This breed is another old breed in the U.S. Like the Florida Cracker breed, Pineywood cattle are descendants from Spanish cattle that early settlers brought to the continent in the 1500s. This breed almost became extinct in the late 1800s and early 1900s when producers brought newer cattle breeds into the country. Farmers often crossed the new breeds with Pineywood cows, but this crossbreeding almost left them extinct. A few families kept the purebred Pineywoods going during the early 1900s. While the Livestock Conservancy still lists this breed as threatened, their numbers have increased in recent years.
Photo credit: Pineywoods Cattle Registry and Breeders Association photo