SELLING STOCK BY LIVE WEIGHT. 147 



Sir John Lawes and Dr. Gilbert in 1860, giving the results 

 of a series of elaborate and exhaustive experiments on the 

 composition of oxen, sheep, and pigs, first established a 

 reliable standard. Among the conclusions arrived at 

 were the following : 



Well-bred and moderately fattened oxen should yield 58 to 

 60 per cent, carcass in fasted live weight ; excessively fat oxen 

 may yield from 65 to 70 per cent. Moderately fattened sheep 

 (shorn) should yield about 58 per cent, carcass in fasted live 

 weight ; excessively fat sheep may yield 64 per cent., or more. 

 Moderately fat pigs, killed for fresh pork, should yield (includ- 

 ing head and feet) about 80 to 82 per cent, carcass in fasted 

 live weight ; large, well-fattened pigs, fed for curing, will yield 

 a considerably higher proportion. In each of the three 

 descriptions of animal, the proportion will, however, vary 

 much, according to breed, age, and condition. 



Sir John Lawes has recently referred to these conclusions 

 in an article written during the present year (1886) for the 

 Newcastle Farmers' Club. In quoting them, he ob- 

 serves : 



It will be observed that we here only speak of the fasted live 

 weight. Most of our animals, however, were weighed both 

 unfasted and fasted, and we have ascertained that the loss 

 during the period of fasting, 24 hours, is subject to considerable 

 fluctuations. In a large ox it may vary from 40 to 120 Ibs. 



The observations and experiments of many practical 

 men have been published, and they all tend more or less 

 to confirm the calculations of Rothamsted. One instance 

 will suffice, taken from the columns of the agricultural 

 press. Mr. T. E. Shrimpton, of Chalkpit Farm, Reading, 

 weighed eleven cattle of various breeds and ages. They 

 included a 7-year-old barren Shorthorn cow, two 3-year- 

 old Shorthorn heifers, a yearling Shorthorn heifer, a 

 Shorthorn cow in milk, a 3-year-old cross-bred polled 

 steer, a 5-year-old Devon steer, a 4-year-old Devon steer, 

 and three 3-year-old Devon steers. The individual live 

 weights ranged from 819 Ibs. to 1,932 Ibs., the average 

 being 1,465 Ibs. The average dead weight was 888 Ibs , 

 or a percentage of 60. The percentages of dead weight 



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