27 



or market value of cattle, but that he may also see that the com- 

 mission firm uses proper care in handling them. 



BEDDING CARS BEFORE SHIPMENT. 



The information secured on bedding cars is interesting as it 

 shows that the general practice with fully 90 per cent of Indiana 

 shippers is to bed their cars with straw. This is due of course to 

 straw being more available than other coarse products which 

 would be suitable for this purpose. Other bedding materials that 

 are recommended are corn stalks, clover chaff, refuse from the feed- 

 ing of shredded fodder, saw dust, sand and damaged and inferior 

 hay. Ninety-nine per cent bed cars with some one of these materials 

 before shipment. 



WHERE CATTLE ARE MARKETED. 



Twenty per cent of the cattle feeders dispose of their product 

 locally; 29 per cent sell to traders or shippers and 51 per cent both 

 feed and market their own cattle. Judging by the reports, 

 the Union Stock Yards of Chicago receive 40 per cent of all fat 

 cattle marketed from this state; the Indianapolis yards receive 

 30 per cent and those remaining are marketed in other cities such 

 as Buffalo, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Louisville and Cleveland, in the 

 order named. In answer to question 70, as to what months cattle are 

 sold, the months are given in order according to the number of cattle 

 marketed as follows : July, May, June, April, December, March, 

 September, October, August, February, January and November. 

 The replies as to when cattle are disposed of seem to indicate that 

 winter feeding is more generally practiced as the larger number 

 answered : " During the spring and early summer ". 



MARKETING CATTLE. 



The greater portion of answers to question 71 give the age at 

 which cattle are marketed as from 2 to 3 years. Less than 10 per 

 cent of the cattle being marketed in the state are yearlings. The 

 average weight of fat cattle marketed is 724 Ibs. for yearlings; 

 983 Ibs. for two-year-olds and 1278 Ibs. for three-year-olds. This 

 would indicate that many feeders are handling a class of cattle which 

 do not possess the quality and breeding which will justify making 

 them prime, or that they are not making them fat enough to secure 

 their highest market price and a greater profit. The shrinkage on 

 cattle from feed lot to market is estimated at 25 Ibs. per steer. 

 This varies with the age of the cattle, weather conditions at time of 

 shipping, and other factors, but the amount given is a very fair 

 average. Ten per cent of the feeders reporting, market their cattle 



