End of the open range

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  • Created by: Jxss.lx
  • Created on: 24-06-18 17:28
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  • The end of the open range
    • Causes
      • 1870s: Massive increase in cattle ranching
        • open range became overstocked
          • (too many cattle eating the grass)
          • Too much pressure on grass supplies, ran out
          • soil damaged
          • drought of 1883, overstocking made worse
        • Beef was so plentiful in the East, shops had to lower prices to sell
          • 1882: profits from cattle ranching decreased
            • Ranchers kept cattle waiting for increase in prices
      • The Great Die Up 1886-87
        • Harsh winter, -55 degrees
        • Cattle weakened by overstocking
        • 15% of cattle died
          • Surviving stock, bad quality, cheap prices
        • Many cattlemen went bankrupt
          • Homesteaders moved in
        • Resulted in increase of small cattle farms
          • Easier to look after herd
          • Easier to provide water to herd
          • Reduced supply of beef, increasing prices
    • Cowboys
      • less adventurous lives
        • branding and dehorning cattle
        • looking after horses
        • harvesting hay
      • lived in col bunkhouses
      • had to follow strict rules

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