﻿56 



BULLETIN 25, TJ. S. DEPABTMEET OF AGRICULTURE. 



RANGE COWS IN TRANSIT OVER 36 HOURS. 



The results from the shipping of three consignments of range cows 

 from Forsyth, Mont., to Chicago are recorded in Table 21. There 

 were 126 head of these cows, and they ranged from 942 pounds to 

 1,088 pounds in weight. All were high-grade Herefords. 



The first two shipments were rounded up 12 days before shipping, 

 herded for 10 days, and on the eleventh day were driven 16 miles 

 and herded. The twelfth day they were driven 2 miles to the loading- 

 pens. They had grass, but no water, for six hours before loading. 

 These were large cows, averaging 1,073 pounds, and were smooth, 

 showing quality and finish. They had a medium fill when loaded 

 and showed that they had been handled well. The shrinkage on these 

 cattle was very uniform and in direct proportion to their weights. 

 For the first 36 hours they shrank 41 and 43 pounds, respectively, and 

 for the next 36 hours they shrank 26 and 29 pounds, respective^, 

 making a total shrinkage of 67 and 72 pounds per head. 



The third shipment of 51 cows was rounded up 10 days before- 

 shipping and was drifted 50 miles. These cows were not as large 

 and not as fat as those of the other two shipments. They had grass 

 and water until the morning of the day they were shipped and then 

 got no more. They were loaded in the afternoon, and were rather 

 empty. During the journey they received the same treatment as the 

 others, being fed at Staples, but they were a little longer on the road. 

 Their shrinkage for the first and second stages of the journey was 

 34 and 16 pounds, respectively, making a total of but 50 pounds per 

 head. 



The smaller shrinkage of the third shipment was primarily attrib- 

 uted to their poor fill at the point of origin and to their smaller size. 

 Notice should be taken of the uniformity of fill for all shipments at 

 both Staples and Chicago. It was practically the same at each place 

 for* each shipment. 



The percentage of shrinkage to their live weights was 6.3, 6.6, and 

 5.3 per cent, respectively, for the three lots, with an average of 6 per 

 cent for all. The average percentage of shrinkage for the first period 

 of the journey (36 hours) was considerably less, namely, 3.82 per cent. 





Table 21. — Range cows in 



transit ova 



• 36 hours. 







Num- 

 ber 



Point of origin. 



Time 



in 

 transit, 



first 

 period. 



Aver- 

 age 

 weight 

 at point 



of 

 origin. 



Shrinkage, 

 first period. 



Aver- 

 age 

 fill, 

 first 

 period. 



Time 



in 

 transit, 

 second 

 period. 



Shrinkage, 

 second period. 



of 



head. 



Before 

 fill. 



After 

 fill. 



Before 

 fill. 



After 

 fill. 



50 





Hours. 

 3.5 

 35 

 38 



Pounds. 



1,066 



1,088 



942 



Pounds. 

 68 

 75 

 66 



Pounds. 

 41 

 43 

 34 



Pounds. 

 27 

 32 

 32 



Hours. 

 36 

 35 



m 



Pounds. 

 62 

 66 

 51 



Pounds. 

 26 



25 





29 



51 



.. do 



16 













36 



1,020 68 1 39 



29 



36£ 



58 



22 















