# Getting a weight using a measuring tape



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

So I took my sewing tape out to measure Cloud according to this webpage:

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/weight-chart.htm

And She was 37 inches. 150 pounds? There is no way she is 150 pounds. I can almost pick her up like I would a large dog, so she's closer to 110 pounds, in my opinion.

Is that what she's supposed to weigh or what she DOES weigh?

I'm really confused, and if I end up needing to medicate her how can I be sure what her weight is without putting her on a scale? (that I don't have!)


----------



## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

You may have measured her body length incorrectly. I go from the spot where the tail head meets the spine and measure to the spot just ahead of the shoulder blades where the neck meets the shoulders. The weights are pretty accurate for me that way. Mine are meat goats so I add some calculation that you don't need. Or you can take two bathroom scales and run a goat sized board between them ( I use a discarded cupboard door ) with the readouts facing out so you can read them and then zero the scales. It's a little tippy but stand the goat on the board and read both sides. Add them together for the weight.


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

It says for dairy goats to measure around the "heart girth" of the animal behind the front legs. It would seem that no matter what her weight actually is the lenth from her sholder blades to her tail would never change...


----------



## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Dayna said:


> It says for dairy goats to measure around the "heart girth" of the animal behind the front legs. It would seem that no matter what her weight actually is the lenth from her sholder blades to her tail would never change...


Heart girth is not always accurate. The tail to shoulder does work well.


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

mjgh06 said:


> Heart girth is not always accurate. The tail to shoulder does work well.


I guess I'm not sure how that would be an accurate weight? Being that no matter if she's fat or underweight the length would be the same.


----------



## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I dont know if this will help or not, but I have wethers and keep track of ADG for record books in 4H

I use a formula to guess weight. It has only been off about 5lbs for me. 

Heart girth X heart girth X length (shoulder to pin) and divide by 300


----------



## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

I"ve heard measuring tapes are just not accurate.


----------



## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

Now I'm majorly confused. I always thought you measured around the heart girth. What does the length of the back have to do with any of it? The formula Dani gave makes since, but why would you measure just the back? That would never change.


----------



## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

im confused about this too i have always measured the heart girth. now is this not the proper way for dairy goats? it is all i have heard to do but everyone says its a close estimate not 100% but still its close enough for worming right? or do i need to weigh a different way? :whatgoat:


----------



## S+S Homestead (Jul 23, 2012)

I hope I am not missing some kind of inside joke here. First off, measuring tapes are accurate for measuring inches/centimeters depending if you are using US standard or the metric system of measuring how long or how wide something is. 

No matter which system you are using to measure, in order to estimate the weight, you need to measure both length and width. The Fias Co Farm website clearly states that the chart "does not work for meat, hair, or miniature goats". So that weight chart is only for a certain kind of goat that has a typical length. ( That typical length is not given in the chart.)

Dani-1995's, formula sounds like it should work. It takes into consideration both the width(girth) and the length of the goat. My mini/pygmy goats are certainly shorter in length than a standard sized goat. If I measured just the girth, without compensating for the fact that they are shorter in length, than I risk over medicating them based on a chart that uses just a girth measurement to estimate weight. 

Does that help clarify?


----------



## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

that does kind of clear it up except for the weight tapes are suppose to give a fairly accurate weight would it be wise to not use that and just use the formula instead? i just want to make sure im not doing anything wrong i mean i havent ever heard of a formula we just always have used a weight tape...


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

S+S Homestead said:


> I hope I am not missing some kind of inside joke here. First off, measuring tapes are accurate for measuring inches/centimeters depending if you are using US standard or the metric system of measuring how long or how wide something is.
> 
> No matter which system you are using to measure, in order to estimate the weight, you need to measure both length and width. The Fias Co Farm website clearly states that the chart "does not work for meat, hair, or miniature goats". So that weight chart is only for a certain kind of goat that has a typical length. ( That typical length is not given in the chart.)
> 
> ...


No, no joke. I have a dairy goat, a saanen (which is the type listed for measurement). She's underweight but huge so I was trying to figure out a type of way to get a weight on her. So I was thinking this girth measurement. However it must not be even close to accurate and was wondering if that what she SHOULD weigh not what she ACTUALLY weighs.


----------



## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

it would make a lot more sense if its what she should weigh not what she does...


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

NigerianGirl said:


> it would make a lot more sense if its what she should weigh not what she does...


I agree, but it doesn't make that clear so thus my confusion.


----------



## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Ya, measuring with a tape is never going to give to an exact weight. Take my herd queen, for example. She is HUGE around the middle, not as much at the heart girth. So I do my calculation (same one as Dani) but add an extra 10lbs. You have to use the formula that takes into account the heart girth, and the legnth, and adjust for abnormal conditions. The chart you saw probably does represent the average dairy doe in average condition, and so it won't be as useful to you.


----------



## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

So since my doe is a Boer, should I just use Dani's formula? Because I measured just her girth a few months ago and she was nearly 200lbs. according to that.


----------



## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I use the formula on all my goats and they are so boers. I've tested it against show scales for our wethers... typically I have to add 5lbs


----------

