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Of course, the most accurate way to measure the weight of a pig would be to use specialist pig scales, BUT, how many of us can afford one of these? And do we really need the high degree of accuracy that specialist pig weighing scales would give?
It is possible, however, to achieve a fairly good estimate of a pig's weight by using a measuring tape and doing a calculation.
The simple formula is Girth Result times Length divided by 400 where the Girth Result is the square of the Heart Girth and the measurements are done in inches.
To obtain the necessary figures......
1. Measure around the pig just behind the front legs. The circumference of the pig's girth at that point is known as the Heart Girth. You can use a tape measure to do this although Shepie in another posting suggested using a length of string or similar and then measuring that.
2. Next measure the Length of the pig. This is the back measurement from the base of its ears to the base of its tail.
3. Now you can let the pig go and get yourself a calculator.. You need to calculate the Girth Result which is done by squaring the Heart Girth. Then multiply this by the Length before finally dividing by 400. Hey presto!! You have a fairly good estimate of your pig's weight (in pounds).
If you do not wish to use inches, but prefer metric measurements, then the formula is not quite so simple.
Do the measurements in Metres, so your calculation will have decimals in it right at the very beginning. Then instead of dividing by 400, MULTIPLY by 69.3 and that will give you the weight of your pig in kilogrammes.
To recap......
To calculate your pig's weight in pounds, use inches, multiply the Girth Result by the Length and divide by 400.
To calculate your pig's weight in kilogrammes, use metres. multiply the Girth Result by the Length and multiply by 69.3
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