Travlr
Well-known member
"Cracker mixed"? Is that a term used in Alabama, or a regional colloquialism?
Which Breed are These Cows?
- Thread starter NewMoo
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Down in Dixie
Well-known member
Her mama was a Florida cracker and sire was mainly angus. I've always had them called Crackers.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
It's fine if you want to raise welfare cattle for someone else to eat.Living up to your name, I see.I happen to love these AND Herefords.
With today's inputs that box of pasture crayons won't ring the bell.
Travlr
Well-known member
Okay... Saltine or Ritz?
What's a "cracker"?
edit: My mind is rapidly going toward ethnic slurs. Charolais?
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
FLORIDA CRACKER CATTLE
The Florida Cracker is one of the oldest breeds of cattle in the United States, descending from Spanish cattle brought to the Americas in the early 1500s. As the Spanish colonized Florida and other parts of the continent, they established low input, extensive cattle-ranging systems typical of Spanish ranching. The Florida Cracker and other breeds which developed under these conditions are called criollo cattle, which means, "of European origin but born in the New World."
Florida Crackers were shaped primarily by natural selection in an environment generally hostile to cattle. This resulted in a heat-tolerant breed that's long-lived, resistant to parasites and diseases, and productive on the low-quality forage found on the grasslands and in swamps of the Deep South. It was not until the importation of India's Zebus cattle and the development of the American Brahman in the 1900s that the Florida Cracker had competition from other heat-tolerant cattle. Not long afterwards, the development of parasiticides and other medications allowed British and European breeds to survive in the Deep South, thus making the Florida cattle industry more diversified. This influx of new breeds nearly caused the extinction of the Florida Cracker.
By the mid-1900s, the majority of purebred cows had been crossbred, first to Brahmas and then to British and European breeds. The Cracker cow provided the maternal ability and hardiness necessary for crossbreeding programs to succeed and the genetic distance between the Florida Cracker and other breeds created exceptional hybrid vigor in the offspring. The credit for success, however, was always given to the improved breeds, and the Florida Cracker was largely abandoned. It was only through the efforts of a few Florida families, stubbornly resistant to "progress," that the breed survived in its pure form.
As one would expect of cattle adapted to the heat, Florida Cracker cattle are small. Cows weigh 600 to 800 pounds and bulls 800 to 1,200 pounds. They exhibit the angular conformation typical of Spanish cattle adapted to harsh conditions. Horn style and shape vary, including very long and twisted horns as well as smaller, more crumpled shapes. Polled cattle are also found. Dwarf types of Florida Crackers, called "Guineas," occurred historically and were well regarded as milk producers.
Colors in the breed vary widely, including almost all of the colors known in cattle. This is a legacy from the breed's ancestors in the South of Spain, where even today ranchers prefer multicolored herds. In Florida, breeders also selected for a variety of colors and patterns as a way to aid recognition of their cattle on range. Generally, solid red, dun, black, and brindle colors predominated in south Florida herds, while in the north, herds were more likely to contain spotted and roan animals, some with distinctive color sided and linebacked patterns.
The state of Florida has been a leader in the conservation and promotion of the Florida Cracker breed in the latter half of the 20th century. Cracker cattle are considered a living part of Florida history, and herds have been maintained at several state parks and forests. The state has supported the establishment of the Florida Cracker Cattle Association and a breed registry, which is operated by The Livestock Conservancy. The Florida Cracker cattle breed is still quite rare, but its prospects are brighter than they have been in a long time.
Down in Dixie
Well-known member
SMBF that's a great article. 
Lee VanRoss
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2020
- Messages
- 2,392
- Reaction score
- 2,682
Agreed, however; the answer to the question is still begging.SMBF that's a great article.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Cracker cows are Criollo strain cattle from Florida and the lower pine belt originally. They share a name with the Cracker Cowboys who herded them. There is a 90(?) mile trail ride every year in Florida in their memory along one of the old Florida trail drive routes. Their traditions were both very similar and different from their contemporaries in other places, but a cowboy is a cowboy by whatever name. Frederick Remington wrote a hilarious article about them in the 1890's and their violent ways. My favorite excerpt is from when he asks the butcher he's talking to if the cowboys come shooting when they come to town and the butcher produces a cut down shotgun and says "We split even"
50/50Farms
Well-known member
@Travlr Found it
"And so you have cowboys down here," I said to the man who ran the meat-market.
He picked up a tiny piece of raw liver out of the meshes of his long black beard, tilted his big black hat, shoved his arms into his white apron front, and said,
"Gawd! Yes, stranger; I was once one myself."
