COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN USA

COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN THE USA: HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS

GANADO VACUNO CRIOLLO EN LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS: HISTORIA Y SITUACION ACTUAL

Sponenberg, D.P. and T.A. Olson**.

*Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 28061 USA. **202-B Animal Sciences Building. University of Florida. P.O. Box 110910. Gainesville, M 3261-0910. USA.

Additional Keywords Palabras clave adicionales Criollo Cattle. Cattle Breeds. Razas bovinas.

SUMMARY

Cattle from the colonial spanish era in the They are well adapted to a humid, subtropical United States persist in small numbers. Spanish environment. They are valued for longevity, cattle were introduced into both the southwest fertility, and resistance to parasites. Historic and southeast of the USA during the establishment uses include the production of work oxen for of spanish missions and private ranches. These forestry and agricultural purposes, as well as southwest and southeast populations were steers for beef and cows for dairy production. subsequently isolated from one another and evolved into distinct types of cattle. The southwest population became the Texas RESUMEN Longhorn. Texas Longhorns are well adapted to dry, extensive conditions, with some populations El ganado bovino de la era colonial española being adapted to the humid conditions of the en los Estados Unidos persiste escasamente. Los Gulf Coast. They are small to medium in size and bovinos españoles fueron introducidos en el SO colors vary considerably. The conformation is y SE de USA durante el establecimiento de las rangy and fairly poorly muscled, although selection misiones españolas y fincas privadas. Estas is changing this. The original, traditional type was poblaciones del SO y SE quedaron aisladas unas valued for the longevity and fertility of the cows de otras evolucionando hacia tipos distintos de and was used in rugged environments. ganado vacuno. The southeast populations of colonial spanish La población del Sudeste se convirtió en el cattle are only recently being standardized into Longhorn de Texas; estos animales están bien a breed, named Florida Cracker Cattle. They are adaptados a las condiciones extensivas, con smaller and more compactly made than the escasez de agua y algunas poblaciones bien Texas Longhorn, and have variable colors and adaptadas a las condiciones húmedas de la Costa horns. del Golfo. Son animales de tamaño pequeño a

ArchivosArch. de zootecnia, Zootec. 41vol. (extra): 41, núm. 401-414. 154, p. 1992.401. SPONENBERG AND OLSON medio y su color varía considerablemente. Su resource for cattle breeders in North onformación es de tipo ambiental, pobremente America. musculada, aunque la selección está cambiando It is thought that fewer than 300 estas características. El tipo original, tradicional, cattle were brought to the New World fue apreciado por la longevidad y fertilidad de las by the Spanish (Olson, 1988). In light vacas siendo empleado en ambientes dificiles. of this small founder population it is La población de ganado español del Sudeste remarkable that the derivative Criollo ha sido recientemente estandarizada como raza, populations contain so many different llamada Florida Cracker Cattle. Los animales son phenotypic varieties. Upon their más pequeños y algo más compactos que el arrival the cattle found an environment Longhorn de Texas y tienen variables colores y initially free of devastating diseases encornaduras. and parasites, and the cattle rapidly Están bien adaptados a un ambiente húmedo increased in numbers. These cattle y subtropical. Son apreciados por la longevidad, formed an essential part of the fertilidad y resistencia a los parásitos. Los usos extensive livestock production systems históricos incluyen la producción de bueyes para that were so characteristic of the trabajo con fines agrícolas y forestales así como spanish colonies. They were generally novillos para carne y vacas para leche. left free to fend for themselves, with the excess being gathered as needed. The populations in North America GENERAL HISTORY OF SPA- originally consisted of three groups: NISH CATTLE IN THE USA California, Texas, and the Southeast. The California cattle were an integral Cattle came to the territory of the part of the economy of that area present United States of America before the influx of anglo settlers in during the early years of spanish the middle 1800s. Following the colonial influence in the New World, discovery of gold and the subsequent (Rouse, 1977). Spanish cattle were massive migration of anglos to this originally brought to the Caribbean area the California cattle were islands, and from there were brought eliminated as a distinct strain of to the mainland of both North and cattle. This occurred both from over South America. The origins of these consumption as well as from cattle are not known in detail, and are crossbreeding. The end result is that variously stated as being from southern these California cattle are now extinct, Spain, the Canary Islands, or perhaps and only played a minor historical even from North Africa. Whatever role in cattle populations. the ultimate source of these cattle, they were a sample of prebreed cattle that came from the geographic extreme THE TEXAS LONGHORN of the distribution of humpless longhorn cattle. They are unique The more central cattle populations among cattle, and are therefore a very occurred in Texas. These cattle came useful, if numerically small, genetic originally from Mexico, and cattle

