10 BULLETIN 631,, 17. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SLAUGHTER DATA. 



At the close of the test the calves -which had been sold by farm 

 weights were shipped to Meridian, Miss., where complete indi- 

 vidual slaughter records were secured. Immediately after securing 

 the final farm weights the calves were driven from the farm to Epes, 

 Ala., a distance of 9 miles, to be shipped. They were on the 

 cars approximately 14 hours, and were fed and watered once after 

 reaching their destination and before the final weights were taken. 



Table 4- — Slaughter data. 



Lot 

 No. 



Ration. 



Average 

 final 

 farm 



weight. 



Average 

 final 

 farm 



weights 

 after 3 



per cent 



shrink- 

 age. 







Percent- 



Average 

 market 

 weight. 



Average 



loss in 



shipping. 



age 

 dressed 

 out by 



farm 

 weights. 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 



Per cent. 



500 



62 



46.3 



489 



63 



47.3 



487 



52 



46.3 



Percent- 

 age 

 dressed 

 out by 

 market 

 weights. 





[Cottonseed meal 



•{Cottonseed hulls 



(Mixed alfalfa hay 



I Cottonseed meal, two-thirds. . . 

 Corn-and-cob meal, one-third . . 

 Cottonseed hulls 

 Mixed alfalfa hay 



I Cottonseed meal, one-third 

 Corn-and-cob meal, two-thirds. 

 Cottonseed hulls 

 Mixed alfalfa hay 



Pounds. 

 562 



552 



Pounds. 

 545 



535 



523 



Per cent- 

 50.56 



51.8 



49.7 



The calves lost heavily in weight, as a result of being shipped. 

 Those in lots 1 and 2 lost practically the same, 62 and 63 pounds, 

 respectively, but those in lot 3, where more corn-and-cob meal was 

 used, did not suffer such great losses, as each calf in this lot shrank 

 only 52 pounds. The last two columns of Table 4 show that the 

 calves were not very fat as compared with corn-fed cattle of the 

 North. They were, however, in good killing condition and suited 

 the local market demand. The animals in lots 1 and 2 dressed out, 

 by market weights, practically the same, 50.56 per cent and 51.8 

 per cent, respectively. Those in the third lot were not so well fin- 

 ished, as shown by the fact that they dressed out only 49.7 per cent 

 by their market weight. 



Taken as a whole, the shrinkage on these calves amounted to 10.7 

 per cent of their final farm weight. The shipping distance was 40 

 miles, but it is not probable that the} 7 would have suffered a very 

 much greater loss in weight had the distance been three or four 

 times as great, for it is very probable that the greatest portion of the 

 loss in weight occurred during the drive to the loading point. 



