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Calf weight measurement table. Measuring tapes for determining the live weight of cattle

Controlling the weight of dairy, and even more so meat or meat and dairy cattle, is an important procedure in industrial animal husbandry. To fully monitor the development and growth of growing calves, they are weighed once a month. To avoid inaccuracies, weighing is carried out 2 days in a row, from the morning before feeding, and based on the results of 2 weighings, the average weight of the animal is calculated.

In adult cattle, to control development, the weight of cattle is recorded periodically 2 times a year: during grading in the fall and spring. More frequent and thorough weighings or measurements of large cattle used for fattening or fattening. In this case, it is better, of course, to have control weighing data of the animal, but in the absence of scales or the impossibility of weighing in at the moment, live weight is determined by measuring livestock in two ways:

According to the table of correspondence between cattle measurements and animal weight;

It is calculated using the Trukhanovsky formula, using the measurement results.

Measuring cattle to determine their weight.

Determining weight by measuring cattle is based on the fact that the body weight of livestock is proportional to its volume. The most widely used method is to measure cattle using a measuring tape. First, measure the diagonal length of the cattle's body - from the final anterior point of the protrusion of the humerus to the top of the protrusion of the posterior ischial tuberosity, and then measure the girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades.

After recording the results of livestock measurements, the weight of the animal is found using a special table. The error of determination is about 1.1% - 1.7%.

According to Trukhanovsky’s formula, measurements are taken of the circumference of the chest behind the shoulder blades and the distance in a straight line from the top point of the cattle’s withers to the root of its tail - this is the first movable caudal vertebra. Then the mass of the cattle is calculated using the following formula:

where: LW - live weight, kg;
OT - chest circumference behind the shoulder blades;
PD - straight body length;
2 - average coefficient of fatness for cows of the dairy direction of productivity (for the dairy and meat direction of cattle the coefficient is 2.5; for beef cattle – 2,8).

There are also special measuring instruments on which live weight indicators are indicated when measuring livestock body measurements.

analysis of average daily weight gain,
correction of feeding patterns,
clarification of the quantity of drugs during veterinary activities,
selection work,
formulating the selling price.

Special computer programs, which, based on daily weight gain, can adjust the animal’s feeding ration.

Frequency of weighing

The most accurate method for determining body weight is weighing. It must be carried out twice within one year.

In early spring, before the start of the grazing season.
In late autumn - before placing the animal in a stall.

Weighing is carried out in the morning, before pasture. It is combined with the necessary zootechnical measures, vaccination, and blood collection. It is organized as follows.

Set the scales in the direction of movement of the animals.
They drive cattle through them, carrying out the necessary seasonal procedures with them.

It is very important to control the weight of growing calves. The frequency of monitoring the weight of young animals is indicated in the table.

Calf age	Frequency, method of control, purpose
Six hours after birth.	Once. It can only be measured accurately with scales.
Up to two months.	Once every ten days. It is permissible to determine weight by methods alternative to weighing. This is how they monitor the correct development, the absence of deviations, and the presence of diseases.
From two months to six months.	Once a month. Can be controlled by linear measurements.
Six months.	It is carried out for the purpose of comparison with standard indicators characteristic of a given breed.
Before insemination (approximately 14 months).	You can also carry out linear measurements. The goal is reconciliation with benchmark indicators.
Time for group formation.	As needed.

Table No. 1. Frequency of weighing calves.

How are they weighed?

In the same ways as cows and calves. The only difference is the bull’s large mass and tough temperament, which complicates the measurement procedure.

A bull is almost one and a half times heavier than a cow. For example, among Holsteins, a cow can weigh 500 kg, and a bull can weigh a ton. And this is far from the limit. In Ukraine, the insemination bull named Repp weighed one and a half tons.

How to find out your weight without weighing?

Not every private household has scales. When maintaining, for example, one unit, there is no need to buy them. You can, of course, agree and use those installed on the nearest farm. But if you follow a weighing schedule, you will have to do it too often. Therefore, it is better to use alternative methods for converting linear indicators into weight ones.

