Neighbor shipped today

[Dave]

My neighbor sold on Superior. They shipped today. We started the day with a couple inches of sloppy wet snow. Then it turned to rain. Not a pleasant day to weigh and load out 3 semi loads of calves. I got to thinking. Water weighs 7.48 pounds per gallon. How many gallons of water does a soaking wet 550 pound steer have in his hair? Loading out nearly 300 calves that would add up. They weigh on a scale right there in his corral.

 

[Travlr]

I've known people that withhold water and salt their hay for a day, and then just before the pen of calves are going to be sold they turn on the water.

Water adds up, but I doubt there is more than a half gallon per animal.

I could be wrong... Interesting question.

 

[Silver]

Interesting question. But in my world water weighs 10.2 lbs. per gallon.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

I would venture there is more dirt laden hay sold than wet calves. I am most reluctant to buy unseen hay by the ton.
It grinds my teeth to see a foot or more of dirty hay in the bottom of a bale feeder. Maybe I am the only one on here who
has had to contend with the problem. Manure on the hide is more of an issue at the auction than a wet hide. A clean animal,
wet or dry will bring more than a mucked up one of the same caliber.

 

[Warren Allison]

Interesting question. But in my world water weighs 10.2 lbs. per gallon.

In the rest of the world, however, at 39.2ºF, ( The temp that water is most dense) a gallon ( 128 fluid ounces) of water weighs around 8.345lb. At 200ºF though, it will weigh around 8.04lb. At room temperature (70°F), a gallon of water weighs 8.33lb .

 

[Silver]

In the rest of the world, however, at 39.2ºF, ( The temp that water is most dense) a gallon ( 128 fluid ounces) of water weighs around 8.345lb. At 200ºF though, it will weigh around 8.04lb. At room temperature (70°F), a gallon of water weighs 8.33lb .

The rest of the world? Do tell.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Warren Just drink your tea and relax. It's ok....

 

[farmerjan]

@Warren Allison is pretty much right. No matter the source, the weight of a gallon of water in the US, is around 8.3 lbs. The weight of a gallon of water in the UK and places that are based on their system; the imperial system; is about 10.2 lbs or so... The weight of a gallon of RAW milk in the US is about 8.6 lbs... depending on the butterfat and the protein content (solids non fat).
The old rule of thumb is ; A pint's a pound the world around. It is a basic way to compare things but not precise to the exact.... That is why a pound cake is called that... it is a pound of each ingredient... about a pint of each be it liquid or dry.

As the amount increases, because there is a difference in the US measurements compared to the UK and other countries that use the imperial system... and then there is the liter measurements.....then the weight will change. How many of us say a liter is ABOUT a quart... the liter being a little bigger so a qt of something is about .9+ of a liter.

And don't forget, a "wet" or liquid measure is different from a "dry " measure....

 

[farmerjan]

I've known people that withhold water and salt their hay for a day, and then just before the pen of calves are going to be sold they turn on the water.

Water adds up, but I doubt there is more than a half gallon per animal.

I could be wrong... Interesting question.

Some old time traders would do that around here when I first came to Va... and probably for a long time before... BUT... if you do it and they drink too much, they get a pot gut from the water and are SEVERELY discounted in the sale ring if they look like they have been "filled up with water".

 

[wbvs58]

Interesting question. But in my world water weighs 10.2 lbs. per gallon.

In my world 1 litre of water is 1 kg.

Ken

 

[Son of Butch]

Buyers discount for muddy cattle ect. Obviously wet cattle would get discounted too and wouldn't ring the bell no matter how good the group.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

But - in this case - the water is on them while being weighed - but won't be when they sell. Or are Superior videos done when they are being weighed at farm??

 

[b.duke]

these cattle are already sold.

 

[faster horses]

If you sell to an order buyer and you want him to buy your calves again, you BETTER NOT fill them up with hay and/or water.

 

[Silver]

If you sell to an order buyer and you want him to buy your calves again, you BETTER NOT fill them up with hay and/or water.

As they say, "Your cattle, your reputation"

 

[Dave]

These cattle were gather out of pasture at daylight. Steers and heifers were already sorted and in different fields. Into a corral where they get sorted by the Superior rep. Not all make the cut. The ones too big, too small, or just don't match get sorted off. Then they get weighed 8-10 at a time. After that they get loaded on the truck. They were sold months ago. The number of head, sale price, pencil shrink, and slide agreed on as part of the deal. So are vaccinations, days weaned, and feed previous to being loaded on the buyer's truck.

 

[bird dog]

I usually don't like or agree with the pencil shrink stuff but with wet muddy calves its probably fair.

 

[Dave]

I usually don't like or agree with the pencil shrink stuff but with wet muddy calves its probably fair.

Pencil shrink is less than the actual shrink the vast majority experience taking them to the sale.

 

[faster horses]

Pencil shrink is less than the actual shrink the vast majority experience taking them to the sale.

We helped an order buyer for years and I totally agree.
I actually was a licensed order buyer under him. Boy, that wasn't much fun.