The Texas Cattle Plauge of 1965?

What if the Texas Longhorns where hit by a cattle plauge during or just afer the Civil war? Change the history of the west? What would have happened without all that meat?
 
Based on what I know about the area, it's likely that it would have been abandoned. Before fast transport routed itself down there in a big way, it would have been hard to live.

Maybe Mexico offers aid, however unwisely, in exchange for going over to them?
 
As with any plage in a mostly isolated area, the disease soon runs itself out. Cattle ranching takes a hit for awhile, making many rich, influential members of society (read: pro-seccesionists) a fair deal poorer. Once over, say in another decade, cattle ranching picks back up again. In the meantime, alternative industries/ranching animals are tried: sheep are a big one, without cows to compete with.

Mexico, should it try and prompt secession, finds itself too poor, occupied, or weak to compete with the United States.
 
a massive slaughter of suspected diseased cattle that drives up the price of beef....but people will substitute it with pork or mutton.
 
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