Live weight measurement table for cattle, top 3 determination methods

You can find out the weight of adult cows and grown bulls thanks to a table developed by livestock specialists and independent measurement of some cattle values. To calculate the mass, it is only recommended to find out the girth of the chest just behind the shoulder blades and the length of the torso in a straight or oblique line. The method, based on measurements, helps to approximately calculate the weight of cattle. More accurate values ​​can be obtained using electronic scales.

Average weight and mass value of the animal

Every farmer and simple cattle owner periodically measures the weight of his livestock. Body weight is monitored from the moment the calf is born and throughout the months or years of maintenance. Reasons why you need to know the weight of cattle:

• to find out the weight at the time of birth of the calf;
• to determine weight gain by month;
• before vaccination to calculate the vaccine dose;
• to find out how the animal recovers on certain feeds;
• before mating;
• before calving;
• when raised for meat before slaughter;
• for periodic verification with the standards of your breed;
• at the beginning and at the very end of the grazing season.

Productivity indicators directly depend on the feeding and weight of livestock. Well-fed cows grow and recover quickly, by the time they reach sexual maturity they gain at least 350 kilograms and are ready for mating by 12 months. Bulls that are raised for meat, with a full diet, by the end of the first year of their life weigh at least 400 kg. At 16 months, their body weight can be 500 or even 700 kilograms.

Average weight indicators for livestock:

• newborns - 35-45 kg;
• at 6 months - 180 kg;
• at 10 months - 355 kg;
• at 16 months - 455 kg;
• at 2 years - 555 kg;
• at 3 years - 750 kg.

Types of cattle fatness:

• exhaustion (angular shape, protruding bones in the area of ​​the shoulder blades, noticeable ischial tuberosities);
• normal (round shape, well-developed muscle layer);
• obesity (muscular body, round shape, fat is evenly distributed throughout the body).

The greater the weight of a fattened bull and cow, the more expensive they can be sold. The cost of an animal is estimated based on its weight. Cattle are usually weighed in the morning, before feeding.

Methods for determining the mass of an animal without scales

It is better to find out exactly how many kilograms livestock have gained by simply weighing them. If the device breaks down or is simply not on the household, then you can find out the approximate weight in other ways, and very accessible ones at that.

Measuring the weight of a cow using a table

It turns out that it is possible, even without weighing, to calculate the mass (approximate value) of cattle, thanks to the most famous development among livestock scientists by Klüver-Strauch and the table he compiled. It is advisable to have a measuring (centimeter) tape or an ordinary construction tape on hand. Any of these meters measure chest girth (CG), as well as lateral body length (LB), but along an oblique line. This method is suitable for older calves and adult (after 12 months) bulls or females. For young animals (younger than a year), the table of another livestock specialist, Freuven, is used.

When measuring the circumference of a livestock's sternum (CG), the measuring tape should be located at a distance of the width of a human palm from the elbow joint. Another value - body length (BL) - is measured along an oblique line, from the front protrusion of the shoulder joint (at the bottom of the neck) to the tuberosity of the seat (near the tail). All measurements are taken in centimeters.

Weight according to the development of Klüver-Strauch (in the table):

Trukhanovsky method

This is the simplest and fairly fast way to calculate mass. Typically used for measuring body weights in young calves and adult cattle.

To calculate, it is important to know only two quantities: the circumference of the sternum and the length (in a straight line) of the torso.

To measure livestock, you can use an ordinary measuring tape.It is only necessary to measure as accurately as possible the circumference of the sternum (CG) of the animal and the length (DL) of the ridge in a straight line, from the shoulder blades to the tail itself. These two simple quantities are taken in centimeters, first multiplied, and then divided by one hundred. True, the resulting number must also be multiplied by a coefficient (percentage of fatness). For dairy cows it is equal to two, for meat cows - two and a half.

Trukhanovsky formula:

Weight = (OG x DT): 100 x 2 (or 2.5)

Calculation using regression equation

You can determine the approximate weight of livestock in another simple and convenient way - using formulas developed by livestock specialists. To calculate live weight, it is advisable to take just one measurement - find out the value of the chest circumference (CH).

Formulas for determining weight values:

• for cattle with a sternum circumference of 1.7...1.8 meters: 5.3 x exhaust gas - 507;
• for livestock with a circumference of 1.81...1.91 meters: 5.3 x exhaust gas - 486;
• for livestock with a circumference greater than 1.92 meters: 5.3 x exhaust gas - 465.

How to find out the meat yield?

In addition to the live weight of fattened bulls, it is important to know the slaughter yield of meat. This value is usually given ready-made and is expressed as a percentage. Slaughter yield is the percentage ratio of cattle slaughter weight to live weight. In other words, it is the net weight of meat without entrails, bones and skin. When determining meat yield, take the percentage that is suitable for the fatness of cows or bulls. The thinner the animal, the lower the percentage. Percentages of slaughter meat yield for bulls and cows of different fatness:

• for the exhausted - 45 percent;
• for normal - 55 percent;
• for fatty people - 65 percent.

To determine the meat yield, you need to take the live weight of the cattle and multiply by the percentage and divide by 100.It is important to remember that the less a cow or bull weighs, the less meat it will produce when slaughtered. Young calves have very little muscle and fat tissue. Most of their weight comes from bones and skin.