Weighing Cattle: How to Calculate Cow Weight
Authored by Tractor Supply Company
Unless you are a commercial livestock farmer, you probably do not own a livestock scale. Figuring out how to weigh a cow, bull or calf is easy if you can measure the animal body length and girth. Use this guide to determine the weight of your dairy cow or beef cattle:
- 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
