1G2 Dairy Management. 



cent. In jMorton's ' Cyclopaedia,' article on Meat, the compa- 

 rison of carcase and live weight is stated as 50 per cent, when 

 half fat, of cattle of like quality. This tends to confirm my 

 estimate of the proportion of live to dead weight of lean stock. 



I will consider for example a lean animal weighing 8 cwt, 

 and capable of weighing, when prime fat, II cwt. live weight; 

 when fairly started, and with proper feeding, I should look for 

 an average gain of 14 lbs. per week live weight. At this rate it 

 would require 24 weeks to bring it to a state of prime fatness, 

 and the comparison of live and dead weight when lean and fat 

 would stand as follows: — 



J jLive weight == 8 cwt. 



■[Dead weight, at 45 per cent. = .. .. 28f stone 

 -p , /Live weight = 11 cwt. 



I Dead weight, at GO per cent, = .. .. 52J „ 



Gain in dead weiglit in 24 weeks . . 24 „ 



or 14 lbs. per week, being precisely the average gain in live 

 weight. 



In the course of feeding there is a gradual increase of interior 

 fat of two descriptions — fat in the loins, v/hich is weighed with 

 the carcase, and loose fat or tallow which counts as offal. Even 

 though this loose fat counts as ofFal, it is well known that cattle 

 well stored with this weigh heavier in proportion when killed 

 than those with less, and which are in lower condition. A conside- 

 ration of this has led me to infer, that with the increase of this 

 interior fat there occurs a displacement of material in process 

 of digestion ; and on inquiry of butchers of experience, I learn 

 that one characteristic of a beast which kills well, is to have a 

 little stomach. On looking over the items of offal of full-grown 

 animals, they appear capable of little variation in the same 

 animal, except the loose fat and the stomach, in each of which 

 there occurs a difference of 100 lbs. or upwards. 



The writer of the article on Meat, in Morton's ' Cyclopaedia,' 

 attributes this greater carcase weight of fatted beasts to greater 

 solidity : to hollows being filled up and protuberances being 

 formed. It seems, however, clear that this would equally affect 

 the live weight, and does not therefore satisfactorily explain the 

 matter just mentioned. 



If these views be correct, it appears that besides a gain of 

 carcase weight, which is shown to be 14 lbs. per week, on animals 

 which gain this in live weight, there is likewise a gain of loose 

 fat, which, from observation, I am led to estimate at 3 lbs. per 

 "vveek, or 72 lbs. for the 24 weeks. An animal in a lean or store 

 state will contain about 30 to 35 lbs. of loose fat. After 24 

 weeks' feeding, I should expect 104 to 112 lbs. of loose fat. 



