Indirect Method for Estimating Body Weight in Local Goats

Background - Precise body weight measurement is crucial for calculating drug dosages. Heart girth weighting tapes are accurate methods for estimating body weight in goat breeds selected for dairy production. However, in populations not subjected to selective breeding (local goats), such methods are not always validated. Objective - To validate the estimation of body weight (EBW) of local goats using a commercialized heart girth weighing tape. Animals - 211 clinically healthy adult goats (> 1-year-old) randomly selected from 17 farms among the clients of the veterinary ambulatory service (City University of Hong Kong). Methods - In this cross-sectional study (winter 2026), EBW and live body weight (LBW) were measured by trained assessors using a commercialized heart girth weighing tape (Dairy Goat Weight Tape, The Coburn Company, Inc., United States) and a calibrated digital scale, respectively. The relationship between EBW and LBW was assessed using a linear mixed-effect model (Significance: P < 0.05). Results - In Hong Kong, the mean LBW of female and intact male adult goats were 33.4kg (± 8.5; n = 176) and 39.9kg (± 8.1; n = 15), respectively. There is a strong positive linear association between EBW and LBW (β = 0.86 ± 0.02, R² = 0.86, P < 0.001), with high EBW associated with high LBW across farms. Conclusion and Clinical Importance - In our local goat population, the heart girth weighting tape provided an accurate on-farm estimation of body weight, validating its use for routine veterinary procedures.