According to Trukhanovsky

In this case, use the formula. It is applicable when determining the weight of an adult bull. To calculate, you need to specify two parameters.

Chest circumference. The measuring location is very close to the bull's front legs. You can measure with a special tape measure or a centimeter.
Straight body length. That is, find out the distance from the beginning of the neck to the beginning of the tail (see Figure 1). An ordinary stick is suitable for measuring. Make marks on it in the right places, and then measure the distance between them.

How to correctly take measurements on an animal for the Trukhanovsky formula

Weight is calculated according to the formula:

M - measured mass in kg,
K - correction factor. Its value is determined by the breed of the animal being measured:

for meat - K = 2.5,
for dairy - K = 2,

A - measured chest circumference (cm),
B - measured straight length (cm).

To obtain a more accurate value, it is necessary to take into account the fat content of the bull.

If it is high, 5 or 10% is added to the resulting weight.
If it is low, 5% or 10% is subtracted from the resulting weight.

Klüver-Strauch method

It is also suitable for determining the weight of an adult bull. Using this method, two measurements are taken in the same way. The first one is the same. But the second one is different. It's called oblique length. How it is measured is shown in Figure 2.

Then the results obtained must be compared with the values indicated in the table below.

Regression equations

With this method, one parameter is used - chest circumference. And then the following formulas are used.

Y 1 = 5.3 * X – 507 - applied at X = 170 ÷ 180 (cm).

Y 2 = 5.3 * X – 486 - applied at X = 181 ÷ 191 (cm).

Y 3 = 5.3 * X – 465 - used for X ≥ 192 (cm);

For 1-2-3 - the determined value, that is, weight (kg);

X - chest circumference (cm).

We examined three universal methods for converting linear measurements of adult cattle into their weight indicators. These methods are suitable for any breed.

How to determine the weight of a bull by the circumference of its belly

This method also requires two parameters.

Chest circumference, measured as usual - as close to the front legs as possible.
Abdominal circumference measured at its widest point.

The obtained data is compared with a special table (they can be found on the Internet).

How to use special tape

To use it, you must first purchase it, and this is not always easy to do. Then you can take an ordinary centimeter, take the necessary measurements on the animal, and then work with the table. But tape is, of course, more convenient.

With its help, one measurement is taken - chest circumference (closer to the front legs). When taking measurements, there is no need to spare the tape. It is pulled tightly so that the existing hairs are crushed. In this case, the animal should stand calmly, with its head not lowered. As a result, the desired weight of the animal will be immediately written on the tape above the obtained measurement value. Very fast.

Unfortunately, all the proposed methods are not ideally accurate. The error may be 20-30 kg. To get an accurate result, you still need scales.

When determining the weight of cattle, the oblique length of the body is measured (from the extreme anterior point of the protrusion of the humerus to the posterior protrusion of the ischial tuberosity) and the girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades. Based on the obtained measurement values, the live weight of cows is determined using a special table (see table for measuring cattle weight by measurements).

Live weight is estimated for all groups of animals: young animals, cows, sires.

Determining the weight (live weight) of animals (livestock) by measurement (by measurements) gives an error within 20-30 kg in comparison with weighing on scales, and sometimes significantly less.

Please note that the weight of cattle does not always change smoothly with age and largely depends on feeding conditions, as well as climatic and weather phenomena, various diseases and other factors.

All this leads to the fact that average daily weight fluctuations in cattle under normal conditions can sometimes reach 30-40 kg, or 5-7%.

The accuracy of determining the live weight of livestock largely depends on the correctness of taking measurements. When looking at the animal from the side, the limbs should cover each other in an arch. The head should be in a horizontal position in relation to the body and not be pubescent or extremely raised upward.

There are 2 types of tapes available for order.

