Vol.

6(3), pp 35-40, March 2015

DOI: 10.5897/IJLP2014.0243
Article Number: 2FE981B51342
ISSN 2141-2448
Copyright 2015
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article
http://www.academicjournals.org/IJLP

International Journal of Livestock

Production

Full Length Research Paper

Application of body volume formula for predicting live

weight in Ongole crossbred cows
U. Paputungan1*, L. Hakim2, G. Ciptadi2 and H. F. N. Lapian1
1

Faculty of Animal Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado 95115, Indonesia.

2
Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Brawijaya University, Malang 65145, Indonesia.
Received 6 December, 2014; Accepted 11 February, 2015

Study was conducted to estimate the live weight in Ongole crossbred cow using chest girth, body
length and body volume model represented by chest girth and body length dimensions in North
Sulawesi province. Data on animal live weight (LW), body length (BL), chest girth (CG) and body volume
were collected from cows (n=363) kept by traditional household farmers. Animal body volume was
calculated using cylinder volume formula with CG and BL as the components of model. Regression
analysis was carried out for LW with all linear body measurements. Data were classified based on age
of animals which resulted from five age groups (2.5-3.5, 3.6-4.5, 4.6-5.5, 5.6-6.5, 6.6-7.5, 2.5-7.5). Age
significantly (P<0.05) influenced all body measurements. Correlations between all pairs of
measurements were highly significant (P<0.001) for all age groups, except between BL and CG as well
as LW at ages of 3.5 to 7.5 years old. Regression analysis showed that live weight could be predicted
accurately from body volume (R2=0.96). Simple regression model being recommended to predict live
weight of Ongole crossbred cows based on body volume with their age groups ranging from 2.5 to 7.5
years old is as follows: Live weight (kg) = 1.26016 * body volume (liters) - 3.06084.
Key words: Ongole crossbred cows, live weight estimation, body linear measurements.
INTRODUCTION
Most of the Ongole crossbred cattle in rural areas of
Indonesia were owned by rural households farmers.
Often, the marketing of animals was based on visual
assesment, while drugs were administrated mostly by
estimation based on visual body.size. Regularly, the right
use of live weight criteria in feeding, marketing and drug
administration required sophisticated facilities such as
weighing scales (monitor digital electrical scale), which
was expensive and not readily affordable to many rural
households. Positive correlation between the live weight
and most of the body measurements was found in

several research reports (Afolayan et al., 2006; Bene et

al., 2007; Ozkaya and Bozkurt, 2009; Sawanon et al.,
2011; Udeh et al., 2011). This fact repeatedly point out
the importance of taking body measurement and offers
opportunity for estimating parameters in relation to the
various body measurements. Several scientific reports
suggested that body measurements have been of
recurring interest in beef cattle and small ruminant
selection and breeding programs (Bene et al., 2007;
Fajemilehin and Salako, 2008; Jimmy et al., 2010). Body
weight of animals is an important factor associated with

*Corresponding author. E-mail: umarfapet@yahoo.com

Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License 4.0 International License

36

Int. J. Livest. Prod.

