In the countryside, without the force of flood and famine, it is easy to get the weight of livestock in one move.

In rural areas, basically every family will raise some large livestock, even if there is no large-scale breeding, they will also raise cattle, pigs, and so on. Some families raise cattle or pigs for their own use, and sometimes sell one or two occasionally. When such large livestock are sold in rural areas, they are usually brought to the local market or contacted by acquaintances to make door-to-door purchases. in the process of purchase, most of those vendors make a price assessment based on the size, height, weight and thinness of pigs or cattle. In this kind of assessment process, farmers generally suffer losses, because these vendors are experienced in the battlefield, it is easy to judge the weight of livestock, assess their approximate price, and then hold down the price.

In addition to knowing the weight of livestock in the process of sale, we also need to evaluate the weight of livestock from time to time, understand their growth and reproduction, and calculate the expected birth date or release date of livestock, and so on.

But how to easily assess the weight of livestock without painstaking effort seems to be a problem. It is impossible to weigh hundreds or thousands of kilograms of livestock. In ancient times, although Cao Chong called the elephant, as far as we farmers are concerned, that kind of name is called a lot of trouble! Even with all the strength of the flood, it is difficult to grasp the weight of the livestock. Therefore, without the force of flood and famine, how to easily grasp the weight of livestock is very important.

In the folk, especially in our vast rural areas, people have summed up a set of more useful methods in the process of raising large livestock for a long time. Just like evaluating the weight of a pile of grain, their volume can be measured with a ruler and their weight can be known. The same is true of large livestock, which can also be calculated by measuring their body length and chest circumference under specific publicity.

Using the method of measuring volume to calculate body weight, the most basic thing is to know different kinds, different types, and nutritional status to grasp its constant, which is equivalent to the density of matter. You don't have to memorize too much. You just need to memorize some commonly used ones. For example, the constants of cattle, horses and sheep are 10800 and 11420, respectively. 10800 are in good nutritional status and 11420 are in average nutritional status. The constants of pigs were 14200, 15600 and 16200, respectively. The higher the value, the worse the nutritional status.

After memorizing these values, we have to master a formula, that is, the weight is equal to the square of the chest circumference, multiplied by the body length and divided by the constant, that is, W = (C2 × B) / constant.

After mastering this formula, the most important thing is to be able to measure the body length and chest circumference, which is oblique from the bottom of the chest to the tail; the chest circumference is straight down the back edge of the scapula around the chest for one week, in the process, do not let the ruler too close to the front leg clip, should be kept about 5 centimeters. After measuring the body length and chest length, according to a set of formulas, the weight of livestock can be calculated.

For example, it is measured that the body length of a nutritious cow is 155cm and the chest circumference is 185cm. How much does this cow weigh?

That is, (185x185155) / 10800 ≈ 491kg = 982jin

Horses and sheep and cattle are measured in the same way, because their density is basically the same, that is, the constant is 10800, so there are no more examples here. Now let's calculate the weight of the pig.

For example, it is measured that a nutritious pig has a body length of 120 cm and a chest circumference of 115 cm. How much does the pig weigh?

(115115x120kg) / 14200 ≈ 112kg = 224jin.

In the process of estimation, we should take the constant value according to the nutritional status of pigs, that is, fat, take a small value, take a middle value if not fat, and take a large value if thin.

In addition, this formula is not applicable to livestock less than 100 jin, and the error is larger when measured with this formula. At the same time, the breed of livestock is also different in different regions, and the constant value depends on the nutritional status of the livestock. Generally, the constant value of livestock in line with the local reality and local breeds can be obtained according to this formula, and the method is very simple. As long as the constant value of livestock in an age group is mastered, it can always be used in the future.

This kind of algorithm is explored by people in the process of long-term practice, that is, it is simple and applicable, and the maneuverability is extremely strong. Of course, human wisdom is infinite, as people often say: master in the folk, folk there is no lack of a variety of simpler ways, depends on whether you like to explore.

If you have a better way, you might as well say it and study together.

Text | Yamashiro

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