Measuring tape for determining the live weight of dairy cattle by breed: “Holstein - Simmental” and “Guernsey - Black and White”.
Measuring tape for determining the live weight of fattening beef cattle. Measuring live weight using a tape eliminates additional stress for animals and saves staff time and effort. With satisfactory development of the animal, the deviation from the true weight value does not exceed 4 kg. The tapes are produced on a synthetic basis.

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The size of the animal's mass is of great importance in animal husbandry. Correct determination of this value allows you to determine the optimal ratio of feed amount to live weight gain or milk yield. Establishing the maximum weight achieved by each category of animal, based on its breed, sex and age characteristics, makes it possible to determine the feasibility of further fattening and set the optimal time for slaughter.

The weight of cattle varies significantly based on breed characteristics. You can find out how much a cow weighs on average based on the standard values of a particular breed.

There are three main groups:

Beef cattle;
Lactic;
Meat and dairy.

Animals meat breeds They are characterized by intense body weight gain and a large maximum weight. In dairy cattle, live weight increases more slowly, but is highly stable.

The weight of a newborn calf is 7-9% of the mother’s weight, which corresponds to 35-45 kg; calves of dairy breeds are smaller, their weight starts from 20 kg. The average daily gain of newborn calves is 700 g (for dairy and meat breeds) and 600 g (for dairy breeds).

Month-old calves can weigh up to 60 kg, depending on the intensity of fattening. By the age of one year, bull calves can reach a weight of 250-400 kg. Cows reach a size of 500-600 kg, the live weight of sires is 700-1100 kg. The largest bull in the world reached a mass of more than 1900 kg. The world's largest wild bulls live in Vietnam and China. Their average weight is more than 1500 kg. The smallest representatives of non-domesticated cattle are musk oxen. The weight of male musk ox ranges from 250 to 670 kg.

Determining weight by measurements

Knowledge of the live weight of an individual is required when selling it, calculating the amount of feed and prescribing medications. Large livestock farms use special weighing devices; small agricultural enterprises and private owners must find other ways to calculate the weight of cattle.

You can find out how much a cow weighs in different ways. The most common and accurate methods are determining weight by measurements using special tables and calculation using the Trukhanovsky formula.

Measuring method

Determining weight from measurements is called the Klüver-Strauch method. It is based on the proportionality of this value to the volume of the body.

You can find out how much a bull weighs, armed with a tape measure and several assistants. Measurements are taken with the animal in the correct position (parallel position of the limbs and a horizontal line of the head and body) using a special measuring tape or stick.

To calculate this value measure:

Chest circumference behind the shoulder blades;
Oblique length of the body - the distance from the extreme anterior point of the protrusion of the humerus to the protrusion of the ischial tuberosity.

Based on these indicators, the massiveness of the individual is determined using special tables (initially the Frowein table).

Separate tables have been developed for adults and young animals of different breeds, which must be taken into account to reduce errors. This method gives an inaccuracy of 20-30 kg, which varies depending on the correctness of the measurement and the physiological characteristics of the animal itself.

Trukhanovsky method

Determining the weight of a bull without scales and in the absence of special tables can be done using the formula. To calculate it, you need to set the value of the straight body length (along the spine from the shoulder blades to the sacrum) and the chest circumference behind the shoulder blades.

The obtained values are multiplied by each other, the result is reduced by 100. To obtain a more accurate value of body weight, the value is adjusted based on the fatness of the cattle:

For a category above average, the calculated value is increased by 5-10%;
If fatness is below average or average, the resulting indicator is reduced by 5-10%.

When calculating live weight based on the cattle breed, a correction factor of 2 is used (for dairy breeds and 2.5 for meat breeds).

Additionally, the average weight of a cow can be guessed based on its age and breed.

Measures of body condition of young animals and adults

When selling livestock by live weight, in addition to body weight, the animal's fatness is taken into account. The nutritional status of dairy cows is assessed by the development of muscle tissue and the size of the fat layer by palpation. In cattle, fat deposition occurs from the rear of the body to the head.