several management practices including selection for

slaughter or breeding, determining feeding levels and
being a good indicator of animal condition (Ulatus et al.,
2001).
Beef cattle production of local household farmers was
difficult to be practically predicted due to limited
availability of animal weighing scale machine on the field.
Animal growth in developed farm system was generally
measured by average daily weight gain, and body size
was generally detected by increase of chest girth and
body length (Willeke and Dursch, 2002; Bozkurt, 2006;
Ozkaya and Bozkurt, 2009). Dimensions of animal chest
and girth (Bozkurt, 2006; Ozkaya and Bozkurt, 2009).
Dimensions of animal chest girth and body length in
centimetre (cm) unit have been very simple and easy in
measurement for estimating animal live weight although it
was unlikely to be more accurate than direct
measurement of live weight by scale due to errors in
location reference points. Cattle body weight had positive
correlation with body dimensions including body length,
hip height and chest girth (Ozkaya and Bozkurt, 2009;
Puspitaningrum, 2009). The correlation coefficient
between body weight and linear traits such as body
length and chest girth in Holstein breed were 0.69 and
0.78, respectively (Ozkaya and Boskurt, 2009). Body
weight was moderately correlated with chest girth and
body length (r = 0.77 and 0.66), respectively in Brahman
crossbred beef cattle (Puspitaningrum, 2009). These
authors confirm that the correlation values indicated
relatively low accuracy for estimation of animal body
weight in case of using single variable of either chest
girth or body length as predictor variable (Fajemilehin and
Salako, 2008; Puspitaningrum, 2009).
Animal
chest
girth
dimension
represented
circumference of the circle in cylinder shape, and animal
body length represented height of cylinder shape.
Therefore, cylinder shape volume represented animal
body volume that can be calculated by cylinder volume
formula. The animal body represented by cylinder volume
formula using component measurements of animal chest
girth and body length dimensions has not been fully
exploited and applied to estimate animal body weight,
especially in Ongole crossbred cattle.
The objective of this research is to develop a
regression equation using independent variable of body
volume for estimating the live weight of Ongole crossbred
cows and to contribute possibly to the existing knowledge
on estimation of body weight of Ongole crossbred cows
in Indonesia.

groups ranging from two to seven and half years old and they were
suckling their calves at ages ranging from one week to two months
old. Artificial insemination was practiced to inseminate the estrous
female cows, using semen collected from Ongole Bull Sperm Bank
Institution, located in Singosari, East Java Province, Indonesia.
Cows household farmers were located in two villages of Tumaratas
and Tonsewer, Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi Province. This
regency is categorized as agricultural areas with altitude of 600-700
m above sea level. It is characterized by cool and humid climate of
25-28oC and 70 to 80%, respectively. The number of Ongole
crossbred cattle, randomly chosen in this study were 363 cows. Age
was primarily determined by dentition with the indication as follows:
cows showed unchanged milk teeth, indicating the age of less than
one year old; cows showed two changed milk teeth, indicating the
age of one and half to two and half years old; cows showed four
changed milk teeth, indicating the age of two and half to three and
half years old; cows showed six changed milk teeth, indicating the
age of three and half to four and half years old; and cows showed
eight changed milk teeth, indicating the age of above five years old.
Dentition indicators were verified with household farmer information
and records by the inseminators. The unhealthy and pregnant cows
were excluded in this study.
Measured traits
Data of this study were recording measurements of cow body
dimensions taken from July to August 2011 on each Ongole
crossbred population including body length (BL), measured using a
tape measure from distance between the site of pins (tuber ischii) to
tail drop (tuberositas humeri), chest girth (CG), measured with a
tape measure as body circumference of the chest just behind the
foreleg. Animals were also weighed directly using the monitor digital
electrical scale with capacity of 2000 kg. Animal body volume (BV)
was estimated by cylinder volume formula.Theoretically, a
circumference of the circle (C) was calculated by formula as follows:
C = 2 .r, or r = [( C)/ ]; where, = 3.14 and r = radius.
Moreover, Size squared area (A) of a circle is given by formula A =
.r2, or A = [( C)/ ]2. It is also obtained that cylinder volume (V)
is calculated by formula: V= r2h or V= A.h; where, h = height
(length) of cylinder. Therefore, volume of cylinder (V) could be
derived by the following formula: V= h. [( C)/ ]2.
In this study, the circumference of the circle (C) represented
animal chest girth (CG) dimension (C=CG), the height (h) of
cylinder shape was simulated as representation of animal body
length (BL) dimension (h=BL), and the volume of cylinder shape (V)
was simulated as representation of animal body volume (BV) or
V=BV. Thus, BV can be estimated by the formula as follows: BV =
BL.[( CG)/ ]2. Because BL was calculated in cm length and CG
was calculated in squared cm (cm2), so BV was calculated in cubic
cm (cm3) by formula as follows: BV (cm3) = BL.[( CG)/ ]2.
Because BV was found in unit of cm3, this unit can also be
converted into unit of dm3. As a result, BV in unit of decimeter (dm3)
can be calculated by the formula as follows: BV (dm3) = [BL.{(
CG)/ }2]/1000. All measurements of animal dimensions were taken
in the morning before the animals were fed. Each dimension of CG
and BL was recorded in centimeter (cm) while BV and animal live
weight (LW) were recorded in dm3 and in kilogram (kg),
respectively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Statistical analysis
Location of study and experimental animals
Animals used in this research were Ongole crossbred with unknown
composition of Ongole breed and Local Indonesian beef cattle
(breeds of Sumba, Madura) in North Sulawesi province. All animals
used in this study were non-pregnant and healthy cows of age

