1. A system for estimating the mass or weight of an individual animal comprising: at least one camera that captures an animal representation of one or more visible or spatial characteristics of one or more animals; a computer readable medium connected to the at least one camera to store the animal representation; at least one virtual animal model stored on the computer readable medium, wherein each of the at least one virtual animal model comprises one or more shape variables to form a multi-dimensional profile of a reference animal; a computer communicatively coupled to the computer readable medium to compare the multi-dimensional profile to the animal representation through the adjustment of the one or more shape variables to form an optimal fit animal representation, wherein the computer estimates the mass or weight of the animal representation as a function of the optimal fit animal representation; wherein the multi-dimensional profile is rotated, translated or both to form an orientation that approximately matches an orientation of the animal representation; wherein the animal representation comprises a projection of the animal on a plane and includes depth data corresponding to an estimated distance from the plane to each point of the animal being projected onto the plane.