Ethnoveterinary medicine in Asia - An information kit on traditional animal health care practices - General information: Estimating live weight

Ethnoveterinary medicine in Asia - An information kit on traditional animal health care practices - General information

		Collaborating organizations
		Introduction to the workshop process
		How to use these manuals
		Identification, collection and preparation of medicinal plants
		Application of herbal medicine
		Common units of measurement
		Estimating live weight
		Simple surgical techniques
		Treating castration wounds
		Glossary of english and botanical names
		Glossary of medicinal plants
		Ethnoveterinary question list
		Glossary of technical terms
		Participants' profile
		References

Estimating live weight

Cattle and buffaloes

Measure the chest girth of large ruminants with a tape measure or a string. Use the table below to estimate the weight.

Girth (cm)	Weight (kg)	Girth (cm)	Weight (kg)	Girth (cm)	Weight (kg)
65	35	125	170	185	508
70	40	130	190	190	552
75	45	135	210	195	598
80	50	140	230	200	648
85	59	145	252	205	698
90	69	150	272	210	748
95	79	155	295	215	798
100	89	160	325	220	850
105	103	165	360	225	905
110	118	170	392	230	969
115	134	175	427
120	150	180	467

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.

Heart girth		Body weight		Heart girth		Body weight
(in)	(cm)	(Ib)	(kg)	(in)	(cm)	(lb)	(kg)
10 ¾	27.3	5	2.3	18 ¾	47.6	25	11.3
11 ¼	28.6	5½	2.5	19¼	48.9	27	12.2
11 ¾	29.9	6	2.7	19 ¾	50.2	29	13.2
12 ¼	31.1	6½	3	20 ¼	51.4	31	14.1
12 3/	32.4	7	3.2	20 ¾	52.7	33	15
13 ¼	33.7	8	3.6	21 ¼	53.9	35	15.9
13 ¾	34.9	9	4.1	21 ¾	55.3	37	16.8
14 ¼	36.2	10	4.5	22 ¼	56.5	39	17.7
14 ¾	37.5	11	5	22 ¾	57.8	42	19.1
15 ¼	38.7	12	5.4	23¼	59.1	45	20.4
15 ¾	40	13	5.9	23 ¾	60.3	48	21.8
16 ¼	41.3	15	6.8	24¼	61.6	51	23.1
16 ¾	42.7	17	7.7	24 ¾	62.9	54	24.5
17¼	43.8	19	8.6	25¼	64.1	57	25.8
17 ¾	45.1	21	9.5	25 ¾	65.4	60	27.2
18 ¼	46.4	23	10.4	26 ¼	66 7	63	28.6

Heart girth		Body weight
(in)	(cm)	(lb)	(kg)
26¾	67.9	66	29.9
27¼	69.2	69	31.3
27¾	70.5	72	32.7
28 ¼	71.7	75	34
28¾	73	78	35.4
29 ¼	74.3	81	36.7
29 ¾	75.6	84	38.1
30¼	76.8	87	39.5
30¾	78	90	40.8
31 ¼	79.4	93	42.2
31¾	80.7	97	44
32 ¼	81.9	101	45.8
32 ¾	83.2	105	47.6
33¼	84.5	110	499
33¾	85.7	115	52.2
34 ¼	87	120	54.4
34 ¾	88.3	125	56.7
35 ¼	89.5	130	59
35 ¾	90.8	135	61.2
36¼	92.1	140	63.5
36 ¾	93.4	145	65.8
37 ¼	94.6	150	68.1
37 ¾	95.9	155	70.3
38 ¼	97.2	160	72.6
38 ¾	98.4	165	74.8
39¼	99.7	170	77.1
39 ¾	101	175	79.4
40¼	102.2	180	81.6
40 ¾	103.5	185	83.9
41 ¼	104.8	190	86.2
41¾	106.1	195	88.4

Source: Sinn (1983)

Swine

Live weight of swine can be estimated by measuring the body length (from the back of the head to the tail head) 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 110 cm, the swine weighs about 105 kg.

Swine

Body length