Question

What factors led to the rise of the cattle industry?

Answer 1

The railroads were the start of the reason that the cattle industry expanded. The railroads made shipping cattle easier and quicker, and made it less of a danger to the cowboys trailing the cattle because they didn't have as far to travel as they did before the railroad came in.

What followed afterwards was inventions and discoveries of many different uses of cattle after they were slaughtered. Primarily, the hide, meat and tallow were the only things that were used from the butchered carcasses. Now nothing is wasted; and I mean nothing. Every part of the beef animal was found a use for, whether it was for pharmaceutical purposes, for dog food, or found to make every day products better (like for paint, insulation, upholstery, etc.) than they were before.

Thus increase in demand for the parts of animals, coupled with a rapidly increase population, drove the demand for more cattle skyward, which in turn helped the cattle industry prosper.
The railroads.