﻿8 BULLETIN 25, U. S. DEPABTMEXT OF AGRICULTURE.' 



without feed and water and then loaded without being watered, as 

 is quite often done in Texas, the .shrinkage in transit will naturally 

 be smaller than on cattle that had all the feed and water they wanted 

 before being loaded. An instance of this kind is found with two 

 shipments of cattle shipped under practically the same conditions 

 after being loaded, but handled differently before loading. In one 

 shipment, from Colorado, Tex., 123 cows were driven 8 miles and 

 penned overnight in a dry lot and loaded next morning without feed 

 or water. They shrank 33 pounds per head while on the cars before 

 taking the fill at market. Another shipment, from Big Springs, 

 Tex., of 90 cows that had been on trail two days with little to eat 

 broke out of the pens at night and grazed and had water until 10 

 o'clock next morning, when they were rounded up and- shipped. 

 They were- very full when loaded, and consequently shrank 104 

 pounds while in transit. 



OTHER FACTORS. 



As previously mentioned, the class of the cattle is another factor 

 in the shrinkage, as steers do not usually shrink as much as cows of 

 similar weight. The size of the cattle and the degree of fatness also 

 cause variation. Steers weighing 1,000 pounds will shrink more 

 than steers weighing 800 pounds, all other conditions being equal. 

 On the other hand the well-finished or fat animals do not shrink as 

 much as half-fat ones. 



The length of time cattle are on the cars also causes variation in 

 shrinkage. Naturally the longer they are in transit the greater will 

 be the shrinkage, but if cattle are in transit over 36 hours the rate of 

 shrinkage is not so great per hundred miles the latter part of the 

 journey as during the first part. The largest shrinkage usually takes 

 ] dace in the first 24 or 36 hours. 



The bedding in the cars may affect the shrinkage of the animals 

 somewhat. It is well known that in cars which are well bedded with 

 sand or similar material the cattle stand up much better and do not 

 manifest the restlessness exhibited by animals in a car with no bed- 

 ding. There is not the slipping, falling, and general uneasiness that 

 occurs when the train is stopping, starting, or catching up slack. A 

 poorly bedded car may do the cattle much injury by making them so 

 tired they will want to lie down immediately upon arrival at mar- 

 ket instead of taking a fill. Aside from this there is always the dan- 

 ger of losing an animal which falls in the car by being trampled. 

 It is sometimes a difficult or impossible task for the animal to regain 

 its feet without assistance. This is especially true if it is thin or 

 weak. 



Weather conditions affect the shrinkage of cattle perhaps more 

 than any other factor. Where the cattle have access to feed and 



