Measurement of cattle to determine live weight. Measuring tapes for determining the live weight of cattle. What to look for when measuring

Control over the weight of dairy, and even more so beef or meat and dairy cattle, is an important procedure in industrial animal husbandry. To fully control 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 morning to giving food, and based on the results of 2 weighings, calculate average weight animal.

In adult cattle, to control development, the weight of cattle is carried out periodically 2 times a year: during grading in autumn and spring. More frequent and more careful weighings or measurements of large cattle used for feeding or fattening. In this case, it is better, of course, to have data on the control weighing of the animal, but in the absence of scales or the inability to weigh in this moment, live weight is determined by measuring livestock in two ways:

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

They are calculated according to the Trukhanovsky formula, using the results of measurement.

Measurements of cattle to determine their weight.

Determination of weight by measuring cattle relies on the fact that the body weight of cattle is proportional to its volume. The most widely used method of measuring cattle with a measuring tape. First, the diagonal length of the body of the cattle is measured - from the end of the anterior point of the protrusion of the humerus to the top of the protrusion of the posterior ischial tuberosity, and then the girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades is measured.

Having recorded the results of the measurement of livestock, according to a special table, the weight of the animal is found. The error of determination is about 1.1% - 1.7%.

According to the Trukhanovsky formula, measurements are taken of the girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades and the distance in a straight line from the top point of the withers of the cattle to the root of its tail - this is the first mobile tail vertebra. Then calculate the mass of cattle according to the following formula:

where: ZhM - live weight, kg;
FROM - chest girth behind the shoulder blades;
PD - straight body length;
2 - the 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, when measuring measurements of the body of livestock, indicators of live weight are indicated.

In the absence of a special device, a table for determining the weight of cattle will be an indispensable assistant. Weighing adults or calves is often difficult, but it is impossible to do without knowing the mass of animals. These data are necessary for the sale of livestock, for the study of development and for fattening. Enterprising livestock breeders have learned to do without scales and find out the mass by special formulas, using a tape measure or a measuring tape as a measuring tool.

The error in the weightless determination of mass and the rules for taking measurements

Measuring the weight of cattle by measurement shows not entirely accurate results. Determination of live weight according to the table or calculation formulas gives an error of 20-30 kg, sometimes less - this is not a critical indicator, just remember this. If you use soundings to monitor the development of livestock, then slightly inaccurate numbers will not hurt you at all.

In order to minimize the error in measuring the weight of calves by measurements, it is important to learn how to take measurements correctly. This is not always easy, because the animals do not like to stand still and wait for the farmer to make these same measurements. The procedure becomes more complicated with age, because the animals become larger.

To determine the weight of young cattle or adults, two values ​​\u200b\u200bare needed: the girth of the sternum and the length of the body, measured obliquely.

To measure the girth of the sternum, you should hold the measuring tape behind the shoulder blades. The oblique length of the carcass is measured from the extreme point of the projection on the humerus to the projection on the buttock. It is important to learn how to take measurements correctly and quickly, because they are necessary for all methods for determining the live weight of cattle without scales.

Methods for measuring the weight of livestock without weights and the formula for calculating the average weight

Many farms use simple calculations rather than measuring instruments to determine the weight of a bull. This is due to the fact that a calf at 2-3 months old can still fit on the scales, but for adults it will not be easy to find such scales. And driving an animal onto the weighing platforms is not an easy task.

It is for this reason that calculation models were invented: the Trukhanovsky method, the Clover-Strauch table, the Freuven table. For some breeds, there are separate calculation formulas, since they are much larger than the standard dimensions that cattle reach. For example, the black-and-white breed.

If you don’t have a table of the ratio of body parameters and mass at hand, then you can calculate the weight using the regression equation: Y = 5.3x-X. In this formula, the small "x" will change depending on the size of the chest. The exact value of "X" large for animals of different massiveness can be seen in the table:

This table and formula will help you find out how much cows and bulls weigh in adulthood. To calculate the weight of a newborn calf, there are other methods that do not require mathematical calculations.

Freuven method

The weight of a bull or cow at the age of three to six months or less than a year old is conveniently calculated using the Freuven method, you will need a meter and the numbers shown in the table below:

The left column shows the bust size. In the top row - the length of the body, measured along the oblique line. At the intersection of indicators, you will find how much the calf weighs. This method is convenient to measure the weight of the animal at birth, but if you want to know the exact weight of the cow, then use the scales.

