• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

To Honor and Protect the Ranching Way of Life

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Why Join
    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • FAQs
    • Newsroom
    • Sponsorships
    • Employment
  • What We Do
    • Theft and Law
    • Issues and Policy
    • Education
    • Students and Young Professionals
    • The Cattleman Magazine
    • Disaster Relief Fund
    • Cattle Raisers Insurance
    • Cattle Raisers Trading Co
  • Events
    • Cattle Raisers Convention
    • Policy Conference
    • Summer Meeting
    • Ranch Gatherings
    • Ranching 101
  • Join
  • Member Center
  • TSCRA Store
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Cow-calf Corner: Manage shrink when marketing weaned calves this fall 

Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Nutrition Specialist

When selling calves shrink is a concern because it is a reduction in the sales weight, but abnormal levels of shrink is often used as a health indicator for cattle arriving in receiving facilities at stocker operations, grow yards, and feedlots. Adjustments in price are common to compensate for varying shrinkage and gut fill. 

Shrink is often characterized in two categories; fill shrink and tissue shrink. Fill shrink is the loss of excreta from the digestive system. This type of shrink is common in marketing and can be recovered quickly in a few days once cattle are back on feed and water. Tissue shrink is more severe, with shrinkage levels greater than 6%, associated with long periods without feed and water along with other stressors, such as long-distance transport, weaning, rough handling, or heat stress. Tissue shrink may take up to 30 days to recover. 

Selling calves directly after weaning leads to some of the highest levels of shrink. Weaning is stressful and calves are often unfamiliar with water and feed locations, so may refuse to eat or drink even when feed and water are offered. Preconditioning programs have been designed to reduce weaning stress’ effect on calves later in production by enhancing the immune system and teaching calves to eat from a feedbunk and drink from a water tank or fountain at the ranch of origin. Preconditioning calves before marketing reduces shrink because the stress of separation from the dam has already occurred and calves are familiarized with handling and feed and water sources. Unweaned calves transported directly to the auction market can have shrinkage of 7 to 10% while preconditioned calves can have 2 to 5% shrinkage. 

Dietary interventions can be used to reduce shrink. Steers coming off wheat pasture were transported for 4-hours either directly off pasture or after they were given access to hay and water for 24-hours. Initial shrink after only 30-minute hauls were similar and only around ½% of initial weight. Weight loss of steers moved directly from pasture were much greater than steers fed hay before transport when hauls were 1 to 2 hours. After 4-hours of transit steers directly off wheat lost 37 pounds (5.1% shrink). Steers given access to hay before transport lost 28 pounds (3.85% shrink) over the same haul. This shows that shrink losses were about 1.28% per hour of transport, but providing access to a dry hay before transport decreases shrinkage rates to 0.96% per hour. The reduced shrink was likely due to slower passage rate of feed through the digestive tract and less water loss.

Cattle market surveys have shown that calves that are gaunt or shrunk prior to marketing have $2 to 4/hundredweight premium over cattle with average fill. These premiums are unlikely to cover the lost revenue from the excessive weight loss due to shrink. Calves that were classified as ‘full’ or ‘tanked’ were discounted $4.73 and $11.10/hundredweight, respectively, in a survey of Arkansas feeder cattle markets. These large discounts are reflective of the buyer belief that excessive shrink will occur before cattle reach their final destination. There is value to both the buyer and seller for calves to have a fair weigh up at marketing.

Dr Paul Beck discusses shrink of cattle coming off wheat this spring and how to manage this issue on SunUp TV from May 2, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MMWE9H5CpI

Written by:
Jaclyn Roberts
Published on:
August 22, 2022

Categories: TSCRA Update

Recent Posts

Crime watch: Black Angus bull missing in Lavaca County

June 9, 2025

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Robert Fields, District 25 in …

Continue Reading about Crime watch: Black Angus bull missing in Lavaca County

Crime watch: Equipment stolen in Colorado County

June 9, 2025

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Nathan Hale, District 24 in …

Continue Reading about Crime watch: Equipment stolen in Colorado County

Crime watch: Heifers missing in Colorado County

June 9, 2025

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Nathan Hale, District 24 in …

Continue Reading about Crime watch: Heifers missing in Colorado County

Footer

Who We Are

Why Join
Leadership
Staff
Partners
FAQs
Newsroom
Sponsorships
Employment

What We Do

Theft and Law
Issues and Policy
Education
Students and Young Professionals
The Cattleman Magazine
Cattle Raisers Insurance
Cattle Raisers Trading Co.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Information

Cattle Raisers Blog
News Releases
Bereavements
Events
Sponsorships & Advertisement
Tip Hotline
Get Involved
Links

Membership

Membership Center
Membership Center Instructions
Join
Renew
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

PO BOX 101988
FORT WORTH, TX 76185

1-800-242-7820

© 2023 Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; All Rights Reserved.

COPYRIGHT | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE