Florida Cracker cattle: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|American breed of cattle}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}

| name = Florida Cracker

| image_size =

| image_caption = Cow and calf

| status = {{ubl|[[FAO]] (2007): endangered{{r|barb|p=125}}|[[DAD-IS]] (2022): at risk/vulnerable{{r|dad}}|{{nobreak|[[Livestock Conservancy]] (2022): threatened{{r|tlc}}}}}}

| altname = {{ubl|Florida Scrub|Florida Native Cattle{{r|osu}}}}

| distribution = fifteen states, from the eastern seaboard to [[Montana]]

| standard =

| use = {{ubl|formerly triple-purpose|heritage conservation}}

| weight =

| maleweight = {{convert|360|–|550|kg|round=50|abbr=on|comma=off}}

| femaleweight = {{convert|270|–|360|kg|round=50|abbr=on|comma=off}}

| height =

| maleheight =

| femaleheight =

| skincolor =

| coat = very variable

| horn = horned in both sexes

| subspecies = taurus

| note =

The '''Florida Cracker''' or '''Florida Scrub''' is an American [[list of cattle breeds|breed]] of [[cattle]]. It originated in [[Spanish Florida]] and later in the American state of [[Florida]],{{r|felius|felius2|dohner}} and is named for the [[Florida cracker]] culture in which it was kept. It is one of the [[Criollo cattle|Criollo]] breeds that descend from the Spanish cattle originally brought to the Americas by the Spanish [[Conquistadors]]; among the other North American breeds in this group are the [[Pineywoods (cattle)|Pineywoods]], the [[Corriente cattle|Corriente]] and [[Texas Longhorn (cattle)|Texas Longhorn]].{{r|ekarius|p=87}} Unlike the Pineywoods – to which it is closely related – the Florida Cracker has not been inter-bred with breeds of North European origin.{{r|ekarius|p=119}}

[[File:Cracker cows on Newberry Road outside Gainesville, Florida, 1929-1930.jpg|thumb|Cows on Newberry Road outside [[Gainesville, Florida]], in about 1930]]

The Florida Cracker, like other [[Criollo cattle]], derives from cattle brought by the [[Conquistadores]] from Spain to the Americas from 1493 onwards; these numbered no more than 300 head in all, and were brought to [[Hispaniola]] and other Caribbean islands. Cattle from [[Cuba]] were landed in [[Spanish Florida]] in 1565, and there was another shipment from the same source in 1640.{{r|dohner|p=277}} By the beginning of the eighteenth century the total number of cattle in the Spanish part of what is now the United States – Florida and parts of modern [[Alabama]], [[Georgia (American state)|Georgia]] and [[Mississippi]] – was estimated at between {{val|15000}} and {{val|20000}} head.{{r|dohner|p=277}} These were triple-purpose cattle, reared for meat, for milk and for [[ox|draft work]]. They were managed [[extensive farming|extensively]], living in [[semi-feral]] conditions for much of the time.{{r|cabi|p=177|dohner|p2=277}}

The cattle were the principal breed in the state until the early twentieth century, when heat-tolerant [[zebuine]] cattle such as the [[Brahman (cattle)|Brahman]] began to arrive, soon followed by [[taurine cattle|taurine]] cattle of European origin. By the middle of the century indiscriminate [[cross-breeding]] of these with the Cracker cattle had brought the Florida breed to the point of disappearance;{{r|cabi|p=177|tlc}} after 1949 new laws relating to free-roaming livestock also contributed to the rapid decline of the Florida Cracker.{{r|ekarius|p=119}} The Florida state government has been active in the [[conservation (biology)|conservation]] of the breed since the 1970s; a [[breed society]], the Florida Cracker Cattle Association, was formed in 1989 with the support of the state, and in 1991 a [[herd-book]] was established.{{r|cabi|p=177|tlc}}

