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Animal Weight Calculations
GUESSING YOUR ANIMAL'S WEIGHT
SORRY, NO PRIZES
If you only have a few animals, you probably don’t have a scale. The good news is, you can calculate animal weights with reasonable accuracy by taking two body measurements (body length and heart girth) and applying some simple math.

Evaluate weights for common livestock


Beef Cattle
Dairy Heifers
Sheep and Goats
Horses
Swine

Terminology

Heart girth – the circumference of the chest of an animal.
Body length – the distance in inches from the point of the shoulder to the point of the rump.
Beef Cattle
 

1. Measure the circumference (heart girth) of the animal (distance C).
2. Measure the length of body (distance A-B).
3. Take the values obtained in Steps 1 and 2 and apply the following formula to calculate body weight:
Heart girth x heart girth x body length divided by 300 = weight in pounds.

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Dairy Heifer Weights
 

1. Measure the circumference (heart girth) of the animal (see picture).
2. Use the table to calculate the average weight for the age within 95% accuracy.
 

 
Age in Months Holstein Ayrshire Guernsey Jersey
  (in.) (lb.) (in.) (lb.) (in.) (lb.) (in.) (lb.)
Birth 31 96 29½ 72 29 66 24½ 56
1 month 33½ 118 32 98 31½
 90 29½ 72
2 months 37 161 35½
 132 34½
 122 32½ 102
4 months 43½
 272 42¾
 236 41¼ 217 38¼ 181
6 months 50 396 48¼ 340 47 304 44½ 277
12 months 62½
 714 59 583 58¼ 549 56½ 520
15 months 65¼ 805 63 703 61¼ 640 59 585
18 months 68½
 912 66 781 65 727 61½
 660
21 months 71½
 1,025 68½
 885 67½
 816 64 740


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Sheep and Goat Weights

 

1. Measure the circumference (heart girth), making sure to part or compress the wool to ensure accurate measurement (distance C).
2. Measure the length of body (distance A-B).
3. Take the values obtained in Steps 1 and 2 and apply the following formula to calculate body weight: Heart girth x heart girth x body length divided by 300 = weight in pounds.

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Horse Weights
 

1. Measure the circumference (heart girth) of the animal (distance C).
2. Measure the length of body (distance A-B).
3. Take the values obtained in Steps 1 and 2 and apply the following formula to calculate body weight: Heart girth x heart girth x length divided by 300 + 50 lb. = weight.

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Swine Weights
 

1. Measure the circumference (heart girth) of the animal (distance C).
2. Measure the length of body (distance A-B) with the animal standing or restrained in the position shown.
3. Take the values obtained in Steps 1 and 2 and apply the following formula to calculate body weight: Heart girth x heart girth x length divided by 400 = weight in pounds.
Note: For hogs weighing less than 150 lb., add 7 lb. to the figure obtained from the formula.

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