As a beginner rancher with a small herd, I have definitely learned how to be resourceful. Financial investments are limited when it comes to small businesses, so purchasing large equipment isn’t realistic. On the other hand, wanting to make sure I am managing my animals correctly is also important. One of the important things to do with your cattle herd is to keep track of their weight gain. This will show you their feed efficiency, and average daily gain. However, if you don’t have a scale, how do you weigh larger livestock?
With a tape measure and a simple formula.
If you have a surveying tape, or a long enough tape measure that is flexible enough, you can run your cattle through a chute, or use a setup of panels(like I do since I don’t have a chute yet), to measure the girth and length of your animals.
The formula, and more specific instructions can be found on Tractor Supply Company’s website with an illustration showing where you should measure:
- Measure the circumference of the animal, as shown in “distance C” in the illustration. Make sure to measure girth in relation to the location of the animal’s heart.
- Measure the length of the animal’s body, as shown in distance A-B in the illustration.
- Using the measurements from steps 1 and 2, calculate body weight using the formula HEART GIRTH x HEART GIRTH x BODY LENGTH / 300 = ANIMAL WEIGHT IN POUNDS. For example, if a beef cow has a heart girth equal to 70 inches and a body length equal to 78 inches, the calculation would be (70 x 70 x 78) / 300 = 1,274 lb
Of course, be sure to practice safety when handling livestock this way. Don’t get your hands or arms stuck in the panels or chute and smashed by the animals. While a scale would be much more efficient, It isn’t necessary when you are small or starting out and we don’t have to skimp on our great management practices in order to produce the best animals we can with what we have.