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 402. COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN USA herds from Texas, New Mexico, and drives which are now an integral part northern Mexico interbred and of the history and mythology of the increased to form essentially feral american west. As the central plains populations of cattle on the plains of began to undergo development and Texas (Dobie, 1981; Rouse, 1977 and increased population the newer settlers Towne and Wentworth, 1955). These brought with them eastern cattle, cattle were raised under extensive which generally had a northern management systems. They had european ancestry. These introduced endemic diseases such as babesiosis cattle rapidly succumbed to babesiosis, and anaplasmosis which tended to which acquired the name Texas Fever quickly eliminate newly introduced since the newly introduced cattle cattle from further north or east. As contracted the disease following a result the Texas cattle survived in a exposure to Texas Longhorn cattle. relatively uncontaminated situation The Texas Longhorns failed to exhibit for longer than did the California signs of the disease due to their cattle. The spanish cattle from Texas contracting the organism early in life. persist to the present day. Texas fever eventually closed the The greatest explosion in Texas lucrative cattle trailing business cattle numbers occurred during the because the other states passed laws social disruptions of the war between against the trespass of cattle from the states (Dobie, 1981). This war Texas. This was the first blow to the occurred in 1860 to 1865, during Texas Longhorn as a breed of cattle. which time it was difficult to gather The second and more severe threat cattle. Even when the cattle were to the Texas Longhorn was the successfully gathered it was impossible introduction of improved breeds of to safely drive them to market and sell beef cattle breeds into Texas following them, and consequently the ungathered the eradication of the tick vector of herds grew to huge numbers. Following babesiosis, (Rouse, 1977 and Towne the war these herds were an integral and Wentworth, 1955). Ranchers began part of the economic recovery of to use improved bulls of northern Texas. After the war these cattle european breeding on the local Texas began to aquire the name Texas Longhorn cows, and the introduced Longhorn, by which name they are types quickly supplanted the pure known today. Texas Longhorn. This process began The usual method of exploitation in the late 1800s and accelerated in of these vast herds was to occasionally the early 1900s until by 1925 or so gather them and then to herd them there were very few pure Texas north (Dobie, 1981; Rouse, 1977 and Longhorns in existence. One fact Towne and Wentworth, 1955). In the which is plain in retrospect is that region of Kansas they were loaded although the initial Fl calves were into railroad cars and were taken east phenotypically superior to the Texas for slaughter and processing. This Longhorn, the contribution of the industry gave rise to the long cattle Texas Longhorn was essential to this

