# Weighing Goats?



## Hickoryneck (Oct 10, 2011)

I want to know what my girls weigh but playing guess my weight with them doesn't work since they refuse to tell me if I'm right :laugh: I used a weight tape yesterday on 2 and it said there is 5 lbs difference But I can barely lift the one while the other I could tote around if I wanted so I guess it lied. 

So I was wondering how do weigh your goats?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I take a human scale. Get on it to get my weight. Then pick the goat up and get a weight. Subtract my weight off and that is the goats weight. Now I have Nigerian Dwarfs and I couldn't imaging doing it on a full size goat.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I bought a hanging scale from Tractor Supply...it goes to 110 lbs and since I have ND it works well...I also got a calf weigh sling from Jeffers this past year, before the sling, I used a burlap sack around their middles and baling twine to hang them....my heaviest is 86lbs

with bigger breed goats, I think that most use the weigh tape because there's alot of goat there to pick up.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

I too use a human scale. I weigh my kids and wether with no problem. This is how I keep track of their weight to know when to breed and when to kill.

I even weigh my saanen doe when I need to check her weight.
She weighs around 100 pounds (havn't weighed her in a while) so is kinda small. My other doe wont go for it..but I figure shes around 115 or more (she always seems to mantain a healthy weight and is a big doe)


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## Hickoryneck (Oct 10, 2011)

freedomstarfarm said:


> I take a human scale. Get on it to get my weight. Then pick the goat up and get a weight. Subtract my weight off and that is the goats weight. Now I have Nigerian Dwarfs and I couldn't imaging doing it on a full size goat.


Not sure I like that idea because then I will know how fat I am :laugh:

I have a hanging scale but do not have a sling for it I may look around and see if I can come up with something to use that should be interesting hanging a kicking doeling who weighs 70+ sounds like a good idea for a Youtube video :dance:


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

My Mindy is a large nubian doe - about 150 lbs. I used a regular tape measure and converted with a weight chart in one of my goat books. There's no way I could hold THAT big gal in my arms for a scale visit!


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## goatsnmore (Feb 22, 2011)

Hoeggers sells an easy to use weigh tape. Has the measurement and corresponding weight, right on the tape. No need to do any math or look at a chart. If I remember right, it's only a few dollars.


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

I have alpines and use the tape measure method. I think that is is pretty accurate if used correctly. When the kids were small enough to still lift we weighed them with the bathroom scales, holding them and them subtracting our weight. I then used the tape measure to see if it was even close and I found that the measurement was very very close to what the bathroom scale said. Maybe when you weighed yours with the tape measure you had them in slightly different areas around the chest??? Just a thought. By the way, I love the little goat in your avatar.... very sweet.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I used a human scale to weigh my Jr. Does but a week ago was the last time I will be weighing the 1 she was up to 95 pounds and that is a little big for me to be carrying around.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

I take back what I said about using a human scale....

Today I weighed my wether as he meets the feezer in 1 month. He decided to jerk and I think I pulled a muscle in my back. ( I know what it feels like due to having it 3 different times when moving pianos)

I did find out that he weighs 60 pounds without grain and that I weight 130 ( =/ need 10 more) But it is just not practical, I am adding the measureing tape to my next order.


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