Weighing Your Options: Your Livestock Scale Buying Guide
Every rancher knows the importance of a high-quality livestock scale for maintaining animal health and maximizing profits. However, buying the best livestock scale for your needs requires some research and forethought. On that note, we’ve got you covered with our livestock scale buying guide. Here’s our advice on what to consider when purchasing your next livestock scale.
What Are Your Goals?
The first thing to consider when purchasing your livestock scale is what your goals are:
Preventing Shrink Loss
Minimizing shrink is key to maximizing profit when it comes to your livestock. When transporting your livestock, every pound counts, but during transit, animals can lose a significant amount of weight that can directly impact your bottom line. Always factor in shrink when planning your livestock hauls.
Enhancing Animal Welfare
A livestock scale on site guides animal care and helps to protect their overall health. With easy access to weight monitoring, you can quickly spot unusual changes that may indicate illness, and address them immediately.
Conducting Commercial Transactions
To legally sell livestock, you require a Legal for Trade scale. This means it must be certified and regulated. That said, if you’re simply monitoring your livestock for health, rather than commercial transactions, a Legal for Trade scale may not be required.
Narrowing Down Your Scale Needs
Now that you’ve determined your goals, it’s essential to consider your scale requirements. Let us guide you through the livestock scale buying process with these questions:
Platform Size—What Are You Weighing?
First things first—you’ll need to determine the best size platform for your livestock scale. The animals you’re weighing will not only determine the size, but also the scale features you’ll require. Consider:
- The animal’s weight
- How many you plan to weigh at once
- Whether they’ll need to be retrained
These factors will all play a role in selecting the right livestock scale for your operation.
Portable vs. Permanent—Do You Need a Mobile Scale?
Portable scales are a popular choice among cattle farmers because of their versatility. It’s often quicker and easier to bring the scale to the cattle rather than the other way around. Setup is quick—simply place load cells before a squeeze chute or in any alleyway where cattle naturally pause. Portable scales don’t require bolting and can adapt to various terrains, including gravel.
That said, they do have limitations. If you’re weighing large numbers of animals, the portable scale may not be able to keep up. They’re also typically less durable than permanent scales.
Permanent scales are better suited for larger operations as they can weigh numerous animals simultaneously. These scales are bolted into a concrete floor to ensure stability and reliability, and often include grated platforms to prevent animals from stepping off. You can also install load bars beneath the squeeze chute for a smoother workflow. The trade-off? Permanent scales often require more space and a dedicated area within your facility.
Durability—How Strong Does it Need to Be?
Depending on where and how you use the scale, you may need to invest in a more durable model. This will depend on your local climate, and where the scale will be placed and used. If you’re working with a stationary livestock scale, it’ll need to be secured to avoid damage. If you opt for a mobile scale, ensure it can handle your terrain and workload.
Animal Safety—What Type of Floor Should Your Livestock Scale Have?
The weighing process can be stressful for your animals. To ensure it goes smoothly, provide your livestock with easy scale access. Scales with rubber flooring help reduce noise for both animals and operators, creating a calmer environment. They’re also more hygienic than wood planks and easier to clean. For large cattle, connecting the platform to an alleyway makes loading and unloading safer and more efficient.
Data Collection—Do You Need Data Management?
Most modern scales can be paired with a digital weigh centre or indicator that collects and stores weight data for you. You can quickly download the data into a spreadsheet on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Advanced memory models can keep hundreds of pieces of data on a single animal. Some scales are outfitted with electronic identification (EID) to identify individual animals as they step on the scale.
Even if you don’t think you need these features now, it’s good to consider them, as they may become crucial when your operation grows. Recording important data will help you to streamline operations down the line.
Accurate Western Scale: Your Livestock Scales Guide Starts Here
Accurate Western Scale is your trusted partner in Alberta agriculture. With our extensive experience in the field, we deliver practical advice, quick service, certified technicians, and reliable local support. We understand Alberta’s farming conditions and deliver dependable systems built to endure.
Accredited by Measurement Canada, we certify devices as Legal for Trade, provide mobile cattle scale repair services, and work with you to guide your livestock scale purchase. For expert advice and reliable solutions, contact Accurate Western Scale.
