ASCERTAINING WEIGHT OF CATTLE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1775, 14 March 1906, Page 60

ASCERTAINING WEIGHT OF CATTLE

It sometimes happens that the only convenient and available method of ascertaining the approximate weight of an animal is by calculating from measurements on one of the recognised rules. Although printed tables can be purchased showing the approximate live and dead weight of animals of different girths and lengths it is desirable that those who deal in, or are interested in, the buying and selling of cattle should be able to calculate the weight themselves from actual measurements and thus dispense with references.

The required measurements, which should be taken in feet, are the girth immediately behind the shoulder of the animal, and the length from the shoulder to the tail, head, or square of the buttock. The most general rule to determine the net weight of an animal from measurements is to multiply the square of the girth by five times the length and divide the product by twenty-one. Thia gives the net weight of the animal in imperial stones of fflb. For instance, suppose the girth round the animal close behind the shoulders ia 7ft and the length along the back, from a point immediately in front of the shoulders to a vertical line touching the extremity of the rump, is 6ft. The square of 7 is 49, which miiltiplied by 5 times 6, that is 30, gives 1470. Divide this by 21 and the result. 70, is the approximate net weight of the animal in stones. Should the animal in question be very fat, one-twentieth must be added to the above weight, this giving 73J stones, and if it is not moderately fat one-twentieth must be deducted, the result in this case thus being 66| stones. A second rule is:—-Square the girth in feel, multiply by the length in feet, and multiply the result by decimal .238. Thus, 7ft the girth squared gives 49, which multiplied bv the length, 6ft, equals 294. This multiplied by decimal .238 gives 69 972, the required net weight in stones. 4. third rule is to multiply the square of the girth in inches by the length ia inches and divide the sum by 7.344. As in example:—The square of 84 inches multiplied by 72 inches gives 508.032, which, divided by 7.344, gives 69.17, the desired weight, in imperial stones. Suppose the live weight of an animal is known or can be determined and it is desired to ascertain the dead or net weight of the four quarters. This -can be arrived at by multiplying the live weight by decimal .605. lor instance: Take the live weight of an animal as 104 stones. Its approximate net weight will be nearly 63 stones.— “ Farm, Field and Fireside.”

Messrs F. F. Eager and Olsen of Dannevirke, have taken a contract to fell 2000 acres of bush and fence land in Samoa. They are offering 10s a day for eight months to forty first-class bushmen. Mr Eager has already loft with twenty-five men.