﻿II. NORTHWESTERN SHRINKAGE WORK OF 1911-12. 



By Jaiies E. Downing, 

 Live-Stock Assistant, Animal Husbandry Division. 



INTRODUCTION. 



This part of the investigation was started in September, 1911, 

 and covered a large portion of the western cattle-producing districts. 

 The work was carried out with the same facilities and under the 

 same conditions that are offered to every shipper. No effort was 

 made to influence results one way or the other, nor was there any at- 

 tempt made to deviate from the regular order or methods peculiar to 

 the section of the country where the animals originated. The aim 

 of the investigation was to get at the facts with respect to the shrink- 

 age in transit and the fill at market. The results obtained were 

 based on shipments made in various sections of the country under 

 varying conditions, with cattle of different breeds, fattened on several 

 kinds of feed. 



No attempt was made to gain control of the shipments or to influ- 

 ence or advise the owner how the stock should be treated. Permis- 

 sion was asked to weigh the animals at the point of origin and again 

 on arrival at market. Care was always exercised to avoid any extra 

 shrinkage by reason of the weighing or to divert the cattle in any 

 way that would place them in a less favorable position as compared 

 with other shipments not weighed. The object was to handle them 

 in a normal manner without regard to what the outcome might be, 

 so as to secure accurate results under the prevailing conditions. 



HOW THE DATA WERE OBTAINED. 



The investigation was begun in the vicinity of Sheridan, Wyo., 

 in September, 1911. At that time the cattle from the ranges of 

 Wyoming and Montana were being sent to market. The work of 

 collecting the weights of shipments originating in that section of 

 the country was continued until November, when headquarters was 

 shifted to Alliance, Nebr. From this point the work was continued 

 with shipments from the sandhills of western Nebraska. The ship- 

 ping season practically closed in December and headquarters was 

 again shifted to Boone. Iowa, where shipments from feed lots in 

 different parts of the State were obtained. The last move was made 

 in April, 1912, to Jacksonville, 111., where the work was finished in 

 June. 

 24 