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 403. SPONENBERG AND OLSON expression of hybrid vigor. As is particularly liked old, productive cows frequently the case, the entire benefit that had twisted horns. Longevity, of the cross was assigned to the fertility, and twisted horns are still improved, imported cattle, and the characteristics of this line today. contribution of the local cattle was Further east, on the Gulf Coast, totally discounted. The result of this were the herds of the Wright family. attitude was that the Texas Longhorn They operated a slaughter house, and was viewed as useless, and only after in the course of moving thousands of its near extinction was it realized that head of cattle through the slaughter it had contributed some very valuable house they started saving out the characteristics to the crossbred calves. Texas Longhorns for breeding in As is typical of landrace their own herds. This is a slightly populations, some stubborn traditional different genetic base than the Yates breeders always kept the original type herds, since it involved the rather of the Texas Longhorn. Most of these random and wide sampling of cattle breeders began collecting and breeding from a larger geographic area. These cattle in the period of the late 1800s cattle largely came from the Gulf up to about 1920. After about 1920 Coast, or had been shipped in from there were very few Texas Longhorns further north in Texas. Wright cattle in existence outside of these few are now rare, although they have isolated herds. These isolated herds made an impact on the overall Texas therefore became the foundation for Longhorn breed. They continue to be the present Texas Longhorn breed. bred in small numbers by the Wright The foundation herds included family. those of Cap Yates, who assembled In the Houston area there were two cattle in far West Texas and Northern important family herds. These were Mexico. If he found acceptable cattle the herds of Emil Marks and Milby in Northern Mexico he would simply Butler. Marks started with an old swim them across the Rio Grande at family strain based on local cattle, night, avoiding the complications of and continued to use and select this a more legal importation along major strain. Marks cattle contributed to the highways during daylight hours. He overall Texas Longhorn composite, had a passion for the very traditional but are now extinct as a distinct and pure spanish Texas Longhorn, strain. Butler worked further east, and worked to keep his herds pure. and assembled cattle from the Gulf He valued them for their adaptation Coast and East Texas. He especially to the harsh desert environment of liked long horns, and selected for West Texas. He did not crossbreed his horn length and shape. The result has Texas Longhorns, and kept them been cattle that have very long horns, totally separate from his other cattle. some of which are very twisted but He selected bulls from excellent cows, many with plainer horn shapes. The and in this way assured that his line Butler line has been extensively used had excellent maternal ability. He by a number of breeders due to the

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 404. COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN USA horn length of the animals, although traditionalist Texas cattle producers the cattle of this line do tend to be began to be interested in these cattle. smaller than some of the other lines The increased interest led to improved within the Texas Longhorn breed. communication among the breeders, Further east in the piner woods of and the prices for the cattle also East Texas was the herd of Grady strengthened. While this acted to save Woods. His herd was assembled from the breed from extinction and to local cattle, and these were from the expand its numbers, it also had the easternmost geographic extreme of curious and perhaps less desirable the range of the Texas Longhorn. effect of allowing communication These were small cattle with very and trading among the foundation characteristically twisted horns. herds. It was at this point that the old, A few composite herds (as opposed foundation, breeders began to trade to the old family strains) were also and sell breeding stock. The end assembled in the 1920s. These began, result of this was the loss of some of more or less, with the official United the distinct foundation lines as they States program to save the Texas were swallowed up by the resulting Longhorn from extinction. This had composite. Such lines include Marks been suggested several times over and Woods, with Wright also nearly several years, but only in 1927 did the being gone, and with Phillips now actual program to save the breed from being much more of a composite than extinction begin. Graves Peeler was originally. one of the men responsible for the The movement of the Texas assembling of the cattle for the Longhorn from a relatively unselected conservation herd. This is now known landrace into a standardized breed as the Wildlife Refuge herd, since it has had various consequences for the resides at the Wichita Mountains breed. In the rush to compete in the Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Peeler standardized breed there have been also assembled cattle for himself. A some fads, including color, size, neighbor, Jack Phillips, began a similar conformation and horn length. All of program based on some few of his these fads have changed the breed own cattle but also on cattle brought and all have caused loss of some in during this time. These three genetic variants. With the advent of (Wildlife Refuge, Phillips, and Peeler) widespread bloodtyping it has also are composite lines rather than old become apparent that some non spanish family lines. The Wildlife Refuge influence was present in some portions herd has also had many introductions of some of the original lines. of Yates line cattle, to the point that Traditionalist breeders have been these two lines are now fairly closely diligent to use bloodtyping and related. selection to concentrate on conserving The Texas Longhorn survived as the old, original type. These these eight relatively isolated pockets traditionalist breeders were fairly until the 1960s. At this point the scarce through the period of rapid

