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:

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 time 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 animals do you plan to weigh at once
• Whether they’ll need to be restrained

These factors will all play a role in selecting the right livestock scale for your operation. If you’re weighing multiple animals together, keep common mobile group scale configurations in mind, such as 13′ x 8′ single-axle structures or 18′ x 8′ tandem-axle models.

Mobile vs. Portable vs. Permanent: What Level of Mobility Do You Need?

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, and high stress levels can lead to dangerous situations or weight loss. To ensure a smooth process, look for scales designed around animal behaviour and safety:

• Rubber Flooring: Scale decks with rubber flooring reduce ambient noise and echo, helping keep animals calm. They also offer superior traction compared to wood planks and are vastly more hygienic and easier to wash down.
• Extra-Tall Side Panels: Solid, tall side walls block external distractions and moving shadows, helping prevent animals from spooking while inside the scale.
• Silicone Structural Buffers: Premium scales incorporate rubber or silicone buffers within the gates and latches to dampen metal-on-metal clanging, keeping the environment quiet.
• Adjustable Kick Plates: Ensure your scale has adjustable kick plates at the gates to close the gaps where an animal’s hooves could potentially slide under and get trapped.
• Protected Wiring: Look for scales that route internal sensor wiring through protective steel cable conduits. This prevents rodents from chewing through your electronics while the scale sits in the yard.

Data Collection: Do You Need Data Management?

Most modern scales can be paired with a digital weigh 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 data points on an individual animal, and many are outfitted with Electronic Identification (EID) compatibility to instantly log individual animals as they walk across the deck.

When selecting an indicator, make sure to pick one that fits your exact physical environment and data goals:

Indicator Type	Best Used For	Key Advantage
Standard Digital Indicator	Basic operations with an available power source.	Simple, straightforward weight readouts.
Dual-Power Indicator	Remote locations, off-grid corrals, and pastures.	Runs on internal batteries or vehicle power.
Integrated Weigh Center	High-volume commercial shipping and legal sorting.	Weatherproof enclosure with a built-in ticket printer.

Additionally, look for indicators that feature specialized livestock software applications. These programs offer automated functions tailored for ranching, such as group weighing modes (which calculate averages for a whole batch of cattle) or rate-of-gain metrics to monitor herd growth efficiencies over time.

Operating and Maintaining Your Investment

Buying the right scale is only half the battle; maintaining its accuracy ensures your profits stay protected.

Critical Operator Rule: Always verify that your scale indicator completely returns to a 0 balance reading between every single weigh-in. If mud, manure, or debris builds up on the platform and tricks the system, your subsequent animal weights will be inaccurate.

If you’re using your scale for commercial transactions, remember that Legal for Trade certifications are not a one-time event. Most jurisdictions require your scale to be inspected, tested, and recalibrated by a certified service agency at least once per year to maintain its legal status.

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. Follow this livestock scale buying guide to help you choose the right scale for your operation. 

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.