Most often, on the farm, in order to monitor development, it is enough to know the average weight of cattle - approximate data. But the targeted fattening of cows and bulls for meat requires exact numbers.

Klüver-Strauch method

This method allows you to determine the average weight of a cow or bull at an older age. To use the table, you will also need to determine the volume of the chest and the length of the cow's body along the oblique line.

Oblique length is measured from the middle of the shoulder blade to the end of the thigh. The data for calculating the mass are summarized in the table:

If you are at a loss how to find out the weight of an adult without weighing, then the Klüver-Strauch method is perfect for you. It can be used to track the difference in performance during the first and third trimester of pregnancy, or simply to monitor the weight of a young heifer.

Example: when measuring the girth of the chest, you get 175 cm. The oblique length of the body is 165 cm. We look at where these numbers intersect in the table, and we get that the weight of the animal is 443 kg.

Trukhanovsky method

If you need to quickly determine the weight of a calf, then one of the best methods is the Trukhanovsky formula: (AxB / 100)xK. A is the girth in the chest, B is the oblique torso length, and K is the additional factor. K always depends on the type of breed:

• dairy breeds (or any breeding individual): K=2;
• meat breeds: K=2.5.

It is necessary to add or subtract 5-10% to the resulting number, depending on the fatness of the cow. Of course, only approximate body weight is determined in this way.

Weight measurement of black-and-white cows

Some breeds of cows are very different and there are no general laws and standard systems for determining the live weight of young animals. So, for the Black-and-White breed, there is a separate weight measurement table, working with which you can quite accurately “weigh” the animal without resorting to scales. If you are wondering why a separate table has been developed for this breed, then you can read about it in our article.

If you do not know how to find out the weight of cattle from measurements from the table, study it:

To use the table in determining the weight of cattle, it is necessary to measure the chest girth according to the scheme described above. Further, using a tape measure or measuring tape, the girth of the belly is measured in its most voluminous part. In the table below, we are looking for the point at which the obtained values ​​​​intersect - this is the live weight of black-and-white cattle.

In practice, using a tape measure to take measurements is inconvenient, since it is made of hard material. If you do not have a centimeter, then you can use the twine as a measuring tape - after measuring the girth, attach it to a ruler or tape measure, it is much more convenient.

We use a special tape

If you have a large farm that breeds pork, beef and other meat, then it is easy to get confused in the tables for determining the live weight of young animals. In this case, a special measuring tape will help, on which there are already the necessary values.

For those who do not know how to determine the weight of such a tape, we tell. Measure the length of the torso, starting from the point where the front legs end, and look at the value on the tape. This method is much more convenient than measuring the mass by the girth of the chest zones and the oblique length of the body.

It is important to understand that when taking measurements, the animal must be calm. With restless behavior of cattle, with live weight, inaccuracies may occur. So, at the first measurement, the heifer weighed 350 kg, at the second - 400 kg. To determine the weight more accurately, simply calculate the arithmetic mean of the obtained indicators.

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Agriculture is a subtle science, despite its apparent simplicity. If a farmer raises cattle, he must know everything about it, including how much each of his cows weighs. With modern technology, even for an ignorant person, it is not difficult to find out the weight of an animal. You can find out how much a cow weighs with or without special equipment.

Novice farmers are interested in the question of how you can find out how much a cow weighs

When breeding, selling or buying livestock, it is sometimes necessary to be guided by average data, knowledge of which will provide a number of advantages. Thanks to average data, you can know how much live weight is in a particular cow or, say, the average weight of a bull, since its cost directly depends on this.

The average indicators of the mass of cattle are necessary in order to select the optimal nutrition for it. After all, if a farmer raises a herd, he needs to know how much food to prepare for the winter, how much is needed for young animals, and how much for large animals.

In order to monitor the health status of livestock, it is important to be able to determine the live weight of each head, based on approximate weight measurements.

Of particular importance is the determination of the weight gain of young animals in order to optimize their diet.
Determination of the mass of each individual in the herd allows you to sort animals into groups for specialized care for each.

