One big Herford steer!

[tncattle]

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-ge ... Big.Steer/

 

[Jalopy]

Except for a couple of things you could say that is a lot of BULL

 

[cypressfarms]

Head steer? I didn't know there was such a thing. Wouldn't the boss cow kind of assume this function. Why a person would keep a steer 10 years is beyond me. Unless that this head steer thing is something common in his parts. I've never seen it done around here.

 

[tncattle]

I guess how would have been even bigger if left a bull.



he looked kind of like a Rhino in Hereford skin!

 

[Jovid]

From the price he brought I would say he lost a whole lot of money on him.

 

[chippie]

Lead steers have been around for a very long time. If you ever visit Fort Worth, be sure to visit the stock yards. The lead steer in the cattle drive wears a bell.

There is an article about another purpose of lead steers here:

http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/tf4489p21v/

Lead steers have been used to move stock from pasture to pasture. They are gentle and know the way.

 

[AlyssasPride]

Lead steers have been used for a long time. They were used in long cattle drives way back when. They were often called the moses steer because the led the rest of the herd. Im not sure if thats kinda what they meant or not. The moses steer was never sent to slaughter when the drives were over they were took home, and awaited the next trip.

 

[3waycross]

Lead steers have been used for a long time. They were used in long cattle drives way back when. They were often called the moses steer because the led the rest of the herd. Im not sure if thats kinda what they meant or not. The moses steer was never sent to slaughter when the drives were over they were took home, and awaited the next trip.

How did they get that steer from Montana back to Texas by himself? Just curious

 

[AlyssasPride]

From what i understand the majority of the drives came from texas and other some other southern states. That cattle were driven north to the expanding rail head. This allowed southern producers to become much more competitive, and turn a nice profit. Most were brought back the way they came, was watching history channel and their was a story of one company that put theres in a wagon and hauled it back. Not sure on the credibility of that though.

 

[3waycross]

From what i understand the majority of the drives came from texas and other some other southern states. That cattle were driven north to the expanding rail head. This allowed southern producers to become much more competitive, and turn a nice profit. Most were brought back the way they came, was watching history channel and their was a story of one company that put theres in a wagon and hauled it back. Not sure on the credibility of that though.

I would agree with you on that. I can't imagine trying to load one of those big old Longhorn steers in a stock trailer and haul him several hundred miles. The thought of purring one in a freight wagon is ridiculuous. I suppose they could have shipped them by rail. I can't believe for a minute that anyone would drive one steer that far the other direction.

 

[AlyssasPride]

I can beleive they kept the lead steer to use over and over again, with all the problems they would have had on the journey. Not only did they fight weather animals disease drought, etc. They had to deal with the farmers up north once they got there. The northern farmers didnt want the longhorns coming through because there was disease that the lice were transferring from the longhorns to the northern cattle. The northern cattle not having any type of immunity started dying off. No one knew then that it could have been controlled by a delicing before moving the longhorns north. If something makes your job easier you might want to take advantage of it.

 

[Judge Sharpe]

They did not have the rails in Texas and the South, that why the drove north. Often a lead steer or cow was used and became especally valuable because it knew the way and was used to traveling. going south they would tie the steer or cow to a wagon and basically lead it south again. Remember that steers that were cut a little later and alowed to grow were also called oxen and used for long distance wagon travel when a mule team was not used. Horses were not used to pull a large wagon on the long trip home because of the problem with keeping them in good condition. Unlike what you most wagond going west were pulled by oxen due to the problems of feed and water. An ox can work longer with a smaller amount of feed and water than a horse.
Anyway thats the way I remember it being told to me,
Judge Sharpe