Prediction of body weight based on the heart girth in adult females Nelore

The beef cattle is an important sector of the Brazilian economy, generating income and jobs directly and indirectly in the production chain. In properties that contains large numbers of animals or small properties, there is difficulty in finding animal weighing scales. The objective of this research is determine the weight through the heart girth of Nelore females with more than 24 months. Females were individually weighed and measured the heart girth with inextensible tape measure, through the withers, near the armpits to the xiphoid cartilage. The data were analyzed by statistical regression by SAS 9.4. The live weight showed a linear correlation with heart girth, being described by the equation y = 5,7281x - 608.15 (R ? = 0.7458). Where every centimeter of the thoracic perimeter is approximately 0.6 kg. The heart girth can be used for prediction of the live weight of adult females of the Nelore breed.