s 
BULLETIN 25. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
without feed and water and then loaded without being watered, as 
is quite often done in Texas, the shrinkage in transit will naturally 
be smaller than on cattle that had all the feed and water they wanted 
before being loaded. An instance of this kind is found with two 
shipments of cattle shipped under practically the same conditions 
after being loaded, but handled differently before loading. In one 
shipment, from Colorado. Tex.. 123 cows were driven 8 miles and 
penned overnight in a dry lot and loaded next morning without feed 
or water. They shrank 33 pounds per head while on the cars before 
taking the fill at market. Another shipment, from Big Springs. 
Tex., of 90 cows that had been on trail two days with little to eat 
broke out of the pens at night and grazed and had water until 10 
o'clock next morning, when they were rounded up and shipped. 
They were very full when loaded, and consequently shrank 104 
pounds while in transit. 
OTHER FACTORS. 
As previously mentioned, the class of the cattle is another factor 
in the shrinkage, as steers do not usually shrink as much as cows of 
similar weight. The size of the cattle and the degree of fatness also 
cause variation. Steers weighing 1.000 pounds will shrink more 
than steers weighing S00 pounds, all other conditions being equal. 
( )n the other hand the well-finished or fat animals do not shrink as 
much as half-fat ones. 
The length of time cattle are on the cars also causes variation in 
shrinkage. Naturally the longer they are in transit the greater will 
be the shrinkage, but if cattle are in transit over 36 hours the rate of 
shrinkage is not so great per hundred miles the latter part of the 
journey as during the first part. The largest shrinkage usually takes 
place in the first 21 or 36 hours. 
The bedding in the cars may affect the shrinkage of the animals 
somewhat. It is well known that in car- which are v eil bedded with 
sand or similar material the cattle stand up much better and do not 
manifest the restlessness exhibited by animals in a car with no bed- 
ding. There is not the slipping, falling, and general uneasiness that 
occurs when the train is stopping, starting, or catching up slack. A 
poorly bedded car ma}" do the cattle much injury by making them so 
tired they will want to lie down immediately upon arrival at mar- 
ket instead of taking a fill. Aside from this there is always the dan- 
ger of losing an animal which falls in the car by being trampled. 
It is sometimes a difficult or impossible task for the animal to regain 
its feet without assistance. This is especially true if it is thin or 
weak. 
Weather conditions affect the shrinkage of cattle perhaps more 
than any other factor. Where the cattle have access to feed and 
