﻿SHRINKAGE OF WEIGHT OF BEEF CATTLE IN TRANSIT. 



11 



The shipment of 154 calves from Baird, Tex., was in transit but 

 14 hours, having a much shorter haul to market than the average. 

 During the journey the calves shrank 9 pounds each, but at the market 



th< y took a (ill of 9 pounds each, which caused the weights at the 

 (shipping | mi ut ami at market to be the same. 



The results obtained from a shipment of 47 yearlings from Bio- 

 Spring in transit 23 hours no doubt reflects somewhat the influence 

 of conditions that existed at the time the investigation was being con- 

 ducted. The record kept of this shipment, which is not included in 

 the table, shows the animals to have lost 25 pounds each in transit, but 

 upon arrival at market to have filled 53 pounds. This was a net gain 

 of 28 pounds. These yearlings had been on the road to the pens for 

 two days. They had a little hay. but no water, before they were 

 loaded, which offers some explanation for their unusual performance 

 at market. 



TaSle 1. — Texas range calves in transit less titan .30 hours. 



Num- 

 ber 



" 



Time 

 in 



Aver- 

 age 

 weight 



Average 



weight at 



destination. 



Aver- 

 age 

 fill 

 at 

 mar- 

 ket. 



Average 

 shrinkage. 



Remarks. 



of 

 head. 



sic" T nl 

 of ori- 

 gin. 



Be- 

 fore 

 fill. 



Alter 

 fill. 



Be- 

 fore 



After 

 fill. 



206 

 73 

 75 

 62 



160 

 65 

 64 



154 



Stanton, Tex 



Big Spring, Tex... 



do 



do 



do 



Colorado, Tex 



Big Spring,>Tex. .. 



Baird, Tex 



Grand average. 



ITrs. 

 18 



20 



20 



20 



25 



22 



26 



14 



Lbs. 

 119 



1S1 

 150 

 235 

 152 

 209 

 182 

 194 



Lbs. 

 120 



169 



146 



21S 



146 



201 



172 



185 



Lbs. 

 133 



177 



152 



227 



154 



210 



169 



194 



Lbs. 

 13 



8 



6 



9 



8 



9 



2-3 



9 



Lbs. 



i+l 



12 

 4 



17 

 6 

 8 



10 

 9 



Lbs. 



1+14 



4 

 1+2 



8 



i+2 



i+l 



13 







Driven 16 hours a day for 3 

 days. Were empty." 



Driven 15 miles. Had water 

 before loading. 



Driven 18 miles. Had water 

 before loading, medium fill. 



Driven 18 miles. Had water 

 before loading. 



Driven 7 miles. Fair condi- 

 tion. 



Dm 3a 4 miles. Fair condi- 

 tion. 



Driven 5 miles. Would not 

 fill at market. 



Driven 5 miles. Water in 

 pens. 





21 1 160 i 160 



1 1 



169 



9 



6 | i+3 





Gain in weight instead of a shrinkage. 



2 hofls in weight instead of gain by fill. 



RANGE COWS IN TRANSIT LESS THAN 36 HOURS. 



All of the shipments contained in Table 2 were composed of Texas 

 range cows that had been in transit less than 36 hours. The average 

 length of time as disclosed by the grand average in the table was 

 21-J hours. The total number of head was 509. There is a rather 

 wide variation in the individual shrinkage and fill, although the 

 averages do not show it to any appreciable extent. 



It will be observed that there is a sharp division in the net shrink- 

 age results, one-half of the shipments experiencing gains after the 

 fill at market, while the other half approach somewhat nearer a 

 normal shrinkage. 