In 2010 the total breed population was about {{val|1300}} head, with some 500 breeding cows and about 150 bulls;{{r|cabi|p=177}} in 2022 the total number was estimated to be between {{val|2500|and|4900}} head.{{r|dad}} The [[conservation status]] of the breed is listed as 'threatened' by [[The Livestock Conservancy]].{{r|tlc}} The Florida Cracker is included in the [[Ark of Taste]] of the international [[Slow Food Foundation]].{{r|slow}}

In 2018 it was declared the [[List of Florida state symbols|official state heritage cattle breed]].{{r|wftv}}

== Characteristics==

[[File:Babcock Ranch, Cracker Cows.jpg|thumb|Cow with [[supernumerary teat]]s]]

The cattle are generally small, with weights in the range {{convert|360|–|550|kg|round=50|abbr=on|comma=off}} for bulls and {{convert|270|–|360|kg|round=50|abbr=on|comma=off}} for cows; in the past there was a still smaller or dwarf type within the breed, known as the Guinea, which weighed about {{cvt|230|kg|round=50|abbr=on}} or less.{{r|cabi|p=177|tlc}} Coat color and pattern is highly variable; the predominant coat types depend partly on the geographical area: solid blacks, duns and reds, with or without brindling, are more common in southern Florida, while [[color-sided]], [[Finching (cattle)|finched]], roan and spotted patterns are more often seen in the northern part of the state.{{r|cabi|p=177}} Horns are also variable in both shape and size, and naturally [[polled (livestock)|polled]] animals also occur.{{r|tlc}}

== See also ==

* [[Agriculture in Florida]]

* [[Florida Cracker horse]]

== References ==

{{commons category}}

{{reflist|45em|refs=

<ref name=barb>Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200623201209/http://www.fao.org/3/a1250e/annexes/List%20of%20breeds%20documented%20in%20the%20Global%20Databank%20for%20Animal%20Genetic%20Resources/List_breeds.pdf List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources], annex to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture'']. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{isbn|9789251057629}}. Archived June 23, 2020.</ref>

<ref name=cabi>Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). [https://books.google.com/books?id=2UEJDAAAQBAJ ''Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding''] (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. {{isbn|9781780647944}}.</ref>

<ref name=dad>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ext-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=USA&specie=Cattle&breed=Florida%20Cracker&lang=en Breed data sheet: Florida Cracker / United States of America (Cattle)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed October 2022.</ref>

<ref name=dohner>Janet Vorwald Dohner (2001). ''The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds''. New Haven, Connecticut; London: Yale University Press. {{isbn|0300088809}}.</ref>

<ref name=ekarius>Carol Ekarius (2008). [https://archive.org/details/storeysillustrat0000ekar_v0v4/page/88/mode/1up ''Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs'']. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing. {{isbn|9781603420372}}.</ref>

<ref name=felius>Marleen Felius (1995). [https://books.google.com/books?id=iXImAQAAMAAJ ''Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia'']. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. {{isbn|9789054390176}}.</ref>

<ref name=felius2>Marleen Felius, Marie-Louise Beerling, David S. Buchanan, Bert Theunissen, Peter A. Koolmees and Johannes A. Lenstra (2014). [http://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/6/4/705/pdf On the History of Cattle Genetic Resources]. ''Diversity'' '''6''' (4): 705–750. {{doi|10.3390/d6040705}}</ref>

<ref name=osu>[http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/floridacracker Florida Cracker Cattle]. Stillwater, OK: Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University. Accessed October 2022.</ref>

<ref name=slow>[https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/florida-cracker-cattle/ Florida Cracker Cattle: Ark of taste]. Bra, Cuneo: Fondazione Slow Food per la Biodiversità Onlus/Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Accessed April 2023.</ref>

<ref name=tlc>[https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/florida-cracker-cattle/ Florida Cracker Cattle]. The Livestock Conservancy. Accessed April 2022.</ref>

<ref name=wftv>[AP] (July 2, 2018). [https://web.archive.org/web/20180702144450/https://www.wftv.com/news/local/new-florida-laws-take-effect-marriage-age-opioids-criminal-records/781309412/ Florida's new laws that took effect July 1 (and one law that didn't)]. ''WFTV News''. Tallahassee, Florida: Cox Media Group. Archived July 2, 2018.</ref>

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