18 BULLETIN 25, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
for several months before shipping; (2) they have been on feed 
usually until a short time before loading, and the fill at the point of 
origin should be more uniform than with range cattle; (3) the cattle 
are generally fed near the loading pens and do not have to be driven 
long distances before shipping; (4) they are accustomed to man on 
foot and to feed-lot conditions and should, for these reasons, take a 
much more uniform fill at market when all other factors are the same. 
For the above reasons it is also possible for the owner to control, 
to some extent, the shrinkage of his cattle by judicious care in feeding 
and watering just previous to shipping, whereas the shipper of range 
cattle can not always do this. 
All of the cattle which were used to get the data for Table 7 were 
steers that had been fed for an average period of 120 days. They 
were all high-grade Hereford and Shorthorn steers, ranging from 2 
to 4 years old, and showing quality above the average for range steers. 
The ration on which they were fed was cottonseed hulls and cotton- 
seed meal for the first 75 days, with some corn chop added after that 
time. At the time they were shipped they were receiving about 6 
pounds of cottonseed meal, 10 pounds of corn chop, and all the hulls 
they would consume, which was about 28 pounds each per day. 
These steers were fat when shipped; most of them would have 
classed as " choice " and some would have ranked as " prime " on the 
Kansas City market. Each shipment was composed of steers which 
had been cut from the whole herd in such manner as to secure uni- 
formity in size and quality. The care used in the cutting out and 
loading was extreme, and showed a combination of the skill of a 
ranchman and the judgment of a feeder. Each consignment of cat- 
tle consisted of 5 to 10 carloads, so the results secured from each 
shipment should be fairly conclusive for the conditions under which 
they were shipped. 
The steers ranged from 1,155 to 1,320 pounds in weight, showing 
an average of 1,266 pounds. They were in transit from 22-J to 26 
hours, and all had very good runs to market. The shrinkage in 
transit was very uniform, ranging from 61 to 76 pounds each, or a 
difference of only 15 pounds between the extremes. The fill taken at 
market was not uniform because of weather conditions. Every 
shipment was made during very cold weather and while snow was 
on the ground from 4 to 5 inches deep. For this reason none of the 
cattle filled well at Kansas City. The first two shipments filled 
practically the same, as conditions at market were the same. 
When the next two shipments were made everything was frozen up 
or coated with ice at the market. The steers were given Missouri 
River water, which the} T would not drink, and were fed 6 pounds 
each of prairie hay. The} 7 were sold two hours after arrival and 
filled but 9 and 13 pounds, respectively. The result was that the 
