Answer:
Barbed wire was cheaper than wood and easier to erect, and it could withstand the extremes of Texas weather. Most important, it would allow ranchers to selectively breed their stock by fencing out strays.
Explanation:
Barbed Wire Helped Create Large-Scale Cattle Producers
So effective was barbed wire at keeping the animals contained that it allowed farmers to increase the size of their herds. Animals were not lost as often as they were on the open range when they were vulnerable to predators and cattle rustlers.
