What of the following factors was the most important reason why texas ranchers were motivated to drive their cattle north to kansas? a. cattle drives would ranchers to get rid of texas fever. b. cattle could be sold at a large profit when driven to other states. c. cattle prices were too high in texas markets. d. cattle drives could provide jobs to cowboys and drovers.

The long cattle drives along established routes like the 500-mile Chisholm Trail to shipping and slaughtering points became an iconic part of American lore, but they were impractical. Teams of cowboys could only move herds short distances every day so the cattle did not lose too much weight, and had to defend them from predators and rustlers. As the population of the West grew, more ranchers and farmers prevented others' cattle from foraging on their lands by putting up barbed wire, effectively closing off the open range.

Meanwhile, trains provided convenient transportation for herds, with cattle cars able to reach Chicago and other commercial centers in a day or two instead of months. This gave ranchers more time to fatten the cows and decreased the manpower necessary to get them to market. As more train lines extended along the drive routes and stations opened in cattle towns like Abilene and Dodge City, more ranchers chose that form of transportation.

Cattle drives today are much shorter than those of the 1800s, and are designed for tourism rather than practical ranching. so c

what are the issues?