﻿SHRINKAGE OF WEIGHT OF BEEF CATTLE IN TRANSIT. 35 



MIXED RANGE CATTLE IN TRANSIT OVER 72 HOURS. 



The shipments in Table 12 arc all native cattle from ranges in 

 Wyoming and Montana. The shipments were composed of 318 

 steers, 22G spayed heifers, and 151 head of mixed steers and cows, 

 totaling 695 head. None of the steers or spayed heifers were over 

 4- years old. All of them had been grazed and fattened on the open 

 range and trailed varying distances before loading. Most of them 

 Were trailed about 2,0 miles, and one shipment 50 miles, before 

 loading. 



Two of the shipments went to South Omaha, one being unloaded 

 at Sheridan, Wyo., and delayed 20 hours because of a washout, and 

 the cattle unloaded again at Alliance and Lincoln, Nebr. ; the other 

 was unloaded at Sheridan, Wyo., and Alliance, Nebr. The remain- 

 ing shipments were consigned to Chicago and were unloaded at 

 Alliance, Nebr., and Creston, Iowa. 



All of the shipments were made and all arrived at market under 

 normal weather conditions. Some of the cattle were confined in 

 pens where the mud was deep at one or two of the unloading sta- 

 tions, but only one shipment encountered a hard rainstorm at any 

 unloading point. So that, so far as weather was concerned on the 

 long hauls, it was quite generally favorable throughout the journey. 

 Another favorable factor was the arrival at market at a convenient 

 hour. All but one shipment of two carloads arrived after daylight 

 and in time for the morning market. 



Comparing Table 12 with the preceding Tables 10 and 11, it will 

 be observed that the grand averages for a haul consuming 75 hours 

 are the same as regards shrinkage during the journey as for an aver- 

 age period of 51 hours and 6 pounds less than for an average period 

 of 30 hours. The net shrinkage is greatest in the short haul and 

 least in Table 11 (51 hours), the figures for the latter being 22 

 pounds less than for the haul of 30 hours. 



The amount of fill at market is 1 pound less for the long haul of 

 75 hours as compared with the short haul of 30 hours, but the 

 latter is 9 pounds less than the average for the haul of 51 hours. 



