How far can cattle be driven per day? They have to eat after all. And since the caloric content of grass is pretty low, they have to eat a lot. They spend a lot of time of grazing, I would think.
I was just watching Lonesome Dove again in which cattle are driven from the southern border of Texas to Montana and wondering how long that would take. Unlike the classic cowboy film Red River, Lonesome Dove does not linger too long on the difficulties of the cattle drive itself.
Why in the world would anyone drive cattle from the King Ranch to Montana? :dubious:
The Chisolm Trail ran from Central or South Texas, give or take, to Abilene Kansas. It loosely followed a path a few miles to the east of modern day Interstate 35, and most of this land is or used to be grassland on low rolling hills. Even though they were going through prime cattle country, and even though they were driving longhorns, a breed known for tolerating rough conditions, they still went at a walking pace, going 10-12 miles per day, according to the State Handbook of Texas, or 15 miles per day according to Wikipedia. The goal was to fatten and finish the cattle as they traveled to the railhead at Wichita (or at least to not lose too much weight), and maximise the amount of beef to be sold.
By the way, In a Narrow Grave, Larry McMurtry’s collection of essays on Texas at the end of the rural era, might be a good source for understanding the difficulties of working cattle. Though he was only old enough to watch the last of the cattle drives from his roof as a kid, he did grow up in a ranching family, and there’s enough in the book to probably give an idea of what working cattle was like. He was working off of family lore when he wrote Lonesome Dove.
Thanks. Wikipedia actually has an article about cattle drives in the US? wow
To settle there.
Sorry, I should have read the entire Wikipedia Entry on the novel. Apparently, the book is based on the Goodnight-Loving drive, which ran from the Texas to the Denver railhead, and ultimately to Wyoming. McMurtry doubled the distance, making for a greater difference in climate, and removing the final goal of reaching a railhead.
How often was this done? I’d guess once a year or so, but with different cattle ranches, was the trail crowded?
What a mix-up it would be if two herds “Collided” (so to speak). 
Is that an African cattle drive or a European cattle drive?
as long as they
keep moving, moving, moving
then it’s ok.
I don’t knoaaaAAAAAAAIGH!
Well, you have to know these things when you’re Richard King you know.
How do you know he’s a cowboy? He does have shit all over him.