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 405. SPONENBERG AND OLSON expansion of the breed, but are now the Pinzgauer type of lineback, the becoming more numerous, and will colorsided patters, a uniform roan assure the conservation of the unique (cárdena type, maybe related to the original genetic resource of the Texas other roaning pattern), the White Longhorn is. Park pattern, recessive piebald The traditional Texas Longhorn is spotting, and a facial blaze pattern. In fairly small (cows 300 to 400 kg) and many of these patterns there can be rather rangy in build. Texas Longhorns ticking with colored spots in the tend to have long, soundly conformed white areas. Most of these patterns legs and scant, tapering muscle. There are rare in North America except in is no tendency to be humped, and the cattle of spanish ancestry. Conven- ears are round rather than the pointed tional wisdom concerning these ears typical of zebu crossbreds. The patterns is that they were introduced heads tend to be long. Horn shape and from non spanish sources, but most or size vary, but the most typical have all of these patterns are still present horns that twist upward and outward. (if rarely) in iberian cattle (Sánchez Bulls have heavier horns that tend to Belda, 1981). turn up and forward at the tips. Steers have horn shapes similar to cows, but have much longer horns than do cows. THE FLORIDA CRACKER Steers also attain great size with age. CATTLE Many breeders keep a few old steers around in order to enjoy their large, The third distinct group of spanish rangy conformation and extreme horn cattle in the United States is that from growth. the deep southeast. These cattle are Color in the Texas Longhorn varies still very much in the form of a immensely. Solid colors include red landrace, and are only recently being and tan most commonly, but also collected and registered as an unique black, dun, grullo, brown, and brindle. breed. These southeast cattle are Many of the cattle are born red but variously called Florida Cracker Cattle, then darken to brown or black, with Piney Woods, Southern Woods, Florida some retaining a lighter dorsal stripe Native, or Florida Scrub cattle. The and muzzle. This occurs in both bulls process of deciding which cattle to and cows, in contrast to the original include in the breed and which to color of the Aurochs in which such exclude from the breed is still ongoing. changes were limited to the bulls. The organization of breeders of Florida Patterns of white spotting are also Cracker cattle only began in 1989, variable. These may have been rare in although conservation actions the original cattle, but selection has preceded this. made them much more common in The history of Florida Cracker the present herds. Some breeders Cattle parallels that of the Texas select for such patterns, other select Longhorn. The original base of these against them. The patterns include cattle is the spanish cattle that were

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 406. COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN USA brought into the southeast of the livestock. One Oconnee tribal leader current United States during the even took the name Cowkeeper. colonization of the area by the spanish. Anglosaxon settlement of the area These cattle were from the West occurred beginning in the early 1800s, Indies. To the spanish conquerors the following displacement of the native entire southeast of the continent was tribes, and the cattle industry still La Florida and included much of the throve on this base of spanish cattle. states of Georgia, Alabama, All three cultures sequentially used Mississippi, Tennessee and the the same type of cattle to develop Carolinas, as well as present day flourishing cattle industries. Florida. The end uses of Florida cattle were In 1565 cattle were brought by slightly different in the southeast Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to what is than they were in Texas. In Texas the now Northeast Florida (Olson, 1988). important uses of cattle were hides In 1640 there are records of prime and tallow, with beef becoming breeding stock from Cuba coming important only later. In the southeast into the Southeast. Numbers increased a very important use of cattle herds dramatically, with as many as 15,000 was the production of work oxen for to 20,000 in south Florida by 1700. agriculture and forestry in addition to The wars between Britain and Spain the production of beef. This use of reduced numbers of cattle periodically, the local cattle for oxen continues in but cattle numbers usually recovered some parts of the southeast. Dairying following these conflicts. was also more important in the The spanish built a successful southeast than in Texas. cattle industry in the area, both in Various forces, similar to those in missions and also in private Texas, were also working in the landholdings (Mississippi Department southeast to keep the local cattle of Agriculture and Commerce, 1985; relatively free from the incursions of Olson, 1988 and Warner, 1980). The genetic material from introduced original spanish influence was cattle. In the southeast the endemic widespread, but concentrated in the cattle diseases were important in area of the Florida Panhandle and eliminating introduced cattle. Many southern portions of Mississippi, of these diseases (babesiosis, Alabama, and Georgia. Following the anaplasmosis) prove harmless to calves success of the spanish in the area, the exposed to them while young, but are five civilized tribes (Cherokee, Creek, devastating to adults newly contacting Seminole, Choctaw, Chickasaw) had them. This phenomenon acts to allow a thriving cattle industry based on the local cattle to thrive while these spanish cattle. These tribes introduced ones rapidly succumb. learned the basics of plantation type These diseases, and also the fact that agriculture and developed a thriving few other types of european cattle economy based on large landholdings, were able to tolerate the humid slave labor, and excellent spanish subtropical environment, served to

