notes, index.) This concise synthesis of life on the nineteenth-century trail drives north from Texas is ideal for the general reader as well as students in Texas or western American history classes. Tim Lehman, professor of history [End Page 468] at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, deftly brings the long drives to life, thanks to copious primary source quotations from nineteenth-century reminiscences, diaries, publications, and newspaper accounts. The readable and highly interpretive text emphasizes social realities of trail driving over the romanticism that colors much of the extant cowboy literature. However, it also clearly explains how and why the mythical cowboy arose after the great drives ended. As part of the “How Things Worked” series from Johns Hopkins University Press, the book puts a premium on clarity, concision, and engaging detail. While meant for the general reader, Up the Trail includes incidents and interpretive commentary that will interest specialists as well: we get a cameo of Gail Borden Jr., who adapted his process for dehydrating a beef-flour mixture (a market failure) to condensing milk in a can; learn about Englishman Tom Candy Ponting’s 1853 cattle drive from Texas to Chicago, and also about Joseph W. McCoy, who gets ample coverage, appropriately enough, for making Abilene, Kansas, an inviting destination for Texas cattle. This study is especially noteworthy for the raw social history that Lehman brings to life. He illustrates the prevalence of mavericking and outright cattle theft in building herds. Frontier “swindlers and confidence men” (34) cheated cattlemen out of money. It was also commonplace for drovers to kill newborn calves on the trail because they could not keep up with the herd. As Kansas farmers began protecting their crops with barbed wire, conflict arose between proponents of the cow and the plow. Ticks on Longhorns carried “Texas fever,” deadly to cattle on the trail routes. Dangerous river crossings, billowing clouds of dust, meager, monotonous rations, and danger of illness or injury meant that many drovers only made the great trek north from Texas once. Kansas cow towns excelled at creating ways to separate cowboys from their cash, notably through gambling and prostitution, meanwhile trying to cover such activities with a veneer of respectability. Lehman also debunks the myth of widespread gun-toting in the West. Recognizing that guns and liquor did not mix, most cow towns confiscated cowboy firearms at the city limits. Fearing shooting accidents, stampedes, or gratuitous violence, many trail bosses kept cowboy firearms in a wagon. Coincidentally, pressures to disarm cowboys arose at the same time that dime novelists and other mythmakers projected the image of wild cowboys armed to the teeth. This short but authoritative study concludes with ample notes, an index, and several pages of excellent suggestions for further reading. Lehman makes effective use of the ample sources on Texas history and the cattle drives. While the era of great drives lasted only a few years, it permanently established the cowboy as an American cultural icon. Those who created [End Page 469] the cowboy myths get their due—Buffalo Bill, Buck Taylor, Owen Wister, Theodore Roosevelt, and others—because “[i]t turned out that there was more profit in cowboy stories than in cowboy labor” (122). Up the Trail does an admirable job of taking readers behind the tall tales to see the real lives of real cowboys on the great cattle drives as well as showing their transition from history to mythology. Richard W. Slatta North Carolina State University Copyright © 2019 The Texas State Historical Association

Review of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in cattle and a study defining seroprevalence of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 in Texas cattle

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus is an orbivirus transmitted by Culicoides spp. In North America, it is recognized as a major cause of disease affecting white-tailed deer, but it can impact other wildlife species as well as domestic cattle. Although minimal clinical disease had been noted in Texas, periodic outbreaks in other states caused Texas cattle producers to question the risks to their cattle. The objective of this study was to estimate the proportion of Texas cattle exposed to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 by observing seroprevalence in auction markets. Serum samples collected from cattle &gt;18 mo of age sold through 11 Texas auction markets were collected during June of 2014. Antibody levels were measured using the virus neutralization test as the diagnostic protocol. Market sampling indicated 97.08% of adult cattle had been exposed to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2. There were no significant differences in mean titers between individual markets. However, when markets were grouped there was a significant mean titer difference between groups, increasing in the southern and western regions. The lack of clinical disease is likely related to enzootic stability as a result of high viral infections in cattle and white-tailed deer and the abundance of Culicoides vectors.