SHRINKAGE OF WEIGHT OF BEEF CATTLE IN TRANSIT. 17 
cattle originated in Mexico, where some of them may have been held 
without feed or water for quite a long period while the rest were 
being gathered for shipping. In Table 6 are shown the data from 
the shipping of 588 head of these cattle. The weights at the points 
of origin were not secured, but the weights were taken the second 
day of the trip when the cattle were unloaded for feed and water. 
To make the trip from this point to Kansas City required 105 hours, 
or over four days* time. The first shipment of cattle had no feed 
for 10 hours before the first weight was taken and they shrank but 12 
pounds in transit, gaining back 35 pounds of it from fill and hav- 
ing a net shrinkage of but 7 pounds per head. 
The other shipment was a whole train of 524 head of high-grade 
Hereford cattle from Blue. Ariz. They had been in transit 17^ hours 
from Blue to El Paso, where they were given feed and water for 30 
hours, and took a nice fill. They left El Paso at 6 o'clock p. m. in a 
" norther," and soon ran into a snowstorm which lasted practically' 
all the way to Kansas City. The weather was extremely cold, but 
despite this* fact the cattle took a good fill at Kansas City, as they 
had been on the cars so long with very little to eat. The net shrink- 
age was 12 pounds per head for this long journey. 
Table G. — Mixed cattle in transit several days. 
Number 
of 
head. 
Point of origin. 
Time in 
transit, 
first 
period. 
Average 
weight 
at 
point of 
origin. 
Average 
weight 
at 
feeding 
point 
before 
fill. 
Time in 
transit, 
second 
period. 
Average 
weight 
at 
feeding 
point 
after 
fill. 
Average weight at 
destination. 
Before [ After 
fill. | fill. 
64 
524 
Big Spring. Tex . . . 
Hours. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
Hours. 
104i 
105 
Pounds. 
717 
520 
Pounds. 
675 
44S 
Pounds. 
710 
478 
Blue, Ariz 
m 
Grand average 
105 
.541 
472 
502 
Number 
of 
head. 
Point of origin. 
Average 
fifl-at 
market. 
Average s 
Before 
fill. 
hrinkage. 
After 
fill. 
Remarks. 
64 
524 
Big Spring, Tex 
Blue. Ariz 
Grand average . . 
Pounds. 
35 
30 
Pounds. 
42 
72 
Pounds. 
42 
Had no feed for 10 hours before leading. 
In a raging blizzard from El Paso to 
Kansas City. 
69 
38 
FED CATTLE IN TRANSIT LESS THAN 36 HOURS. 
Of all cattle which are shipped to market those which are finished 
in the feed lot should shrink more uniformly. There are several 
reasons for this: (1) They have had practically the same treatment 
8472 c — Bull. 25—13 2 