The data collected on each animal were analysed using the Insert
Function Procedure of the related statistical category (Average,
Stdev, Min, Max, ttest, Correl, Intercept, Linest) in datasheet of
Microsoft Office Excel (2007) within the animal age groups. The
interrelationship of body weights and body measurements were

Paputungan et al. 37

Table 1. Least square means of live weight and body measurements in Ongole crossbred cows

Age (years)
2.5 - 3.5
3.5 - 4.5
4.5 - 5.5
5.5 - 6.5
6.5 - 7.5
2.5 - 7.5

N
58
94
65
56
90
363

CG (cm)
161.64 9.68a
176.21 6.05b
176.52 7.30b
179.18 7.08c
179.38 5.58c
175.18 9.26

BL (cm)
133.59 8.81a
145.52 5.31b
145.31 6.27b
144.36 6.39b
144.86 5.40b
143.20 7.59

LW (kg)
343.45 56.98a
452.32 30.37b
452.65 45.45b
461.32 39.62bc
467.81 27.90c
440.21 58.03

BV (dm3)
279.69 42.27a
359.95 24.94b
361.47 36.67bc
369.66 34.10bc
371.50 27.45c
351.76 45.32

Means in the same column with different superscript differ significantly (P<0.05). N = number of animals; CG = chest girth; BL = body
length, LW = live weight; BV = body volume.

estimated by simple correlation and regression (Steel and Torrie,

1980). The fixed effect considered was age of animal. The model
used was as follows:
Yij = + i + ij
Where, Yij was record of live weight and body measurement of each
animal; was overall mean; i was the fixed effect of ith age of the
animal, and ij was random error associated with record of each
animal. Age of the animals consisted of five age groups with the
first age group of two and half year old to the fifth age group of
seven and half year old.
To predict a live weight from body measure was used simple
regression analysis. The Excel XP regression statistical program
was used for the study. Simple regression model for predicting live
weight from chest girth, body length and body volume in each age
group of the animals was as follows:
Y = a + bX
Where, Y = dependent variable (animal live weight); a = intercept;
and X = independent variable (body length, chest girt, or body
volume).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The least squares means and standard errors from the
general linear model analysis of live weight (LW) and
measurements of chest girth (CG) and body length (BL)
in Ongole crossbred cows at the various age groups are
presented in Table 1. The overall mean live weights at
age groups of 2.5-3.5, 3.5-4.5, 4.5-5.5, 5.5-6.5 and 6.57.5 years old were 343.45, 452.32, 452.65, 461.32 and
467.81 kg, respectively. The overall mean body volume
of those age groups were 279.69, 359.95, 361.47,
369.66, and 357.50 liters, respectively. The overall mean
chest girth of the age groups were 161.64, 176.21,
176.52, 179.18 and 179.38 cm, respectively, while those
of body length were 133.59, 145.52, 145.31, 144.36 and
144.86 cm, respectively. Age was found to significantly
influence chest girth, live weight and body volume up till
age groups of 5.5 to 6.5 years, but do differ significantly
at age groups of 3.5 to 4.5 years old on trait of body
length (Table 1).
Table 2 present the coefficients of correlation between
trait pairs of animal live weight, chest girth and body

