56 
BVLLEIIX 25, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGKICX7LTTJHB. 
RANGE COWS IN TRANSIT OVER 36 HOURS. 
The results from the shipping of three consignments of range cows 
from Forsyth. Mont., to Chicago are recorded in Table 21. There 
were 126 head of these cows, and they ranged from 942 pounds to 
1,088 pounds in weight. All were high-grade Herefords. 
The rim two shipments Avere rounded up 12 daws before shipping, 
herded for 10 days, and on the eleventh day were driven 16 miles 
and herded. The twelfth day they were driven 2 miles to the loading 
pens. They had grass, but no water, for six hours before loading. 
These were large cows, averaging 1.073 pounds, and were smooth, 
showing quality and finish. They had a medium fill when loaded 
and showed that they had been handled well. The shrinkage on these 
cattle was very uniform and in direct proportion to their weights. 
For the first 36 hours they shrank 41 and 43 pounds, respectively, and 
for the next 36 hours they shrank 26 and 29 pounds, respectively, 
making a total shrinkage of 67 and 72 pounds per head. 
The third shipment of 51 cows was rounded up 10 days before 
shipping and was drifted 50 miles. These cows were not as large 
and not as fat as those of the other two shipments. They had grass 
and water until the morning of the day they were shipped and then 
got no more. They were loaded in the afternoon, and were rather 
empty. During the journey they received the same treatment as the 
others, being fed at Staples, but they were a little longer on the road. 
Their shrinkage for the first and second stages of the journey was 
34 and 16 pounds, respectively, making a total of but 50 pounds per 
head. 
The smaller shrinkage of the third shipment was primarily attrib- 
uted to their poor fill at the point of origin and to their smaller size. 
Xotice should be taken of the uniformity of fill for all shipments at 
both Staples and Chicago. It was practically the same at each place 
for* each shipment. 
The percentage of shrinkage to their live weights was 6.3. 6.6. and 
5.3 per cent, respectively, for the three lots, with an average of 6 per 
cent for all. The average percentage of shrinkage for the first period 
of the journey ( 36 hours ) was considerably less, namely. 3.82 per cent. 
Table 21. — Range cows in transit over 36 hours. 
Num- 
ber 
of 
head. 
Point of origin. 
Time 
in 
transit. 
first 
period. 
Aver- 
age 
weight 
Shrinkage, 
first period. 
Aver- 
age 
fill, 
first 
period. 
Time 
in 
transit, 
second 
period. 
Shrinkage . 
second period. 
at point 
of 
origin. 
Before 
fill. 
After 
an. 
Before 
fill. 
After 
fill. 
Hours. 
35 
35 
38 
Pounds. 
1.066 
l'.OSS 
942 
Pounds. 
68 
75 
66 
Pou nds. 
41 
43 
34 
Pounds. 
27 
32 
32 
Hours. 
n 
37J 
Pou nds. 
62 
66 
51 
Pounds. 
26 
29 
16 
36 
1,020 
6S 
39 
* 
36i 
5S 
22 
Forsvth. Mont. 
do.. 
do 
Grand average. 
