﻿12 



BULLETIN 25, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Three of the shipments show a rather unusual performance: The 

 shipment of 92 head gained 5 pounds each at market; the shipment 

 of 28 head experienced a fill at market equal to the shrinkage in 

 transit: and the shipment of 90 head filled 88 pounds each at market 

 which cut down the rather heavy shrinkage of 105 pounds to 17 

 pounds net. 



The shipment in the table showing the least fill is that of 123 head 

 which filled only 5 pounds each. The records show these cattle to 

 have been sold soon after they were unloaded at market, which did 

 not enable them to eat or drink much, and explains why the fill at 

 market was so light. 



Of particular interest is the performance of 90 head that experi- 

 enced a gross shrinkage of 105 pounds each. The history of this 

 shipment, as disclosed by the record, shows the cows to have been 

 driven a considerable distance to the loading station and there con- 

 fined without having been given any water. They broke down the 

 fence that night, and scattered several miles over the range. They 

 had plenty of grass and water until rounded up the next morning at 

 ten o'clock. The fill was so great that the shrinkage in transit was 

 naturally heavy, but, as shown in the table, the fill at market was 

 sufficient to reduce the net shrinkage to 17 pounds each. 



The average shrinkage in transit of the 509 head of cows was 56 

 pounds, of which 42 were regained by fill, leaving a net shrinkage 

 of 14 pounds per head. All the shipments were sent to the Fort 

 Worth market. 



Table 2. — Texas range cows in transit Jess titan 36 hours. 



Num- 

 ber 



Point of origin. 



Time 

 in 



tran- 

 sit. 



Aver- 

 age 

 weight 



at 

 point 

 of ori- 

 gin. 



Average 



weight at 

 destination. 



*Aver- 

 age 

 fill 



at 

 mar- 

 ket. 



Average 

 shrinkage. 



Remarks. 



of 

 head. 



Be- 

 fore 

 fill. 



After 

 fill. 



Be- 

 fore 

 fill. 



After 

 fill. 



30 

 30 



Big Spring, Tex... 

 ... do 



Hrs. 

 20 



20 

 20 



2.5 

 22 



24 



18 



22 



Lbs. 



817 



706 

 711 



646 

 811 



787 



724 



829 



Lbs. 



774 



672 

 646 



608 



775 



716 

 690 



724 



Lbs. 

 829 



714 

 671 



651 

 811 



763 



695 



812 



Lbs. 



55 



42 



25 



43 

 36 



47 



5 



88 



Lbs. 



43 



34 

 65 



38 

 36 



71 



33 



105 



Lbs. 



i + 12 



H- 8 

 40 



!+ 5 

 



24 



28 



17 



Driven 15 miles. Had no 

 water for 24 hours before 

 loading. 



Driven 1 mile. 



30 



92 

 28 



SO 



do 



do 



do 



.. do 



Driven 18 miles. Had water 



in pens. 

 Driven 7 miles. Cows poor. 

 Driven 4 miles. In medium 



flesh. 

 Driven 30 miles. Fed hay 



night before shipping. 

 Driven 8 miles without 



water. Sold soon after 



arrival at market- 

 Driven 2 days. In good flesh. 



123 



00 



do 



do 



Grand average. 





21 J 



749 



693 



735 



42 



56 



14 





i Gain in weight instead of a shrinkage. 