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 407. SPONENBERG AND OLSON genetically isolate the Florida Cracker genetic material the bloodtyping Cattle, much as they had acted to studies done so far indicate that the isolate the Texas Longhorn. Cracker cattle are fairly unique, with During the early 1900s, and before, most Cracker cattle not having any there may have been some incursions readily identifiable blood markers of prebreed northern european types from other breeds. into the Cracker Cattle. These are Florida Cracker cattle are similar most likely to have been of dairy type to other spanish type cattle throughout from milk cows brought with new the Americas. They are generally settlers from other regions in the smaller than other breed types. Cracker USA. Devon cattle, for example, cattle are somewhat more compactly were certainly present in Florida by built than some of the other spanish 1860, (Olson, 1988). In the western strains such as Texas Longhorns. The portion of the range of the Florida cows generally are in the 300 to 400 Cracker cattle there were also some kg range, with some heavier or lighter. importations of french prebreed cattle A dwarf variant that is rare today was (Mississippi Department of much preferred in the past for some Agriculture and Commerce, 1985). of the more unfavorable coastal Other improved beef types were not environments. This variant went by introduced into most areas until the the name Guinea and few such animals 1930s, (Rouse, 1977). This includes are present in the breed today. zebu types. Until the advent of the Muscling is scant to moderate in the zebu the Cracker cattle were relatively breed, which gives them more of a safe from incursions into their genetic moderate dairy character than a beef base, but following this introduction character. In strains selected for oxen (especially of the American Brahman) the muscling can be heavy, but with the erosion of the humples Cracker more masive forequarters than type cow was quick and nearly hindquarters. Some few strains are complete. The cross of the zebu onto more of a beef conformation. The the spanish cow is remarkable, and range of types and the geographic has been responsible for the distribution of them suggests that all widespread loss of criollo types of of the various types are part of the cattle throughout the Americas. The range of variation of a single basic spanish cow is herself small, but the population. The tendency is for the crossbred calves were large and fast beefier conformation to occur in the growing. It was therefore more north and west extremes of the economically sound to crossbreed than distribution. to purebreed the cattle, and the Horn shape, size, and character indigenous spanish cow rapidly are highly variable in the Cracker sucumbed to repeated crossing with cattle. The horns vary from long and other introduced types once the disease widespread to short and crumpled. problems were eliminated. In spite of Some animals have horns that curve the repeated posibilities of introduced downward instead of the more usual

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 408. COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN USA upward sweep. Many pure animals as a pure genetic resource. Durrence are hornless, and although these polled cattle are the major contribution to animals are a minority they are present the state herds, with contributions of in many different herds of different Chaires and Tilton cattle in a few of strains. the state herds. Doyle Connor, former Color of the Florida Cracker Cattle Florida State Secretary of Agriculture, is also variable, since few of the herd is responsible for initiating the owners practiced much selection for conservation efforts which ultimately color. The solid colors in the breed snowballed into the present broadly include a variety of shades of black, supported breed association. red, brown, brindle, and occasionally The Tilton cattle originated dun or tan. Many Cracker cattle are northeast of Paines Prairie in North white spotted in varying patterns, Central Florida. The Tilton cattle including linebacked, color sided, or figure in the state herd at Paines roan. Some are randomly apotted Prairie, but really do not exist any with the recessive piebald pattern, longer as an unique population since although this pattern is rarer than the the state herds are primarily built on other patterns. Some are white with the Durrence line. The situation is colored ears, eye ringa, nose, feet, similar with the Chaires cattle which and teats (the White Park pattern). have contributed strongly to the state Other color patterns occur more rarely, herd at Lake Kissimmee, but this including one characterized by white strain no longer exists as an unique sides on an otherwise colored animal. population. Only a handful of families have The Neal cattle have been assembled kept pure bloodlines of Cracker cattle, by Buddy Neal in the Chipley, Florida and it is from this base that the area. These are largely from local established breed will be made. These cattle that looked right that were remnants of the once large Florida assembled in the late 1960s. While Cracker Cattle population still occur most of the cattle are local in origin in the southern portions of Mississippi there is an influence in the herd from through Alabama and Georgia, and the Okeefenokee region, especially isolated populations occur in both the through a bull that has been extensively panhandle and peninsula of Florida. used in the herd. The herd numbered The southernmost population of up to 50, but with the recent death of the cattle is those from the Durrence Neal the future of this herd is herd near Lake Okeechobee. These somewhat uncertain. The death of numbered some 1800 in 1969 when elderly breeders of isolated pockets James Durrence died. Since that time of these cattle is a recurring threat to many bulls of other breeds have been the conservation of this genetic used, but a few pure Cracker cattle resource. still persist. Several of these remnants The Ezell cattle are an old family of the once large herd have been line that originated slightly north of donated to the state for maintenance the Tilton strain. They are being

