﻿SHRINKAGE OF WEIGHT OF BEEF CATTLE IN TRANSIT. 53 



Of course, in a case of this kind the shrinkage of the animals 

 occurred on the trail, and they were in abnormal condition when first 

 weighed. 



An illustration of the above was found in two shipments of cattle 

 originating at Dickinson, N. Dak., on October 13, 1911. One ship- 

 ment of 28 head of mixed cattle were driven very slowly for 15 miles 

 to the loading pens. They were drifted along, grazing as they went, 

 and arrived at the loading pens with a medium fill and looking 

 perfectly fresh, as if they had not been driven more than a mile. 

 The other shipment of 32 head of similar cattle Avas rounded up and 

 driven 20 miles without water, and held overnight and next morning 

 without feed or water. They were very empty when loaded and 

 certainly looked bad, showing the kind of treatment they had re- 

 ceived. After the fill at market they were 2 pounds heavier than 

 when weighed at the loading pens. Both shipments were sent to 

 South St. Paul and received similar treatment after being loaded. 



The treatment of these two lots of cattle had been such as to cause 

 the shrinkage of the second shipment to take place during the drive 

 from the ranch to the loading pens, whereas the first arrived at the 

 pens in normal condition and consequently shrank in transit. The 

 first shipment showecl a loss in weight of 25 pounds per head but 

 looked well at market, while the other showed a gain of 2 pounds in 

 weight but looked very ragged. This difference in the appearance 

 of the two lots of cattle caused a variation in price in favor of the 

 first shipment, which far more than offset the difference in shrinkage, 

 to say nothing of the loss on the second shipment during the trail to 

 the loading point. 



DETAILS OF WORK IN NORTHWEST. 



The shrinkage of range cattle in the Northwest will first be dis- 

 cussed, fell owed by the presentation of the work done in the South- 

 west. 



RANGE STEERS IN TRANSIT OVER 36 HOURS. 



In Table 20 are presented the results of the shipment of 730 head 

 of range steers to the Chicago market. The first three shipments of 

 these cattle were weighed five times, namely, at the point of origin; 

 at the feeding station before and after having feed, water and rest ; on 

 arrival at their destination ; and again after receiving their fill there. 

 A complete record was therefore secured on these cattle from the 

 time the} 7 were loaded near the ranch until they were sold on the 

 market. 



The first three shipments in the table were steers of about the 

 same size and quality. They were shipped under practically the 

 same conditions and were on the road the same length of time. They 

 were also unloaded for feed and rest at the same pens and all were 

 treated alike. The results obtained from shipping these three lots 



