Transit factors affecting shrink, shipping fever and subsequent performance of feeder calves

Five shipments of feeder calves (965 head hauled in 11 drop-center trailers) were shipped 1,600 km by tractor trailer from Algood, Tennessee, to Bushland, Texas, during the fall seasons of 1976, 1977 and 1978. Shrink, incidence of shipping fever and subsequent feedlot performance of these feeder calves were analyzed. There were significant differences in shrink and subsequent feedlot performance between calves shipped on different dates. In only one instance was there a significant difference in shrink between trucks of steers shipped on the same date, and this was due to a difference of in-transit time between trucks. There were no significant differences in shrink, incidence of shipping fever of feedlot performance between calves shipped in different trailer compartments, nor were there any interactions between shipping dates and trailer compartments for shrink, incidence of shipping fever and feedlot performance. The number of calves treated for shipping fever did not differ significantly among trailer compartments, but did differ among shipment dates. Significant differences in morbidity between shipping dates indicate that the incidence of shipping fever is apparently affected by environmental conditions before, during and immediately after transit. The results indicate that multiple truckloads of calves, if traveling together, can be treated as a single unit for the statistical analysis of shrink, incidence of shipping fever and feedlot performance.