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 409. SPONENBERG AND OLSON maintained in small numbers by selection for lighter animals in the Raymond and John Hamlin near past since they could be more readily Tallahasee. The herd had been seen in the swamps during roundups. maintained in a nearly feral state by The remaining source herds that Josh Ezell, Robert’s father. These are have surfaced are all outside of Florida. an interesting population that may be The Holt line is from Georgia and the last remnant of the type that was originated in the Hawkinsville area, nonselectively bred in extensive range although in 1917 or 1918 the old conditions. Very few of this strain are family herd, already 100 years old, spotted. This is reputed to have been was moved to the Okeefenokee area. common in Cracker Cattle originally, James Holt’s father had this sort of especially in south Florida where the cattle, and he has maintained a herd nonspotted cattle were held to be from that base. James clearly more resistant to the environment remembers traincar loads of cattle than were those with white spotting. coming into the swamp areas from the Since the white spotting patterns of west during the droughts of the Cracker Cattle are rare in other breed thirties. The imported cattle were all types it is a tendency of most modern cows, and he never remembers steers herdsmen to practice at least some or bulls among the hundreds of cattle positive selection for these, and so a brought to the southeast in those totally nonspotted herd is rare today. shipments. Of the cattle introduced Other Florida strains are still into the area only a very, very few coming to the attention of interested survived more than a few months due breeders. One strain developed by the to endemic diseases and the adverse Crews brothers in the Okeefenokee environment. As a result the local area may still persist in the hands of herds received minimal genetic input a few local breeders. There are also from the introduction of these western persistent rumors of some feral cattle cattle. This was the fint major influx still in the Okeefenokee swamp, as of noncracker cattle into the area. there are from some other swamplands In the days when Holt’s father and in the peninsula of Florida. Another grandfather had herds of these cattle source herd of cattle from northeast it was common for breeders to swap Florida is the Wassie Fish herd. These bulls back and forth. Later, when few cattle originated from south of the pure herds existed, this practice was Okeefenokee swamp. They are heavier stopped and no bulls were introduced than cattle from further south, which into the Holt herd until a white bull may reflect the more fertile land in was introduced in 1985. This was the northern areas, but is also consistent probably the Barns line bull that came with the general trend for heavier from Carl Williams, another breeder cattle in the more northern or western with predominantly Holt line cattle. portion of the range of the Florida Such isolation of individual herds is Cracker cattle. Many of the Fish typical of the Cracker cattle herds cattle are yellow, which is due to that survived to the present. In the

