How to Guess a Pig's Weight

How to Guess a Pig's Weight. Pigs can grow to be quite heavy, and it may be difficult to get an accurate weighing of the animal without a large scale and enough patience and determination required to get the pig onto the scale and stationary long enough to get a reading. If you don't have the resources to accurately weigh a large pig with a scale, you can estimate the weight of a pig using something as simple as a tape measure. Structurally, pigs tend to be quite similar to one another, so by simply measuring the dimensions of a pig you can estimate its weight.

Things Needed

• Tape measure

Step 1

Measure the pig from the top of the tail to the crown of its head, using a tape measure or a piece of string that is approximately 60 inches in length.

Step 2

Measure the pig around its torso just behind its front legs. This measurement is called its "heart girth."

Step 3

Multiply the measurement of the pig's length by the pig's heart girth and then multiply that number by the heart girth again. For example, if the pig is 60 inches long and 62 inches around, multiply 60 x 62 x 62. Then, take this total and divide it by 400 to arrive at an approximation of the pig's weight. In this example, the pig would weigh around 576 pounds.

Warnings

• When measuring the pig, always make sure to gain the animal's trust before you approach it. Pigs can and will bite if they feel threatened.

References

• Sugar Mountain Farm: How to Weigh a Pig with a String