Did you know you can weigh a pig without a scale?
Have you ever wondered what your pig weighs?
We don’t just need to know a pig’s live weight when it’s time to process; we may need to know for:
Tracking growth and weight gain
Accurate dosing of medication or wormer. It is especially handy for sows that won’t fit on the scale.
Recently I needed to process a smaller pig and my scale is broken, aagh! No problem, all you need is:
A tape measure or a piece of string that you can measure.
A calculator - or just use the one I have on this page
A pig (ideally standing still!).
What to measure:
This is easier with pigs that are friendly, which our Berks are. As always, use caution around your livestock, they aren’t always going to stand still!
Heart Girth (HG): Measure just behind the front legs and over the deepest part of the chest. The tape should be snug, but not constricting.
Length (L): Measure from the base of the pig's ear (or the middle of the shoulder blade) along its back to the base of the tail.
How to Calculate:
This measuring must done in inches and gives you a weight in lbs and kg. You can use my calculator below if it’s easier.
Square the Girth: Multiply your Heart Girth (HG) measurement by itself. (HG x HG)
Multiply by Length: Take that result and multiply it by your Length (L) measurement. (HG x HG x L)
Divide: Divide the final number by 400 to get the estimated weight in lbs.
e.g My pig had a heart girth of 45 inches and a length of 47 inches
45 (G) x 45(G) x 47(L) divided by 400 = 238lb
How accurate is this?
Breed: The formula is most accurate for our market/feeder pigs, but may need adjustment for extremely lean or fat breeds
Make sure you use a snug accurate measurement
Pig's Condition: Note that this method is less accurate for very young piglets or extremely obese pigs.
Are you calculating weight for processing? Dealing with processors can be daunting, that’s why I wrote “A small farmers guide to pork processing”
Ensure you know the questions you need to ask to get the results you want without the frustration!
🐷 Pig Live Weight Calculator
Estimate the live weight of your pig using the standard Girth x Length method. All measurements should be in **Inches (in)**.
Estimated Live Weight:
Enter measurements above to calculate.