Within 24 hours, important bacteria and protozoa die off in the rumen, rendering it delicate and unable to completely digest food. When cattle are exposed to stress factors, both excretory and tissue shrinkage starts to occur at the same time. Buyers and sellers of cattle agree that combined shrinkage over six per cent is both costly and unnecessary. Livestock suffering from excessive shrinkage may require from 10 to 36 days to recover. Many factors impact the degree of shrinkage that livestock may experience.
Some shrinkage occurs naturally.
For example, cattle will lose two per cent of their body weight overnight. Therefore the net sale weight of cattle will be directly influenced by the time of day when the sale weight is taken. Cattle on feed and water will gain weight in their own environment or maintain weight in a new environment, while those away from feed, water, and their natural environment will continue to lose weight. A combination of these and other factors may create a situation where the cattle experience excessive shrinkage. The age of the animal has a direct relation to the percentage of the body weight that will be lost due to shrinkage.