A portable weighing unit (10) comprising a body having a pair of side walls (12, 14) and an end wall (13) defining a space for receiving an animal. A holder (17) mounted with respect to the body and configured to receive an enticement (18) for attracting an animal into the space. A reader (19) mounted with respect to the body and configured to read animal identification (ID) information provided on an ID tag of the animal. A platform (15) located within said space to receive the front feet of the animal and take a weight measurement of the front feet. A controller (20) for receiving the said weight measurement from the platform and the animal ID information from the reader and transmit them to a remote processor for processing wherein the processor is configured to convert the weight measurement of the front feet to a full body weight measurement for the animal.