Estimating live weight

Estimating your animal's weight is important not only for monitoring growth but also in determining dosages of certain medicines. To estimate live weight you will need a tape measure and a weight chart.

Large ruminants

Live weight of large ruminants can be estimated by measuring the chest girth with a tape measure or a calibrated string Approximate weight can be calculated using the table below.

Girth	Weight
(cm)	(kg)
65	35
70	40
75	45
80	50
85	59
90	69
95	79
100	89
105	103
110	118
115	134
120	150
125	170
130	190
135	210
1 40	230
145	252
150	272
155	295
160	325
165	360
170	392
175	477
180	467
155	508
190	552
195	598
200	648
205	698
210	748
215	798
220	850
225	905
230	969

Source: Veterinary Research Institute, Sri Lanka

Small ruminants

Measure the heart girth of small ruminants (goats or sheep) using a tape measure or string. Pull the tape tight Use the table below to estimate the weight.

Hearth girth		Body weight
(in)	(cm)	(lb)	(kg)
10 ¾	27.3	5	2.3
11¾	28.6	5 ¾	2.5
11 ¾	29.9	6	2.7
12¼	31.1	6 ½	3
12 ¾	32.4	7	3.2
13 ¼	33.7	8	3.6
13 ¾	34 9	9	4.1
14 ¾	36.2	10	4.5
14¾	37.5	11	5
15 ¼	38.7	12	5.4
15 ¾	40	13	5.9
16 ¼	41.3	15	6.8
16 ¾	42.7	17	7.7
17 ¾	43.8	19	8.6
17 ¾	45.1	21	9.5
18 ¼	46.4	23	10.4
18 ¾	47.6	25	11.3
19 ¼	48.9	27	12.2
19 ¾	50.2	29	13.2
20 ¼	51.4	31	14.1
20 ¾	52.7	33	15
21 ¼	53.9	35	15.9
21 ¾	55.3	37	16.8
22 ¾	56.5	39	17.7
22 ¾	57.8	42	19.1
23 ¾	59.1	45	20.4
23 ¾	60.3	48	21.8
24 ¾	61.6	51	23.1
24 ¾	62.9	54	24.5
25 ¾	64.1	57	25.8
25 ¾	65.4	60	27.2
26 ¾	66.7	63	28.6
26 ¾	67.9	66	29.9
27 ¾	69.2	69	31.3
27 ¾	70.5	72	32.7
28 ¾	71.7	75	34
28 ¾	73	78	35.4
29 ¾	74.3	81	36.7
29 ¾	75.6	84	38.1
30 ¾	76.8	87	39.5
30 ¾	78	90	40.8
31 ¾	79.4	93	42.2
31 ¼	80.7	97	44
32 ¾	81.9	101	45.8
32 ¾	83.2	105	47.6
33 ¾	84.5	110	49.9
33 ¾	85.7	115	52.2
34 ¾	87	120	54.4
34 ¾	88.3	125	56.7
35 ¾	89.5	130	59
35 ¾	90.8	135	61.2
36 ¾	92.1	140	63.5
36 ¾	93.4	145	65.8
37 ¾	94.6	150	68.1
37 ¾	95.9	155	70.3
38 ¾	97.2	160	72.6
38 ¾	98.4	165	74.8
39 ¾	99.7	170	77.1
39 ¾	101	175	79.4
40 ¾	102.2	180	81.6
40 ¾	103.5	185	83.9
41 ¼	104.8	190	86.2
41 ¾	106.1	195	88.4

Swine

Live weight of swine can be estimated by measuring the body length (from the back of the head to the base of the tail) and the heart girth of the animal with a tape measure. Using the table below, an approximate weight can be calculated For example, if the body length is 130 cm and the heart girth is 110 cm, the swine weighs about 105 kg.

Heart girth (cm)
	80	90	100	110	120	130	140
Body weight (kg)
80	36	40	48	60	75	94	116
90	42	47	55	67	82	101	123
100	50	55	63	75	90	108	130
110	59	64	72	84	90	117	139
120	69	74	82	94	109	120	150
130	80	85	94	105	120	139	161
140	93	98	106	118	133	151	173
150	107	111	120	132	147	165	187

Weighing piglets

Usually, piglets are weighed for sale. There are several ways to weigh a piglet.

Place piglets in sack or box and hang from scale.

Hang a piglet on a scale, using a strap looped under its belly.

Weighing pigs over 50 kilos

There are two common ways of determining the weight of pigs over 50 kg. These are:

Weigh the animal on a platform scale. Estimate its weight using an ordinary tape measure.