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 410. COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN USA early days of this century Holt says it are small, and are generally red or was easily possible to distinguish brindle colored cattle. Currently the between the herds of the various strain persists only as cows, and these owners of these Georgia strains, are in a crossbreeding herd. If the old, because each preferred a different original cows can be pulled together color or spotting pattern and would as a group this strain may also be able select most of the herd to be of a to be saved. specific variant. This is somewhat in The Barnes line of cattle comes contrast to the more lax selection for from the border of Alabama and the color in most other geographic areas. panhandle of Florida in the vicinity The current Holt herd is mostly black of the Florala. These cattle were kept colorsided animals, although some of by Okla Barnes and his father. They the Holt cattle in the Williams herds had this strain of cattle at least since are other colors. 1910 and at one point Barnes had up Carl Williams in Pinehunt Georgia to 500 of these cattle on the open bought some original strain Holt cows range in southern Alabama. Since in the 1970s. In searching for a bull 1960 or so the herd only numbered he purchased several out of Florida 100 to 150. Barnes died in 1983, but until he found one with characteristics Calvin Eutchins and Noah Oliver consistent with those of the original both keep the Barnes line going cows. This bull was purchased at today. Barnes did use polled bulls of auction, so nothing is known of its his own breeding, and polled cattle origin other than he was purchased in were considered as pure as any of the the Perry, Florida area. Williams then others. Barnes consistently culled any used this bull on the old cows, saved cow that failed to calve annually, and a bull calf, and used this bull calf on no bulls bred outside the herd had the old cows. By doing this successive been used since 1910. Calvin Eutchins times he was able to breed back to the is actively preserving, the Barnes line original Holt type in his herd. This with all of its color varieties and technique of using young sons of old types, and the qualities of resistance cows in succession is very useful in to the environment built up over the securing the genetic contribution of decades. As a method to maintaining old cows. Williams has added other the original type he does not deworm typical cattle to the basic Holt type the cattle, and keeps careful records herd. These non Holt cattle include on the production of the cows. Several some from the Okeefenokee area and teenagers are in the herd, and he a Barns bull. The Holt influence knew of one cow that Barnes had that remains predominant in the herd. had calved up until 31 years of age. With Carl’s recent death the future of The Barnes line cattle that remain are this herd is uncertain. interesting since they are of uniform A very few cattle persist from a body type, but vary immensely as to strain maintained by Veltie Poppell in presence and shape of horns as well as the coastal region of Georgia. These coat color. Most of these are colorsided,

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 411. SPONENBERG AND OLSON but in recent years the herd is also the herd until they are 8 or 9 years old. producing solid colored animals. Such The Conway cattle were used nonspotted animals were reputed to extensively for the production of have been in the original Barnes’s oxen for use in the southern logging herd, but have not occurred again industry. At one point Bura had a until recently. In addition to the team of 4 yoke of identical twin oxen. patterns considered typical of Florida Each pair was identical in color and Cracker cattle are also some recessive horn length and shape. All of the spotted cattle. These are rare in most Conway cattle are some variant of red lines, and could be considered evidence and white, with many of them of outside breeding. In these old lines attractively speckled. Although the with accurate histories of genetic shade of red does vary the overall isolation, these somewhat unusual or impression of the whole herd is a herd rare spotting patterns are perfectly of peppermints. The cows are of good acceptable. conformation and produce calves The Conway cattle are raised by regularly until they are in their teens. Bura Conway and his son Bruce in As with other herds, some of the cows Richton, Mississippi. Bura began are polled. managing his father’s herd at age l4 The herd owned by Jack Baylis of in 1910, since his father had an injury Petal, Mississippi is one of the larger that kept him from actively managing source herds of Cracker cattle. The the herd himself. Bura preferred red herd numbers about 160, and consists speckled cows and tended to keep of cattle from older lines of Briffin, those for the herd. The herd was Thornhill, and Carter cattle. The maintained within itself until about Briffin cattle are yellow, and can be 1938 when a bull was added to the traced at least in part to French cattle herd. introduced to the area in about 1850. This bull was from a speckled bull The Briffins ran a sawmill, and the that Bura had seen while deer hunting original importation included 300 on Pascagoula Creek. That speckled head. These are small round cattle, bull had produced a speckled heifer with large horns. The Briffin cattle from a Devon cow, and this speckled were used locally as dairy cattle, heifer and her bull calf were the ones although this no longer continues. introduced into the Conway herd. The Thornhill cattle are white with The bull was most likely 1/4 Devon red points, and are reputed to be breeding, and his offspring only 1/8 english origin. The Carter strain have Devon. This is the only introduction been in existence for 100 years or so into the herd, and since 1938 the herd and are a family strain of cattle from has been totally closed. wife of Jack Baylis. Carter cattle vary Initially single sires were used in in color immensely, but do not include the Conway herd, but as numbers black or black derived colors or increased they began to use two bulls patterns since this was taken as at a time. Bulls are currently used in evidence of Angus breeding. It is