The average weight of cattle is necessary in order to select the optimal nutrition for it.

There are a number of data by which you can determine what is the mass of a cow:

• animal breed;
• his age;
• gender (the mass of an adult bull, for example, exceeds the average weight of a cow by almost half);
• animal care and daily nutrition (an experienced farmer or worker can easily determine the weight of an adult cow “by eye”, judging by its fatness).

According to the degree of fatness and grooming, categories of cows are distinguished:

1. Selective. The average weight of a cow is about 0.5 tons.
2. The first is about 400 kg.
3. The second is about 380 kg.
4. The third is about 300 kg.

Thus, the average mass of bulls large breed will be approximately 1 t. If this representative of cattle is from small breeds, then he will pull 700 kg in the presence of absolute health and good fattening.

Methods for determining mass

To determine how much a bull weighs, there are several measurement methods without the use of scales.

To measure adult cattle, you can apply a ready-made verified method. It helps to find out the weight of the bull due to its measurement. This requires a special measuring tape.

It is necessary to determine the girth of the chest and the length of the body of the cow. The weight of a cow is equal to the girth of the chest multiplied by the length of the body. Then the resulting amount is divided by 100 and multiplied by the correction factor, which is:

• 2 - for dairy breeds;
• 2.5 - for meat breeds.

If a more accurate result is needed, fatness must also be taken into account. If the animal is obese, then about 10% is added to its mass, and if it is not very well-fed, then these percentages are taken away.

The Klüver-Strauch method is also known. It involves measuring the volume of the animal. After the chest girth and oblique body length are measured, thanks to a special table, a relatively accurate result is known.

You can use the regression equation. It helps to calculate the mass of the animal. It is necessary to measure the chest circumference of an individual, and then substitute this number into ready-made formulas.
The chest girth is multiplied by 5.3, and the number 507 is subtracted from the resulting amount. This formula is for animals whose chest girth is up to 180 cm.

Methods for measuring cattle are varied

The circumference is multiplied by 5.3, then subtract 486 from the resulting number. This will be the determination of the mass of an individual with a chest volume of up to 190 cm.
The chest volume is multiplied by 5.3, then 465 is subtracted. If the animal has a chest volume of more than 192 cm, then this formula works.

The girth of the chest and belly allows you to find out, for example, the weight of a bull without scales. In the fattest places of the animal, the volume of the belly and chest girth are measured, then the data obtained are compared with the table.

Calf weight measurement

The weight of the calf is determined according to the special Frowijn table. To find out the weight of the calf, you need to measure the oblique length and girth of the chest. Then you can just follow the table. By weighing it will be possible to determine more accurate numbers, but you can find out the weight of a calf without equipment.

The best way to determine the daily growth of newborn heifers and bulls is by weighing with a scale. It makes it possible to adjust the nutrition of the animal, if necessary, provide him with veterinary examinations, dietary supplements, etc. But there are a number of ways to determine growth without weighing.

Calves after birth can weigh up to 40 kg. In a week, they are able to gain twice as much weight if they are properly cared for and provided with the necessary feed and vitamins.

The farmer must already at the stage of growth of the calf determine for what purposes it is raised. A one-year-old bull, depending on its weight, can be slaughtered for meat or left as an inseminator.

The indicator for a newborn calf is approximately 7-8% of the weight of the cow that gave birth to him. The size of a newborn animal is influenced by the breed of parents. To obtain the most approximate data, young cows and bulls measure chest circumference, and an increase of every 10 cm means an increase of almost 2 times.

To determine the size of the bulls, the length of the body is also measured, which, in relation to the chest of the animal, gives more accurate data, which are compared with a special table.
The determination of growth among cattle is carried out thanks to many methods and methods that take into account various data of the animal, which will allow the farmer to choose the most optimal one for his work.

1298 09/18/2019 5 min.

Weight is a parameter of an animal, by which it is possible to determine whether it is healthy, whether it meets the parameters of its breed, whether breeders take care of it correctly. It is taken into account when buying livestock and selecting heifers and bulls for mating. The most accurate animal weight values ​​can be obtained by weighing, but if it is not possible to put the cattle on the scales, methods for determining the weight from tables and measurements can be used. In this material, we will analyze 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 gives the breeder to understand how old the animal is, whether it develops correctly, whether it corresponds to the parameters of its own breed. All this must be taken into account in order to successfully deal with cattle for further milk or meat production (depending on the type of breed).