length. The correlations between all pairs of

measurements of chest girth, live weight and body
volume were highly significant (P<0.001) except those
between pair of body length and chest girth (P>0.05) for
all age groups.
The summary of simple linear regression analysis and
the models for predicting overall traits from live weight of
animal body measurements have been demonstrated in
Table 3. The analysis showed that overall cow live weight
can be predicted from cow body volume (R2=0.96), cow
chest girth (R2=0.86) and body length (R2=0.50). The
coefficients of determination (R2) between cow live weight
and body volume ranged from 0.92 to 0.98 for all animal
age groups, and those between cow live weight and
chest girth ranged from 0.71 to 0.86. On the other hand,
those between cow live weight and body length ranged
from 0.05 to 0.49.
Age strongly influenced animal live weight and body
linear traits in Ongole crossbred cows, as there were
changes in all traits studied for all animal age groups
(Table 1). This figure was however not surprising since
the size and shape of the animal was expected to
increase as the animal was growing with age up to 3.5
years old. There was wide variability as the age of the
animals increased most particularly in the live weight and
chest girth.
The variability as the animals aged sharply reduced
among age groups of 3.5 to 4.5 years old in all traits
examined as shown in the table most probably because
the matured body weight of the animal was almost fully
attained on this age group. This finding was in agreement
with the study of Sawanon et al. (2011) who reported that
at maturity, linear body measurements were essentially a
constant, thereby reflecting haritable size of the skeleton.
The body conditions of the animals investigated coud be
said to be good and the skeletal development was normal
and consistent with the animal age.
Correlations between live weight and body linear
measurements of chest girth and body volume were
positive and highly significant (Table 2). This implied that
live weight and these linear measurements covary
positively. The correlation between all pairs of linear body
measurements and body live weight indicated that frame

38

Int. J. Livest. Prod.

Table 2. Coefficients of correlation between the variables in Ongole crossbred cows

Age (Years)
2.5 -3.5

Variables
CG
BL
LW

BL
0.40*

LW
0.91**
0.70*

BV
0.92**
0.72*
0.99**

3.5 -4.5

CG
BL
LW

-0.25

0.84**
0.23

0.86**
0.27
0.96**

4.5 -5.5

CG
BL
LW

0.29

0.90**
0.63*

0.92**
0.64*
0.98**

5.5 -6.5

CG
BL
LW

0.08

0.86**
0.52*

0.88**
0.54*
0.97**

6.5 -7.5

CG
BL
LW

0.06

0.84**
0.53*

0.86**
0.55*
0.96**

2.5 -7.5

CG
BL
LW

0.44*

0.93**
0.71*

0.94**
0.72*
0.98**

CG = chest girth; BL = body length, LW = live weight; BV = body volume. ** P <0.01; * P <0.05.

size of the animal was complementary and that the total

size of the animal was a function body live weight and
circumference measurements of animal body (chest girth)
and body volume. Low correlation between body length
and other traits was a confirmation of non-suitability of
the parameters as a measure of the other parameter in
the Ongole crossbred cattle under this study.
Based on linear regression model, live weight changes
with linear body measurements of chest girth and body
volume were strongly predictable with R2 values ranging
from 0.71 to 0.98 though the significance of the
differences between the regression models was not
tested. The R2 values showed that 71 to 98% of every
one kilogram change in live weight was caused by the
variables of chest girth and body volume, respectively,
while other factors not considered were responsible for
between 20 and 2%. Unambiguously therefore, body
volume and chest girth in the arranged order of suitability
could be used to predict the live weight of the Ongole
crossbred cows accurately.
Determination coefficient (R2) values of simple
regressions using independent variable of body volume
were higher and more consistent (0.92-0.98) compared
with those using independent variables of chest girth
(0.71-0.86) and body length (0.05-0.49) among animal
age groups. In animals of cattle breeds, Ozkaya and
Bozkurt (2009) reported that chest girth was the best
parameter of all prediction of body weight for Brown

Swiss (R2 = 0.91) and crossbred cattle (R2 = 0.89) in

comparison to Holstein cattle breed (R2 = 0.61). In other
animal of sheep, the determination coefficient (R2) value
of simple regression analysis of live body weight by chest
girth was 0.88 and the (R2) value of multiple regression
analysis of live body weight by chest girth plus hip height
plus height plus body length was 0.91 (Afolayan et al.,
2006).
This study revealed that the more the independent
variables inclusion in the model for prediction of live body
weight, the higher the prediction accuracy of body weight
by those variables. In this study, body volume formula
involved both chest girth and body length measurements
as the independent variables. Therefore, it was found that
using body volume as the independent variable was
consistent with multiple regressions using animal body
measurement as the independent variables (Afolayan et
al., 2006) and the best parameter of all for prediction of
body weight in Ongole crossbred cows.
According to these results, the body weight estimation
of Ongole crossbred cows using body volume formula
produced higher prediction accuracies among all body
measurements. The prediction accuracy of prediction of
body weight from body volume formula could be defined
by body measurements of both chest girth and body
length. This finding indicated that animal body volume
was more valuable to be considerd as the predictor of live
weight than either chest girth or body length variable as

