Friday 24 August 2012

How to weigh a goat with a piece of string

Livestock owners need to know the weight of their animals in order to work out rations, to administer the correct dosage of medication and to keep track of growth rates. Livestock scales are the most accurate way but when you only have a few animals they are an expensive item. There is a weight estimation formula based on body measurements in inches (Its an American formula, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service). A dressmaker's tape measure or a piece of string can be used.

 Here's how to do it....

  • Measure the length of the body from the point of the shoulder (A) to the pin bone (B)
  • Measure the circumference of the heart girth (C)
  • Heart girth x Heart girth x body length / 300 = Liveweight (lbs)
  • Divide lbs by 2.2 to get kg. 
  •  Today, according to the formula, Hebe the smaller kid weighed 21.4kg and Acorn 25.5kg.
You can use this method for cattle and sheep too. For horses the  conversion factor is 330. 


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