The plot thickened so fast that I was losing much, so I became more deliberate. "Do the boys come into town often?" I inquired further.
"Oh, yes, 'mos' every little spell," replied the butcher, as he reached behind his weighing scales and picked up a double-barreled shot gun, sawed off, "We uns are expectin' of they-uns to-day." And he broke the barrels and took out the shells to examine them.
"Do they come shooting?" I interposed.
He shut the gun with a snap. "We split even stranger."
Attached below are some of his drawings of Crackers.
"And so you have cowboys down here," I said to the man who ran the meat-market.
He picked up a tiny piece of raw liver out of the meshes of his long black beard, tilted his big black hat, shoved his arms into his white apron front, and said,
"Gawd! Yes, stranger; I was once one myself."
The plot thickened so fast that I was losing much, so I became more deliberate. "Do the boys come into town often?" I inquired further.
"Oh, yes, 'mos' every little spell," replied the butcher, as he reached behind his weighing scales and picked up a double-barreled shot gun, sawed off, "We uns are expectin' of they-uns to-day." And he broke the barrels and took out the shells to examine them.
"Do they come shooting?" I interposed.
He shut the gun with a snap. "We split even stranger."
Attached below are some of his drawings of Crackers.
Attachments
Katpau
Well-known member
Speckle Park?
www.thecattlesite.com
Speckle Park
In 1937 Mary Lindsay, daughter of a beef farmer of Greenstreet Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, spotted a uniquely coloured speckled red roan heifer in her fathers herd. The unique colour pattern impres
www.thecattlesite.com
farmerjan
Well-known member
Considering where you are located, I would bet money they have a good percentage of Florida cracker blood in them....
Nesikep
Well-known member
I was thinking Speckle park x Longhorn for the cow, she seems to have too much size for just longhorn, and has coloration that could well be either SP or LHSpeckle Park?
Speckle Park
In 1937 Mary Lindsay, daughter of a beef farmer of Greenstreet Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, spotted a uniquely coloured speckled red roan heifer in her fathers herd. The unique colour pattern impres
There are actually two registries: Florida Cracker and Florida Scrub. One allows Brahma DNA and the other doesn't. I forget which is which. Florida ( and Georgia, ALA. Mississippi,. etc) cowboys have been around 500 years...about 350 years before the Texas cattle drives.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Yessir! And I know you don't think much of cattle dogs (long time lurker), but they were a necessity for working them in that thick stuff.
Do what? I think you will find simular history based on the outside forces effecting the whole region.
A History of the Florida Cracker Cowboys
Originally published in TAMPA Magazine's December/January 2017 edition. Photographer: Carlton Ward, Jr. | Writer: Derek Herscovici | Designer: Jillian Baco To
tampamagazines.com
The Cattle Ranchers Story | Texas State History Museum
Ranchers have shaped the social, economic, and political identity of Texas since the 15th century. They continue to play a vital role today.
www.thestoryoftexas.com
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Similar, but not quite the same. Florida was ranched more extensively first just as much as anything as because more people got there sooner and it was smaller.Do what? I think you will find simular history based on the outside forces effecting the whole region.
A History of the Florida Cracker Cowboys
Originally published in TAMPA Magazine's December/January 2017 edition. Photographer: Carlton Ward, Jr. | Writer: Derek Herscovici | Designer: Jillian Baco To
The Cattle Ranchers Story | Texas State History Museum
Ranchers have shaped the social, economic, and political identity of Texas since the 15th century. They continue to play a vital role today.
Did you read the articles?
50/50Farms
Well-known member
I did not. No offense, just had other stuff to do.
Edit: Read them, doesn't change my basic assertion. It's not a 350 year lead but it's a lead. It's not a mark against us Texans, you could fit multiple Floridas into this state. There's also locality to market, their native population taking up ranching, hostile natives being subdued sooner in the upper pine belt, etc.
Last edited:
georgiabob
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 31, 2021
- Messages
- 224
- Reaction score
- 169
I had some crackers that looked an awful lot like them. I'm going to say cracker or longhorn crosses. Put a beefmaster bull over them and i'll buy heifers from you.
alacowman1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2020
- Messages
- 1,426
- Reaction score
- 2,799
Being in this area..you don't see real cracker cattle ..but you will see plenty of longhorn thrown out in the pastures from the roping arenas..course if infact they were cracker, they would be taken for longhorn, from the average guy..don't know if she was a roper cause they got to those horns fairy early..she likely has roping stock in her pedigree..
