CattleScale
Know your cattle
Practical articles on liveweight and the decisions that hang on it. Every figure is referenced to its source, and every article says plainly where an estimate is good enough and where only a scale will do.
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What's new in CattleScale, October 2026
Weighing packs, the app in Spanish, Portuguese and Polish, your own price in your own currency, and an honest range from a re-test on 72 scale-weighed cattle.
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How long are cows pregnant? Cow gestation length, calving dates and signs of calving
How long are cows pregnant? About 282 to 290 days, or 9 to 9.5 months. What changes it, a calving date chart, pregnancy testing and the signs of calving.
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Dressing percentage in cattle: formula, typical ranges and how to estimate carcase weight
Dressing percentage of cattle explained: formula, NSW DPI ranges by class and fat, hanging weight versus HSCW, what changes it, and a worked carcase example.
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How many cattle per acre? Stocking rates, DSE and carrying capacity in Australia
How many cattle per acre or hectare in Australia, with sourced DSE and AE tables, NSW and Queensland stocking rates, and a worked paddock example.
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How much does a cow eat a day? Dry matter intake, hay and energy needs by liveweight
How much a cow eats a day in kg: dry matter intake by liveweight, dry vs lactating cows, hay per day and per year, energy needs, and a quick reference table.
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How much water does a cow drink a day? Cattle water requirements in litres
How much water a cow drinks a day in litres, by class and liveweight, on hot days and in winter, plus salinity limits, trough flow and heat stress signs.
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Body condition scoring beef cattle: a practical guide
How to body condition score beef cattle: 1 to 5 vs 1 to 9 scales, where to feel, MLA targets at calving and joining, and kg per score, with sources.
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Cattle average daily gain: how to calculate and track weight gain
How to calculate cattle average daily gain, why gut fill and scales skew it, published Australian growth targets, and how to use ADG to sell or supplement.
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Frame score and muscle score in beef cattle, explained
Frame score and muscle score in beef cattle: how to measure hip height, read the 1 to 11 frame chart, grade muscling A to E, and tell both from fat cover.
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How much does a cow weigh? Typical cattle weights by age, sex and breed
How much a cow weighs, in kg: calves at birth, weaners, yearlings, steers, mature cows and bulls by breed, plus why weight varies and how to check yours.
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How to tell a cow's age by its teeth (dentition)
How to tell a cow's age by its teeth: milk teeth, 2 to 8 tooth eruption ages from AUS-MEAT and FutureBeef, MSA ossification, and checking mouths safely.
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How to estimate cattle weight without scales
Heart girth tapes, the girth x length formula, eye estimates, condition scores and photo methods: how accurate each is, and when you need a real scale.
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Why knowing your cattle's liveweight matters: drenching, selling and feed
Why cattle liveweight matters: drench doses, dressing percentage and c/kg pricing, MLA indicators, feed budgets and DSE, with sources from MLA and Ag Vic.