Weighing scales deployment

munkus

Lads,

Bought a Connacht Agri livestock weighing scales last week. mighty job altogether and should have gotten it years ago.

Works perfectly but was a dose putting it into the front of the crush as it was an inch wider than advertised, no major hassle overall.

Problem is that the scale is about 5" high, which is a big step up from the floor of the crush for the cattle to climb onto. Another problem is the there's 6" clearance from the front of the scales to the crush gate. This gap is a step back down to ground level and the cattle are hesitant to go through the gate and get caught.

When the cattle do get caught, their heads are up too high given the extra 5", hard to get enough tilt for dosing. Would be chronic with cows.


How do you deploy the scales? I see only three options

1) Weigh cattle, then remove the scales and run them in again and dose them. This unit is big and heavy so not an option for me.

2) Put it in the middle of the crush - problem keeping them on it with space front and back

3) Dig down 5" into the floor of the crush and set it in level with the floor. Will have to put in some kind of drain to ensure the scales isn't in a pool of water.
(preferred option)


Have any of you experienced this?

Thanks in advance

visatorro

Neighbour of mine fitted the scales into a mobile crush he can bring around with the tractor. He might have ten different crushes around different yards and fields. Has good head gate on mobile crush for dosing etc. This might be of no use to you I know it could add another few euro to the job.

Dont be daft

Could you not just build an extension to crush beyond the headgate and use this to weigh the cattle.

We did it to incorporate two footbaths into the handling area. I'd say a scales could be done in a similar way.

There's pics in the last post in this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=80022794

There's a draft gate that allows you to direct either down the footbath route or straight out into the holding pen. It'd mean you would only be using the scales when you want it and cattle won't be dancing on it everyday.
Might work for ye.

MfMan

Funny, had a lot of the same problems as you! Easiest way I'd say is to lower floor of crush a bit, though don't know what you're going to do about water draining away. I had to widen mine a bit and level floor somewhat, though I didn't lower it. It's still a step higher than the crush floor but doesn't stop cattle from going up on it (also have an old rubber slat mat on the weighbridge so the shiny floor doesn't make cattle hesitant.) Put a timber block or two between the bridge and gate so everything is level. I put in a new auto gate recently and cattle are a bit tardy about putting their heads out - any hints on how to encourage them?

Zr105

MfMan wrote: »

Funny, had a lot of the same problems as you! Easiest way I'd say is to lower floor of crush a bit, though don't know what you're going to do about water draining away. I had to widen mine a bit and level floor somewhat, though I didn't lower it. It's still a step higher than the crush floor but doesn't stop cattle from going up on it (also have an old rubber slat mat on the weighbridge so the shiny floor doesn't make cattle hesitant.) Put a timber block or two between the bridge and gate so everything is level. I put in a new auto gate recently and cattle are a bit tardy about putting their heads out - any hints on how to encourage them?

Head gate should hopefully get better on e it gets a bit of muck and dirt on it and they've seen it once or twice, we changed the head gate last year here and the ones that had already been through with the old gate were hardest as they new it was different, any animals that had never been up chute before knew no different.


On the scales can you set it into the second position and set up an access gate in the side of crush so that it would close over infront of the scales and allow you access to get in behind front animal for castrating etc?

locha

I just mixed a bit of concrete and put a ramp up to mine... and a bit at the front... ALOT easier then digging out the holes for it. Works a treat.

dzer2

locha wrote: »

I just mixed a bit of concrete and put a ramp up to mine... and a bit at the front... ALOT easier then digging out the holes for it. Works a treat.

This is the way to do it have out one about 4 cattle back from the front with a control gate that way by the time the animal gets down to the heading gate there is no problem. It is very handy for dosing animals, put one on the scales see the weight dose accordingly.

munkus

dzer2 wrote: »

This is the way to do it have out one about 4 cattle back from the front with a control gate that way by the time the animal gets down to the heading gate there is no problem. It is very handy for dosing animals, put one on the scales see the weight dose accordingly.

If you have just one or two animals in the crush is it a problem to get him to stand on it without going forward or back? Do you use 2 anti backing bars?

locha

munkus wrote: »

If you have just one or two animals in the crush is it a problem to get him to stand on it without going forward or back? Do you use 2 anti backing bars?

Yes - bought the backing bars at the ploughing. Was from a guy from Sligo who was in the inventions tent.... they are a great job and it makes weighing the cattle far easier.. no longer able to back off it.

dzer2

munkus wrote: »

If you have just one or two animals in the crush is it a problem to get him to stand on it without going forward or back? Do you use 2 anti backing bars?

Thats what I have, I had to raise the top bar of the crush at the scales as well its easy for me as I do all the mechanical work myself.

milkprofit

Leave the front gate open and run them through once or twice
then no problem once shine gone off and they use to it
Why make work

munkus

milkprofit wrote: »

Leave the front gate open and run them through once or twice
then no problem once shine gone off and they use to it
Why make work

The problem is the height, not the shine off it. Question is to bury it or build up around it and where to place it in the crush.

J DEERE

Would waterproofing laid over the scales affect weighing? If you were to dig out and lay the scales level with the floor of the crush and backfill it good enough so it can't move out of position then put a layer of waterproof on top, sealed at the edges and following the contours of the scales

loveta

Try putting in the middle of the crush and weigh them as you go through be careful if you put into into a sump hole in the crush as it will be hard to keep water out of it and the junction box under the tray is prone to damage and letting water inn and you will be in bother, best of luck with the new purchase..

milkprofit

munkus wrote: »

The problem is the height, not the shine off it. Question is to bury it or build up around it and where to place it in the crush.

I have one this 2 years absolutely no problem for cows cattle stepping up on to it
Just get them use to it