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 412. COLONIAL SPANISH CATTLE IN USA interesting that black was the preferred Cracker cattle than was the case with base color in several of the other pure the Texas Longhorn, since the Cracker herds, such as the Holt cattle. breeders tended to operate in total Another Mississippi strain is the isolation from one another until the Robinson strain, which is now solely late 1980s. represented by a herd owned by Jason It is a somewhat easy task to take Davis, a neighbor of Calvin Eutchins. these strains one at a time and decide The Robinson cattle have been if they represent the same general influenced by Conway cattle in the breed. Certainly some, such as the past, and are intermediate in type Conway cattle, present the problem between the smaller beefier Barnes of deciding how much known outside cattle and the larger, rangier Conway influence should be allowed. The cattle. This is consistent with the Briffin line presents a similar problem, general trend toward larger cattle in since they are reputed to be of french the north and west of the range of the origin. Still, the overall similarity of Cracker cattle. All of the Robinson all of these cattle is great, and all are cattle are red of varying shades, and humpless cattle with long term some are white spotted. Some of them selection in the humid subtropical are a deep dark red not common in environment of the southeast USA, either Texas Longhorns or Cracker and all are similar to spanish strains cattle, but certainly present as a rare elsewhere. The fact that these various variant. The horns on these cattle strains are more similar to one another vary from incurving and short on the than they are to other breed types in more compact individuals to the more the USA is a compelling reason to the higher, outswept type on the lump them into the same breed rather rangier animals. than to split what is a small population The main challenge facing the into still smaller fragments. The Florida Cracker breed is to decide incredible aspect of the Cracker cattle exactly which cattle belong in the is the dedication of generations of the studbook and which do not. Cattle breeders to preserve these old family from all of these family lines are lines over decades, and in at least a probably all of similar genetic stock, few instances for over a century. This and surely have been selected in is a valuable and unique genetic similar environments. As such they resource and hopefully ways to are very valuable genetic resources conserve it will be devised and will be for cattle in the humid subtropics. successful. The old family strains are unique A more significant problem is to sources of genetic combinations, and decide on the individual cattle that due to the isolation of some of these are not from these old family lines strains for several decades they could and that are presented as represen- each be considered a separate breed. tatives of the breed. These cattle are This tendency for isolation of original a bigger risk to the genetic purity of strains is even more marked in the the breed, since they may be of

Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154, p. 413. SPONENBERG AND OLSON different genetic type and yet still rather than cattle from the old family look right. In this instance history and lines that have the evidence of historic blood typing can be of great assistance isolation from other cattle. The need in making what can be difficult is great to include all cattle that are decisions. Many cattle on which the indeed of the Florida Cracker genetic Florida Cracker cattle breed will be type, and yet exclude all of those that founded will be of this type, and are not. This is a tough decision to many breeders have cattle of this type make in some cases.

REFERENCES

Sánchez Belda, A. 1981. Catálogo de razas Minor Breeds Annual Meeting, 1988:58-63. autóctonas españolas. II Especie bovina. Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca. Madrid. Rouse, J.E. 1977. The Criollo. Spanish Cattle in the Americas. University of Oklahoma Press. Dobie, J.F. 1901. The Longhorns. Bramhall Norman, OK. House, New York. Towne, C.W, and E.N. Wentworth. 1955. Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Cattle and Men. University of Oklahoma Commerce. 1985. A History of the Press, Norman, OK. Mississippi Beef Cattle Industry. Jackson, Mississippi. Warner, J.G. 1980. Biscuits and ‘Taters. A History of Cattle Ranching in Manatee Olson, T.A. 1988. A History of Spanish Cattle County. Great Outdoors Publishing Co. St and Sheep in North America. American Mi Petersburg, FL.

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