but it does grow grass and from that grass close one of america's greatest production mind the cattle of the beef industry a big business that begins in the south west on the other grasslands the cover almost half of the united states lands to love and drive a field but by cattle grazing they are made a value to the nation to the beef production line in the cattle country to the north there is green range and running water from snow and rain but in the southwest water is scarce and precious and to get this ingredient for the cattle production reservoirs are likes of dirt that are piled up across the natural water course to catch the runoff water after the rain and holding tanks of earth for the dry season in addition wells are drill in the whole slimy arid southwest on the plains of west texas new mexico arizona and parts of nevada and california the cattle production line depends on the windmills in the tank the models of the production line a very black aberdeen and strain brought from scotland are raised on a few southwest r the high shouldered brahman thrive on ranches to the south originally from india these rugged animals are better able than other breeds to stand the heat of the more desert like area but the red the white her for it are the most common cattle of the southwest race for these white faces called souls for their markings have the straight backs short legs and full body that make heavy meat produce for only in the summer months in the rain then clouds pile up to dump their shells and for a few short weeks the cattle feed on crops of native grass them forage and water the essential raw materials of the sauce is necessary to animals buy it the ranchers control the feeding of their cattle bus and truck time and they keep the production lines alive brands are the marks of ownership by which the ranchers label their connected by a registered with the state in which the ranch exists they are then the property of that ranch may be used by no other in the same vicinity but brands are hard to see when the hair grows out and for further identification the ears of the cut or not just each ranch has its own special pattern of earmarks this also is registered with the state marking and branding of the new crop of cannabis done in spring and fall at round up time then the catalog gathered from the raid and each cow hand drives in the few head from the small section he rides to join those given him by other writers the growing herd moves on a long time travel routes headed for a familiar corral the herd is divided and those animals to be branded or sold are selected or cut out cutting out is done slowly to prevent milling of the which causes loss of weight the animals are singled out and shuttled into another group driven into the  the branding irons are heated sometimes in an open fire or perhaps an old oil drum there handles extend from the fire they are carried to the branding to be stamped out of the top of the cab the can hand quickly notches the ear and one the horns the cat another vaccinate the protection against disease branding or everyone gets a shower of insecticide against flies here take other pets in some areas the animals are dip but here they are sprayed with the ed a septic liquid sales are held after round most ranchers in the four to avoid the winter weather but in this are areas they are held in the spring before the summer drop some ranchers sell tap but more often sale for their cattle fatten them corn for the packing plants of omaha kansas city chicago and the eastern market but of recent years more and more of the cattle trains head west to fill the ever growing needs the millions of people who live on the pacific sl the train stop on side on the longer holds and the cattle are unloaded every thirty six hours into rail side correct they are fed after a five hour rest they relocate to move out of the valleys of the west along the south and heal the rivers in arizona and in the central and imperial valley california upon arrival the animals not yet ready for finishing because of age  condition are put out to the rest are corralled in feed yards that may serve only a few hundred head or may have a capacity of many thousand their years of practical feeding experience between them they have evolved the concentrated diet made up of several and really the main ones of which are usually barley or gra here they are mixed and bound together with molasses inside the mill is the control panel for the exact mixing of the formula as set up by the selector switch determines the product being added and push button controls automatically start and stop the flow from that particular b rapidly disappearing for three to four months the cattle feast on a balanced ration with nothing to do but eat rest growth back then fat ready for market they travel by truck