Farm Animals of Spanish
Colonial Texas
Large Livestock (Ganado Mayor)
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Horses
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Burros/Mules
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Cattle
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Oxen
Horses
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Uses
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Increased speed of communication
Carried food and other goods
Ranchers used horses in the cattle drives and on the
range. Vaqueros could lasso cows from horseback
Horses were of mixed quality
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Not of the Andalusian bloodline
like Spain was famous for
http://www.spanishhorses.net/Image/frontpage2.jpg
Burros/Mules
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Burros – Donkeys
Mules – Sterile offspring of male donkey and
female horse
Both used as work animals
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Pulled plows for farming and carried food and goods
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2284/2089023448_fa
1130d6c3.jpg?v=0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Juancito.jpg
Cattle
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Cattle was the main protein source of Spanish
settlers
Introduced three different breeds
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Ganado prieto – black
Ganado retinto – reddish or tan
Ganado barrenda – white with black markings
http://www.retinta.es/asociacion.htm
Oxen
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Oxen are castrated male bovines, usually over
four years of age, and trained as draught
animals
They were used by settlers to pull plows and
haul goods
Oxen can pull harder and longer and are more
durable than horses
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ySgpx9ktqPs/RweXcYKkNI/AAAAAAAABI8/J1bKJGN9KN8/IMG_1795.JPG
Small Animals (Ganado Menor)
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Sheep
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Goats
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Hogs
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Dogs
Sheep
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Eaten for protein and sheared for wool to make
clothing
Sheep could survive on poorer pastures than
cattle
Churra was the breed introduced by the Spanish
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Lean and hardy
60-80 lbs in weight
Produced 1-2.5 lbs of
coarse wool
http://www.sheep101.info/breedsC.html
Goats
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Eaten for protein
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Chivos – Adult pastured goats
Cabrito – kid goats, usually less than a month old
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A delicacy favored over the adults
http://medioambiente.gov.ar/archivos/web/chaco/File/ChivosGr.jpg
http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave2/images/cabo/cabrito.jpg
Hogs
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“Razorback” Hogs introduced by Spanish settlers
Served as yet another food source, though
records indicate the number of hogs was fairly
low
These hogs evolved
into the feral pigs that
now roam much of Texas
www.pbase.com/rod_ostoski/image/53397397
Dogs
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Dogs were one of the few domestic animals not
introduced by the Europeans
Spanish settlers discovered
the Plains Indians using dogs
to pull loads on wooden poles
called travois
http://www.texasindians.com/horse.htm
The Spanish later utilized domesticated dogs on
the farm to herd other animals and to guard
their flocks
Problems Encountered
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The Plains Indians valued Spanish horses and
cattle and often stole livestock from their farms.
Some livestock often became wild upon neglect
from the farmers. The wild mustangs that once
roamed the American west and many feral pigs
can be traced back to Spanish roots.
Texas Longhorn Cattle
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A hybrid breed resulting from Spanish retinto
stock and English cattle – 1800s
Best known for their extremely long horns; but
also valued for their hardiness, hybrid vigor, and
easy calving
Longhorn beef is much
leaner and lower in fat
than other beef cattle
Quickly became a symbol of Texas culture