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When selling cattle, the highest price per pound may not be the most important. "It does not necessarily mean the highest return per animal," says Roger Brownson, Extension Livestock Specialist with Montana State University. "The number of actual pounds involved may be more important, which is why shrinkage is a vital consideration." There are several things that affect shrinkage in cattle, Brownson says, like the amount of fill that animals will consume during different periods of the day. "Extremes of hot and cold temperatures  can affect shrinkage to a large extent, but wind, rain, snow, humidity and other wet weather conditions have more effect than temperature does."Physical differences of animals can cause a difference in the amount of shrinkage. "Bulls usually shrink substantially because of travel-related stress. Calves are also heavy shrinkers, largely because they are often weaned at market time," Brownson explains. The type of feed will affect an overnight shrink. "Cattle on grass, wet beet pulp or silage will generally shrink 4 percent, while fat cattle on concentrates will shrink from 2.5 to 3 percent if no feed and water is available," says Brownson. Long hauls dramatically increases shrinkage. Research shows that cattle lose the most weight during the second or third hour in transit. After that, shrinkage continues, but at a declining rate. A study in Iowa shipped feeder cattle purchased at a sale different distances, varying from 150 to 1,133 miles. The results were a .61 percent shrink for each 100 miles in transit. Another Iowa study was conducted to determine the time required to regain the weight lost in transit. Yearlings, weighing an average of 673 at purchase, required 16 days to regain their purchase weight. Calves averaging 504 pounds took 13 days to recover the weight loss. Preventing shrinkage is very difficult, but limiting the shrink is possible if you have some control of the shipping conditions. "Look into weather forecasts when planning cattle shipments, and prevent rough handling, poor feed, dirty water, excessive delays enroute or at the market, and avoid equipment breakdown," recommends Brownson. Also avoid overloading. "Overcrowding causes uneasiness and nervousness." Underloading also causes excessive movement and banging around, which can add to heavy shrinkage. Information in this article was obtained from the Beef Cattle Handbook. |
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