Read about the diet of feeding cows.

Weight is one of the most important indicators by which animals are selected on the market before purchase. 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 breeds of cattle, heifers weigh one and a half times less than bulls.
• Conditions of detention, including feed quality.

You can find out about the diet of dairy cows at.

Also, the weight of cattle is very dependent 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 any diseases, including diseases of the digestive system. It is not recommended to acquire such an individual either for obtaining milk yield or for subsequent cultivation for meat.

Weight categories

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

• Selected. Animals of this class have a mass of 450 to 500 kg.
• First class individuals. Their body weight ranges from 400-450 kg.
• Cattle of the second class. It weighs from 380 to 400 kg.
• Cows of the third class. Their mass is less than 380 kilograms.

Indicators of cows of different fatness.

It should be noted that among the representatives various breeds there may be individuals that weigh more than 500 kg or less than 350 kg and are completely healthy. However, this is more an exception than a rule, so you should not focus on buying just 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.

Weight measurement of young animals

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

This method, like other methods of calculating the weight of livestock by size, does not provide an opportunity to obtain accurate data on body weight in grams. You can get absolutely accurate data only with the help of scales. Therefore, those breeders who choose calves according to such tables should 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 mass of cattle, he can use special measurement methods that allow such data to be obtained with a small error (the size of the error depends on the method of measuring weight). These include the method of calculating mass by volume, chest girth, the regression equation, as well as the Klüver-Strauch method. Each of the presented methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, which must be considered when choosing one or another method. To obtain more accurate data, the breeder can use several methods in sequence, and then compare the results. Read about the Kazakh white-headed breed of cows.

By measurement

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

1. First you need to measure the girth of the chest, as well as the straight length of the cattle body.
2. The obtained data must be substituted into the formula: Live weight \u003d Chest girth * Body length / 100 * correction factor.

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

You also need to make an adjustment for the fatness of the animal. If it seems well-fed to you, you can add up to 10% to the resulting number. If too thin - subtract 10%.

According to the Klüver-Strauch method

This method involves the use of special tables for measuring the mass of cattle. Apply it like this:

1. To begin with, measure the girth of the chest of the animal, as well as the oblique length of its body.
2. The obtained data is compared with the table. For small errors, the weight can be rounded down.

Keep in mind that this method applicable only to large individuals. Do not under any circumstances use it on young animals. Otherwise, you may receive incorrect data and, as a result, choose the wrong animal, reject a normal individual, or vice versa - purchase a culled calf.

By chest and belly

This is one of the simplest methods for calculating body weight. It is used as follows: 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 can 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 girth of the chest of the animal. Next, you need to act like this:

• If the chest girth is less than 180 cm, we calculate the weight according to the formula Y \u003d 5.3 * x - 507.
• If the chest girth is more than 181 cm, but less than 191, we consider according to the formula Y \u003d 5.3 * x - 486.
• If the chest girth is more than 192, we consider according to the formula Y \u003d 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. Pay attention to this if an adult cow or bull does not match the exterior of its own breed in any way (for example, it has an irregularly shaped belly, udder or head).

Video

With this video, you can measure the weight of a cow or calf with a regular centimeter tape or tape.

findings

1. The weight of cattle is one of the most important indicators that breeders should pay attention to. Knowing it, you can determine whether the animal corresponds to the parameters of its breed, whether it is properly cared for.
2. Depending on the weight, the category of the animal is determined. The bigger it is, the higher it is.
3. The exact body weight of an animal can only be calculated using a scale.
4. The measurement method allows you to calculate the body weight by multiplying the length of the body of the animal and its chest circumference, and then dividing the obtained values ​​​​by 100 and multiplying by the correction factor.
5. The Klüver-Strauch method makes it possible to calculate the weight of the animal from the table by measuring the girth of the chest and the oblique length of the body of an adult.
6. You can find out the approximate weight of an animal by measuring the circumference of its belly and chest, and then comparing its data with the table.
7. The regression method allows you to calculate the weight according to the formula in which you need to substitute the girth of the chest of the animal.

Also read about designing cowsheds at.