﻿SHRINKAGE OF WEIGHT OF BEEF CATTLE IN TRANSIT. 25 



Iii February, 1912, trips were made to Billings, Mont., Brush and 

 Fort Morgan, Colo., where weights were secured of shipments from 

 these points to various markets in the Middle West of cattle fattened 

 on sugar-beet pulp. 



The greatest handicap encountered was the lack of scales at points 

 of origin; especially was this true in the range States. There are 

 but few platform scales in these States and the weights obtained of 

 the range-fattened cattle of Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska were 

 nearly all on railroad scales. The weights of the pulp-fed, corn-fed, 

 and silage-fed cattle were all obtained on platform scale: and are 

 what are commonly known as " hoof weights." 



In taking weights of cattle on railroad scales care was exercised in 

 getting as near the correct weight as possible. It is customary with 

 some railroads in weighing freight to keep the cars coupled together 

 and not take into account fractional parts of weights registering 

 under 100, pounds. For example, if a loaded car weighed 55,510 

 pounds, the weight would be set down as 55,500 pounds and the odd 

 40 pounds disregarded. Moreover, the cars being coupled together 

 at the time would also influence the weight, depending on whether the 

 draft of the drawbars was up or down on the car weighed. 



It was obvious that such a method would not furnish data suffi- 

 ciently accurate for an investigation where every pound was a factor 

 in the final results, nor would such weights furnish reliable figures to 

 compare with the careful weights taken on platform scales at market. 

 Hence it was found necessary in weighing on railroad scales to un- 

 couple all cars weighed, so as to have both ends free. A careful 

 balancing of the beam was observed and with the scales breaking at 

 10 pounds the weights thus secured were as accurate as the facilities 

 would permit. 



The method followed where shipments were weighed on railroad 

 scales was to weigh the empty cars after they had been bedded. 

 The cattle were then loaded and weighed in the cars. The weight 

 of the car before it was loaded was subtracted from the weight of 

 the loaded car and the result represented the weight of the animals at 

 the point of origin. 



A brief history of the cattle was taken from the owner and a note 

 made of the conditions under which they had been trailed and loaded. 

 Arrangements were made with bureau employees at the stockyards 

 at the various markets whereby the cattle were weighed promptly 

 on arrival before any feed or water had been given them, the owner 

 giving his consent to have this done. The weights on arrival before 

 the fill and the sale weights taken after the fill at market, together 

 with the time of arrival, were sent to the writer, who entered them 

 into the record of the shipment. 