Paputungan et al. 39

Table 3. Simple regression models for predicting live weight from chest girth, body length and body volume in Ongole
crossbred cows

Dependent (Y)
LW

Independent (X)
CG
BL
BV

Regression equation
-525.95024 + 5.37868 X
-264.09880 + 4.54798 X
-28.62692 + 1.33031 X

R2 value
0.86
0.49
0.98

3.5 -4.5

LW

CG
BL
BV

-295.17355 + 4.24199 X
259.91192 +1.32219 X
31.18309 + 1.16997 X

0.71
0.05
0.92

4.5 -5.5

LW

CG
BL
BV

-539.70446 + 5.62165 X
-211.33261 + 4.56947 X
15.10393 + 1.21046 X

0.81
0.40
0.96

5.5 -6.5

LW

CG
BL
BV

-400.99196 + 4.81259 X
-2.35952 + 3.21204 X
45.33436 + 1.12532 X

0.76
0.27
0.94

6.5 -7.5

LW

CG
BL
BV

-288.90549 + 4.21856 X
73.25631 + 2.72378 X
103.62972 + 0.98030 X

0.71
0.28
0.92

2.5 -7.5

LW

CG
BL
BV

-580.36991 + 5.82584 X
-335.83476 + 5.41813 X
-3.06084 + 1.26016 X

0.83
0.50
0.96

Age (years)
2.5 -3.5

CG = chest girth; BL = body length, LW = live weight; BV = body volume.

the single independent variable in the regression model.

The valuable animal body volume in predicting live weight
could be due to the inclusion of chest girth and body
length variables in its formula. Consequently, as one of
these measurements was decreased then the animal
frame size was also decreased, affecting animal body
weight. Simple regression models that can be used when
measurment is to be based on animal body live volume
alone found from chest girth and body length
measurements are shown below:
Live weight = 1.26016 body volume - 3.06084 (R2=0.96)
This high determination coefficient of 0.96 (Table 3)
indicated that 96% of the changes of cow live weight (kg)
were due to changes of body volume found from the
chest girth (cm) and body length measurements following
the equation model with the intercept of 3.06084 and
body volume coefficient b of 1.26016; while remaining of
4% were due to the other unknown factors.
Conclusions
Body volume (BV, dm3) of the cows was calculated using
body length (BL, cm) and chest girth (CG, cm) with the
formula as follows: BV (dm3) = [BL.{( CG)/ }2]/1000;
where, = 3.14. The determination coefficient (R2)

values of simple regressions for dependent variable

(body live weight, kg) using BV as independent variable
were higher and more consistent (0.92-0.98) compared to
those of CG (0.71-0.86) and BL (0.05-0.49) across the
age groups. Therefore, the following simple regression
model can be recommended to predict LW of Ongole
crossbred cows using BV as independent variable with
their age groups ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 years old: LW
(kg) = 1.26016 BV (dm3) - 3.06084 with determination
coefficient (R2) of 0.96. This high determination
coefficient of 0.96 indicated that 96% of the changes of
cow LW (kg) were due to changes of BV found from the
CG (cm) and BL (cm) measurements following the above
equation model with the intercept of -3.06084 and the BV
coefficient (b) of 1.26016; while the remaining 4% were
due to other unknown factors.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The financial support of the Ministry of Education and
Culture, Republic of Indonesia through their Research
Partnership Program is gratefully acknowledged. The
authors also acknowledge J. Kuhu and his farmer group
members at Tumaratas village, district of West
Langowan, Minahasa regency, under development of the
artificial insemination service center of North Sulawesi
province, Indonesia for their assistance in data collection.

40

Int. J. Livest. Prod.

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