Higher - animals are distinguished by high muscle mass, rounded body lines with barely noticeable protruding shoulder blades and a smoothed line of the spinous processes of the vertebrae, ischial tuberosities and vertebrae; clear fat deposits are detected up to the last 2 ribs;
Middle - characterized by satisfactory muscle development, slightly angular body contours with prominent shoulder blades, spinous processes of the vertebrae, ischial tuberosities and vertebrae; the fat layer is developed only at the root of the tail and on the ischial tuberosities;
Below average - characterized by weak muscle development of cows, an angular body shape with toned hips and pronounced protrusions of the skeletal bones; the fat layer is not palpable.

Young cattle, which includes animals of both sexes from the age of 3 months to 3 years, are characterized by the following measures of fatness:

Higher - calves are distinguished by their rounded shape, developed muscles, smoothed line of the spine; fat is palpable in the area of the tail and ischial tuberosities, in castrated animals - in the scrotum area;
Medium - characterized by satisfactory muscle development, less rounded shapes, noticeable processes of the vertebrae of the lumbar and dorsal spine;
Fat may be detected in the tail area;
Below average - manifested by weak muscle development, angularity of the lines of the body, strong protrusion of the processes of the vertebrae, shoulder blades, vertebrae and ischial tuberosities.

The fatness of animals affects their selling price, as it determines the yield of meat.

Thus, the live weight of an animal is a fundamental indicator for breeding, the value of which determines the net yield of meat. The weight of an adult or young animal can be determined using several methods, without resorting to weighing.

1298 09/18/2019 5 min.

Weight is a parameter of an animal by which you can determine whether it is healthy, whether it meets the parameters of its breed, and whether the breeders are properly caring for it. It is taken into account when purchasing livestock and selecting heifers and bulls for mating. The most accurate values for the weight of an animal can be obtained by weighing, but if it is not possible to put cattle on scales, methods for determining weight using tables and measurements can be used. In this material we will look at why it is so important to know the weight of an animal, how it affects the category of livestock, how to measure the weight of young animals, and also calculate the weight of adult animals using specialized formulas and weight tables.

Why know the weight of cattle?

The weight of cattle is one of the most important parameters by which you can determine whether it is worth buying a cow, bull or calf or not. It is he who allows the breeder to understand how old the animal is, whether it is developing correctly, and whether it corresponds to the parameters of its own breed. All this must be taken into account in order to successfully manage livestock for further receipt milk or meat (depending on the type of breed).

Read about the feeding diet of cows.

Weight is one of the most important indicators, which are used to select animals on the market before purchasing. If this parameter does not suit the breeder, further inspection of the cattle may not be carried out.

What does it depend on?

The weight of cattle depends on several factors, including:

Breed. Representatives usually weigh more than representatives.
Age.
Type. In almost all cattle breeds, heifers weigh one and a half times less than bulls.
Conditions of detention including feed quality.

You can learn about the feeding diet for dairy cows in.

Also, the weight of cattle depends very much on the health of the animal. So, if an individual weighs significantly less than other representatives of its breed of the same type and age, it is likely that it suffers from some diseases, including diseases of the digestive system. It is not recommended to purchase such an individual either for milk yield or for subsequent rearing for meat.

Weight categories

Currently, there are several weight categories of cows. Among them:

Selected. Animals of this class weigh from 450 to 500 kg.
First class individuals. Their body weight ranges from 400-450 kg.
Second class cattle. Weighs from 380 to 400 kg.
Third class cows. Their mass is less than 380 kilograms.

Indicators of cows of different fatness.

It should be noted that among representatives of various breeds there may be individuals that weigh more than 500 kg or less than 350 kg and are completely healthy. However, this is the exception rather than the rule, so you should not focus your purchase on such cows.

Bulls have a similar classification. It is determined according to the same principle, taking into account the fact that the mass of a bull is one and a half times higher than the mass of a cow of the same species.

Measuring the mass of young animals

To measure the weight of young animals and other breeds, it is best to use the Frowein table. They work with it like this: initially they take measurements of the chest circumference and the oblique length of the torso, and then compare them with the data presented in the table. It should be noted that the resulting value will take into account the weight of the calf's head.

