29/06/2026
🐐 How to Weigh Your Goat Without a Scale (for Deworming) 🐐
Accurate weight is essential for safe and effective deworming. Here’s how you can do it with just a tape measure:
Measure heart girth
Wrap a tape snugly around the goat’s chest just behind the front legs and record the inches.
Measure body length
Run the tape from the point of shoulder to the pin bone near the tail and record the inches.
Apply weight formula
Use (Heart Girth² × Body Length) ÷ 300 to estimate weight in pounds.
Convert to kilograms
Divide pounds by 2.2 to get weight in kg for dosage calculations.
Calculate dewormer dose
Multiply weight (kg) by the mg/kg dosage recommended for the specific dewormer.
Ensure safety
Round up slightly to avoid underdosing, but never overdose. Use goat-specific charts and check
FAMACHA before treating.
📊 Example:
Heart girth = 30 in, Body length = 28 in
Weight = (30² × 28) ÷ 300 = 84 lbs ≈ 38 kg
Fenbendazole (10 mg/kg) → 380 mg → 3.8 mL of 10% suspension
⚠️ Tips for Safety:
Always measure before dosing — don’t guess.
Round up slightly to prevent underdosing (resistance risk).
Avoid albendazole in early pregnancy.
Use the FAMACHA method to check anemia before deworming.
