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  #1  
Old 09/12/06, 10:26 AM
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 323
measure tape vs weight
How do you use the measuring tape to guess/estimate the weight of the pig? I would like to keep track and see how they are growing. THanks
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  #2  
Old 09/12/06, 10:34 AM
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Location: River Valley, Arkansas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CountryMamaof5
How do you use the measuring tape to guess/estimate the weight of the pig? I would like to keep track and see how they are growing. THanks

Take a length of twine (old baler twine does a fine job) and run it around the pig's girth. Then take another piece of twine and run it from between the shoulder blades and back to the base of the tail.
Now take a tape measure and measure each piece.
Take the Girth X Girth and X by Length. Divide by 400. This gives a good (approximate) weight for the pig.

Good within 15% either way
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  #3  
Old 09/12/06, 01:11 PM
 
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the girth is the chest?
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  #4  
Old 09/12/06, 06:37 PM
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Location: Keene-Green-Bratt Triangle
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According to Highlands, you should measure from between the ears to the base of the tail. The girth is measured just behind the front legs. The calculations are done as Siryet stated. This is how I learned how BIIIIG my pig had gotten!
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  #5  
Old 09/12/06, 08:23 PM
 
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I shall measure tomorrow. Its dark and its pouring. i am excited to start seeing how my pigs grow each week :P
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  #6  
Old 09/12/06, 09:13 PM
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
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having never used the method i could be wrong, but isn't the formula for hogs between 120-240... and in bigger hogs the number is divided by a smaller or bigger number, for example when sows get barrel chested???
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  #7  
Old 09/12/06, 09:40 PM
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Location: NC Arkansas
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that means my pig is right at 300 lbs
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  #8  
Old 09/12/06, 09:40 PM
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pigs weight
how much meat do you think ill get from that?
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  #9  
Old 09/16/06, 02:12 PM
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Location: River Valley, Arkansas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by busybee870
how much meat do you think ill get from that?

Our 250 lb hogs gave us 148 lbs of dressed meat but we didn't use the head or fat, or feet

You might look at this chart:


http://ars.sdstate.edu/MeatSci/May99-1.htm
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  #10  
Old 09/16/06, 02:19 PM
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CountryMamaof5
Dear CountryMamaof5 ,
How much did the hogs weight?

Was it easy to get them to let you weigh them with the tape? LOL
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  #11  
Old 09/16/06, 08:42 PM
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
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lol i just found some measuring tape from the sewing stuff. Im measuring them tomorrow. I will let you know then :P I was eyeing them up and visualizing the bacon tonight lol
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  #12  
Old 09/16/06, 09:01 PM
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We had chops last night and hamburger tonight from our lastest hog.

MMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM GOOD!
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  #13  
Old 09/22/06, 04:39 PM
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
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im not sure if i did it right. I just measured them and wow what an event lol. I got a good run in lol

Anyways I measured the little male. He measured 21 inches from just behind the ears (towards the neck) and then i measured around him just behind his front legs which was 21 and then I tried his belly and that was just 22. I did the math and it gave me about 23 lb pig? Does that sound right? I have had them.. what.. 3 weeks? So 3 weeks plus whatever age it was when I got it which was right at weaning weight. 23 lbs doesn't seem like much.

So I measured the other one and it came out to about 37 lbs. It wasn't the biggest pig. it was my middle big which is a little shorter than the big pig. So its still probably 34-35ish lbs.

I was expecting bigger numbers hmm
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  #14  
Old 09/22/06, 05:25 PM
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
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i don't think the formula works on small pigs, 21 inches long would be almost twice that wieght.
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  #15  
Old 09/23/06, 07:16 AM
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Yes, it's not accurate at this size. As long as they're thriving there's no need to weigh tehm now other than curiosity. In that case I'd just pick them up and get on a scale. It will work well in a couple of months. Next time feed them and measure while they eat--nothing will distract them from that!
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  #16  
Old 09/23/06, 07:24 AM
 
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Ahh.. alright. I just couldn't figure out why it would seem so small. I know its probably close but not that close. By looks, the biggest one is twice the weight of the little one. I am thinking the biggest is more around 60 lbs and the little one is more around 30-35.
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  #17  
Old 10/01/06, 10:46 AM
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I don't weigh very often but the string method works fairly well. The final answer is the butcher's scale. See this article for description and photos:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2006/01...th-string.html
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