This technique, like other methods for calculating the weight of livestock by size, does not make it possible to obtain accurate data on body weight in grams. Absolutely accurate data can only be obtained using scales. Therefore, those breeders who select calves using such tables must take into account that the actual weight of an individual will have an error of 20-30 kg.

Methods for measuring adult cattle

If for some reason the breeder cannot use scales to measure the weight of cattle, he can use special measurement methods that allow obtaining such data with a small error (the size of the error depends on the method of weight measurement). These include the method of calculating mass by volume, chest girth, regression equation, as well as the Klüver-Strauch method. Each of the presented methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, which must be taken into account when choosing a particular technique. To obtain more accurate data, the breeder can use several methods sequentially and then compare the results. Read about the Kazakh white-headed breed of cows at.

By size

This method is considered one of the simplest and most accurate. To use it, you need to do the following:

First you need to measure the chest girth, as well as the straight length of the cattle body.
The obtained data must be substituted into the formula: Live weight = Chest girth * Body length / 100 * correction factor.

The correction factor is selected depending on the type of rock. If we're talking about for dairy cows, it is 2, but for meat cows - 2.5.

You also need to make allowances for the animal’s fatness. If it seems plump to you, you can add up to 10% to the resulting number. If you are too thin, subtract 10%.

According to the Klüver-Strauch method

This method involves the use of special tables to measure the weight of cattle. It is used like this:

To begin with, measure the girth of the animal’s chest, as well as the oblique length of its body.
The obtained data is compared with the table. For small errors, you can round the weight downward.

Remember that this method applicable exclusively for large individuals. Do not use it on young animals under any circumstances. Otherwise, you may receive incorrect data and, as a result, choose the wrong animal, reject a normal individual, or, on the contrary, purchase a rejected calf.

By chest and abdomen circumference

This is one of the simplest methods for calculating body weight. It is used like this: measure the girth of the abdomen along its largest part, as well as the girth of the chest along the line behind the shoulder blades. The results obtained are compared with special tables. These tables are suitable for all types of livestock.

This method has a fairly high error of 50 kg, which means that the breeder who used it could easily make a mistake in the class of the animal. This happens especially often when the weight of heifers is measured in this way. If you use it, play it safe and use a different method of calculating mass using tables.

According to the regression equation

To use this formula, you need to measure the animal's chest circumference. Next you need to proceed like this:

If the chest circumference is less than 180 cm, we calculate the weight using the formula Y = 5.3 * x - 507.
If the chest circumference is more than 181 cm, but less than 191, we calculate using the formula Y = 5.3 * x - 486.
If the chest circumference is more than 192, we calculate using the formula Y = 5.3 * x - 465.

Remember that this measurement technique is only suitable for those individuals that meet the parameters of their breed. If they are rejected, this measurement method may not be accurate. Please note this if adult cow or the bull for some reason does not correspond to the exterior of its own breed (for example, it has an irregularly shaped belly, udder or head).

Video

Using this video, you can measure the weight of a cow or calf using a regular measuring tape or tape.

Conclusions

Cattle weight is one of the most important indicators that breeders should pay attention to. Knowing it, you can determine whether the animal meets the parameters of its breed and whether it is properly cared for.
Depending on the weight, the category of the animal is determined. The larger it is, the higher it is.
The exact body weight of an animal can only be calculated using scales.
The measurement method allows you to calculate body weight by multiplying the length of the animal’s torso and its chest circumference, and then dividing the resulting values by 100 and multiplying by a correction factor.
The Klüver-Strauch method makes it possible to calculate the weight of an animal from a table by measuring the girth of the chest and the oblique length of the body of an adult.
You can find out the approximate weight of an animal by measuring the girth of its belly and chest, and then comparing its data with the table.
The regression method allows you to calculate weight using a formula into which you need to substitute the animal’s chest circumference.