Leo
Feedlots and the modern packing industry are just that Modern. If I remember
right the last stock moved about '75 as trucks could move faster due to no crew
changes and the Stock Feed Water and Rest rules applied to both truck and
Train. I know when working at Aurora Tower in '73 I had a train too long to
fit and set out the cars on the Sheepyard Lead and set them out right in the
depot the switch engine came up out of the hole(incline from Roundhouse) and
moved them right out the west end of depot and down the hill to be unloaded.
Cattle were Stockers(breeding stock for use by the farmers) Feeders ((
generally yearlings))( would be feed from the corn stocks left in the field and
then moved in to pens and feed corn for fatten up) Calves (born in the same
year as shipment)
The Fall moves would have been feeder calves from the breeders and cull old
cows maybe even some bologna bulls. As all livestock is sold by weight even
the old cows could be sold and feed out to a good weight for selling. Even
though when graded by the packers would not grade very high.
There use to be a head shrinker from Chicago who had a farm out west of Aurora
and would get the most awful looking cattle in to feed out and lose money.
Montgomery had two feeder companies who used the stock yards. Henry Steele had
an office on the south end of the yard and got very high quality stock in for
sale as feeders. Wertheimer Cattle Co had an office in the old sale barn which
was just south of the North Barns. They also had sales offices all along the
Railroad in major towns including St Paul. They did all their own unloading and
feeding and generally kept a few feeders on hand. Some farmers would buy and
have them shipped right to the stockyards. This was also true along the way as
most towns had pens and chutes. Some were just a couple pens and a chute so
the cars would have to be respotted to unload others had multiple chutes or as
in the case of Montgomery a long dock with moveable gates swing up to the cars
and unload. That way it did not tie up an engine and crew. As even feeder
stock is sold by weight the price is say 37 this would equal 37 dollars per
hundred pounds of live stock or .37 cents per pound( I have not been active in
the livestock markets since '93) They are also bought and sold on the Chicago
Board of Trade the same way.
When the Chicago Stock Yards were shut down and moved to Joliet, by that time
trucking had pretty much took over Transportation and the smaller plants like
Rochelle and Joslin were being supplied by trucks an no longer needed the Rail
except for byproducts and supplies.
Rail lost the movement of Hogs earlier then Cattle and Sheep. I unloaded
carloads of sheep at Montgomery which were then loaded into possum-belly trucks
with a couple carloads going in each trailer. Sheep would come in from the
ranges in the fall and be feed for mutton. While lambs would be less and
wanted near holidays for marketing.
Cattle would be around a year to 18 months of age while hogs and sheep maybe as
old as 6 months from birth to market. Another reason for the present day feed
lots is the farmers working off the farm do not have time to mess with
livestock. Fencing, Feeding, breeding, birthing, Etc. Easier for large
feedlots or hog confinements where you just fleck a switch to feed and remove
waste
Sorry for the two parts I had to go in and run the evening dinky parade
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: qutlx1@aol.com
To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 12:30 PM
Subject: [CBQ] Burlington Stock Movements
Pete,
Do you recall if these August and later stock trains occupants were feeder
calves headed for the Midwest farms and feedlots or were they adults headed
for
the slaughter houses ? If feeders the train would most likely get broken
into blocks the farther east it moved and cars added to other trains for
deliverying to the various feedlot locations. This would explain Pauls
understanding
here much farther east.
Leo
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