SHRINKAGE OF WEIGHT OF BEEF CATTLE IlS T TRANSIT. 
25 
In 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 scales 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 55,5-10 
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. 
