7 Best Pig Weigh Tapes For Beginners Old Farmers Swear By

Trying to guess a pig’s weight just by looking at it is a recipe for miscalculation. You think you have a perfect 250-pound market hog, but the processor tells you it was closer to 220, and your feed conversion ratio suddenly looks terrible. A simple weigh tape is one of the most cost-effective tools you can own, giving you a surprisingly accurate weight estimate without the expense or hassle of a full-blown livestock scale. It helps you track growth, calculate feed needs, and determine the right time for market or breeding.

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Coburn Weigh Tape: The All-Around Farm Standard

If you walk into a dozen different barns, you’ll likely find a Coburn weigh tape hanging on a nail somewhere. There’s a reason for its popularity: it just works. Made from a durable, rip-stop Tyvek material, it can handle being dropped in the mud, wiped off, and used again without falling apart.

The Coburn is straightforward, with clear markings for both heart girth in inches and the corresponding weight in pounds. It’s not fancy, but its reliability is what makes it a standard. For a beginner who just needs a tool they can trust to monitor a few feeder pigs from weaning to market, this is the safest bet you can make. It’s the dependable multi-tool of the weigh tape world.

Weaver Leather Hog Tape: Built for Barn Life

Weaver built its reputation on durable leather goods, and that same toughness is evident in their hog tape. This tape is made from vinyl-coated fiberglass, which means it won’t stretch, tear, or degrade when exposed to moisture and manure. It feels substantial in your hands and resists kinking and tangling better than thinner tapes.

This is the tape for the farmer who is hard on their equipment. If you’re the type to leave tools in your back pocket or toss them into a bucket at the end of chores, the Weaver can take the abuse. The slightly higher cost is an investment in longevity; you won’t be buying another one next season because the first one frayed or the numbers wore off.

Nasco Life/form Tape: Easiest to Read Numerals

Let’s be honest, getting a measurement on a wiggly pig isn’t always a calm, well-lit affair. You’re often leaning over a gate in a dim barn, trying to get a reading before the pig bolts. This is where the Nasco Life/form tape shines with its exceptionally large, bold, and clear numerals.

For anyone whose eyesight isn’t what it used to be, or for those working in less-than-ideal conditions, this readability is a game-changer. It reduces the chance of misreading 260 lbs as 280 lbs, an error that can impact your decisions. The focus here is purely on function and clarity, making it a fantastic choice for quick, confident measurements every single time.

Stone Dual-Sided Tape for Hogs and Beef Cattle

On a small, diversified farm, every tool that can pull double duty is a winner. The Stone Dual-Sided tape is the perfect example. One side is calibrated for estimating the weight of hogs, and you simply flip it over to use the other side for beef cattle.

This is pure practicality. Instead of having two separate tapes cluttering your toolbox, you have one that covers your main livestock. It’s made from a flexible, durable material and is an excellent value for the hobby farmer raising a couple of steers alongside their feeder pigs. This is the ultimate tool for maximizing utility and minimizing clutter.

Ideal Instruments Tape: A Reliable Budget-Friendly Pick

You don’t always need the most heavy-duty, expensive option to get the job done right. The Ideal Instruments tape is a testament to that. It provides accurate readings and is made from a perfectly serviceable material, all at a price point that’s hard to beat.

This is the perfect pick for someone just getting into pigs or for a 4-H project where the budget is tight. While it might not have the extreme durability of a Weaver, it will absolutely last through several seasons of raising market hogs with proper care. It proves that you can get reliable data on your animals’ growth without a significant financial outlay.

Sullivan’s Hog Tape: Calibrated for Show Pigs

Not all pigs are built the same. A modern show pig often has a different frame and muscle distribution than a commercial-type hog raised strictly for meat. Sullivan’s Supply, a leader in the show livestock world, designed their tape specifically with the confirmation of show pigs in mind.

If your primary goal is the show ring, this tape will give you a more accurate weight estimate for that specific body type. For 4-H and FFA members, knowing your pig’s precise weight is critical for fitting into the right class at the fair. While it works perfectly fine for any hog, its calibration gives a slight edge to those competing for that blue ribbon.

Kane Retractable Tape: Most Convenient for Pockets

A standard weigh tape is great until it becomes a tangled mess in your pocket or feed bucket. The Kane Retractable Tape solves this problem with a simple, brilliant design. Housed in a durable case like a carpenter’s measuring tape, it retracts with the push of a button.

This design keeps the tape clean, protected, and incredibly easy to carry and deploy. You can clip it to your belt or slip it in a pocket without worrying about it snagging or unspooling. For the farmer who values organization and efficiency, the convenience of a retractable tape is a small but significant quality-of-life improvement during daily chores.

Using Your Weigh Tape: A Quick Coburn How-To

Getting an accurate reading is more about technique than the tape itself. The goal is to measure the pig’s heart girth—the circumference of its body just behind the front legs and shoulders. Using a standard tape like the Coburn, the process is simple but requires a calm animal.

First, get the pig standing squarely on all four feet, preferably on level ground. Don’t try to measure a pig that’s agitated or lying down. Gently wrap the tape around the pig’s body, ensuring it’s positioned directly behind the front legs and snug against the skin.

The key is to pull the tape snug, but not tight. You aren’t trying to squeeze the pig. Where the end of the tape meets the numbered scale, you’ll find two numbers: the girth in inches and the estimated weight in pounds. The weight is the number you want. For the best accuracy, take two or three measurements and average them.

Ultimately, a weigh tape is a simple tool that solves a complex problem. Whether you prioritize the bomb-proof durability of a Weaver, the dual-use practicality of a Stone, or the pocket-friendly convenience of a Kane, the right tape is the one that fits your farm’s specific needs. Choosing one is a small investment that pays big dividends in better management and healthier animals.