﻿28 BULLETIN 25, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



words, if cattle can be unloaded from the cars into the feeding pens 

 at the market and fed promptly at somewhat near the hour of their 

 usual feeding time, it has been noticed that they will take on a better 

 till than when unloaded at night. This, however, is subject to 

 weather conditions on arrival. But the nearer the animals can 

 follow their former hour of feeding the more naturally they will 

 consume their usual quantity. As a rule, after having taken on the 

 fill cattle will He down and rest. If unloaded after daylight and 

 fed promptly they will have sufficient time to eat and drink liberally 

 and have a. good rest before the market formally opens. The fill 

 and the rest are both important to the shipper. Where this plan 

 could be followed it was noticed that the animals presented a better 

 physical appearance. The hollow spots produced by the fatigue of 

 the journey were filled out and their general appearance was more 

 smooth. 



Hence, the nearer the regular feeding and watering time at home 

 can be adhered to at the market yards, with good weather prevailing, 

 the more satisfactory will be the fill. If the shipper is fortunate 

 in arriving at a favorable hour with his cattle and can secure a 

 natural fill he will have accomplished about all that can be expected 

 under present methods of marketing. 



GUARDING AGAINST SHRINKAGE. 



All of the precautions to protect cattle from heavy shrinkage in 

 transit may be made useless by some incident of the trip that is 

 beyond control. As a matter of fact, when a shipper loads his 

 animals aboard the cars for market it is largely a matter of chance 

 as to how much weight they will lose during the journey. It was 

 observed that some shippers exercised care in guarding against a 

 heavy shrinkage, while others were indifferent, and the final results 

 at market were not always in favor of the shipper who was careful. 

 However, it is not intended to convey the idea that care and effort 

 are net without their reward, . but it sometimes, happens that the 

 painstaking shipper suffers loss that is not visited on the indifferent 

 shipper. It is merely one of the fortunes of the business occasioned 

 by the elements of chance that enter into the transferring of the 

 animals from the farm to the market. 



There are certain established methods of handling stock destined 

 for market that are no doubt responsible for a lighter shrinkage in 

 transit than would otherwise be the case. In this the railroads 

 have endeavored to assist, although one feature they have under- 

 taken has proved a failure — that is, the attempt to water cattle 

 while they are in the cars. In justice to the companies that have 



