Weighing Scales

johnnyfruitcake

Any recommendations for a weighing scales just to keep track of weight gain etc.

One that fits a crush

Mooooo

No recommendation but frs will let you rent out weigh scalesfor 50 quid or thereabouts I think if it's something you'll only do once or twice in the year.

Biscuitus

Buying a weighing scale was a very worthwhile purchase last year. I didn't realise how much I was under dosing. Having all the exact numbers for doing pour-on/drenches and being able to tell the vet the cow is 780kgs has helped a lot. I'll find the name of the weight scales I use this evening.

thetiredfarmer

Make sure you get one with well insulated thick cables to help protect it from water and slurry. I have pencil thin cables on my scales and it is constantly absorbing water through tiny cracks or nicks in the outer coating which leaves it useless and I have to get the complete weigh cell replaced each time because its a "Sealed" unit. Not cheap.:mad:You only find out its broken when you want to use it!

lakill Farm

I have an ONeills one since the ploughing in was in New Ross. 2012 or 2013

No issues in fairness with it

Hard Knocks

How do you know if the weighing cell is gone?
Ours was working perfect, moved it to friends yard and now display is showing 0kg no matter what’s put on the platform.
Have got cable and display checked out & both ok

The11Duff

Have a connaught agri one. Fits in the crush. Good job

_Brian

Hard Knocks wrote: »

How do you know if the weighing cell is gone?
Ours was working perfect, moved it to friends yard and now display is showing 0kg no matter what’s put on the platform.
Have got cable and display checked out & both ok

Wonder if you switch it off. Disconnect a cell, switch it back on what does it show ??
I’d try each one to see if the result is different for any ??

The other thing I’d wonder is the reading locked somehow ??

Hard Knocks

_Brian wrote: »

Wonder if you switch it off. Disconnect a cell, switch it back on what does it show ??
I’d try each one to see if the result is different for any ??

The other thing I’d wonder is the reading locked somehow ??

Might try that
It’s all connected to a motherboard (4 in & 1 out)
Can you get a connector to bypass the motherboard and join the wires together?

Dunedin

How much is a scales roughly.

Hard Knocks

Dunedin wrote: »

How much is a scales roughly.

About €1400 I think

jntsnk

DIY

Gudstock

jntsnk wrote: »

DIY

Any more info on this project??

Hard Knocks

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Might try that
It’s all connected to a motherboard (4 in & 1 out)
Can you get a connector to bypass the motherboard and join the wires together?

Got it fixed
Bypassed motherboard

We got a Tru test scales, mighty job has Bluetooth to link to the phone so can pull all weights in as you go and then link to the online account which you can pull all your herd info in from Agfood and link the weights.

jntsnk

Gudstock wrote: »

Any more info on this project??

Just bought the weigh beams . Made by own floor to fit my crush.

MfMan

jntsnk wrote: »

Just bought the weigh beams . Made by own floor to fit my crush.

Where d'you get 'em?

emaherx

I got some from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Industrial-Warehouse-Weighing-Digital-Livestock/dp/B00OZUFO52/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=weigh+beams&qid=1597666387&sr=8-1

I haven't used them yet, to recommend them or not, but im going to use them under a portable crush.

ABitofsense

Can those be registered for BEEP weighing do you know?

emaherx

ABitofsense wrote: »

Can those be registered for BEEP weighing do you know?

I’ve registered mine, so yes, but it may need to be inspected at some stage.

jntsnk

MfMan wrote: »

Where d'you get 'em?

Got them on eBay. Been using them weighing stores and factory cattle prior to slaughter for the last 2 years. No issue. Often weigh silage bales also with a pallet on the beams. Handy

Limestone Cowboy

jntsnk wrote: »

Just bought the weigh beams . Made by own floor to fit my crush.

What did you make the platform for it out of? Any pics.

jntsnk

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

What did you make the platform for it out of? Any pics.

Heavy timber lying around. Scaffolding planks and sorts. Strong timber needed. Picture in previous posts

Limestone Cowboy

Bought a set of those pallet scales off ebay for 300e, got a length of channel and a length of angle iron and moved all the bits over. Just have to put on a bit of cheequered plate now.

Gudstock

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Bought a set of those pallet scales off ebay for 300e, got a length of channel and a length of angle iron and moved all the bits over. Just have to put on a bit of cheequered plate now.

Great project! Really looking forward to see the finished product.
Will it be left in place or will it be moved?
Could you put up a link for the ebay item please?

RobinBanks

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Bought a set of those pallet scales off ebay for 300e, got a length of channel and a length of angle iron and moved all the bits over. Just have to put on a bit of cheequered plate now.

Looks like a fine strong job! Heavy I’d say

Limestone Cowboy

Gudstock wrote: »

Great project! Really looking forward to see the finished product.
Will it be left in place or will it be moved?
Could you put up a link for the ebay item please?

I have a few crushes and the are all outside so it will be moved around and I'll keep it inside when I'm not using it, had to make it a bit narrower to fit in the old crush at home. Going to weight the calves next week and might take the bits off and get it galvanised then if it works alright.

Limestone Cowboy

RobinBanks wrote: »

Looks like a fine strong job! Heavy I’d say

It would want it all I'd say, used 3" channel and there's still a small bit of flex when I was jumping up and down in the middle of it.

Limestone Cowboy

Well it works anyway, weighed the in calf heifers this evening with it and no problems. Heavy hoor of a thing though weighing in at 78kg.

Water John

Good job. Any need to put handles inside the pads if you want to move it around?
Two people carrying 40 kilos each.

_Brian

We bought similar off Amazon and made a checker plate platform for the weigh cells.
All in I think it stands €350

Had it out yesterday doing a weigh run and it works a dream. Even weighed the pony.

Farmer_3650

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Well it works anyway, weighed the in calf heifers this evening with it and no problems. Heavy hoor of a thing though weighing in at 78kg.

Did you cut the weigh beams into halves? Mabye its just my sight but they look very short compared to the ones in the ebay link.

Limestone Cowboy

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Did you cut the weigh beams into halves? Mabye its just my sight but they look very short compared to the ones in the ebay link.

I didn't use the beams at all, I took the weight cells off them and put them on the frame I made up.

RobinBanks

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Heavy hoor of a thing though weighing in at 78kg.

I was thinking that alright when i seen you build pics. Could you add 2 castors to the sides for moving it. You would have to flip it over 180 degrees though to wheel it away.

Farmer_3650

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

I didn't use the beams at all, I took the weight cells off them and put them on the frame I made up.

Oh I see, I didn't realise they could be seperated. Very nice job.

ABitofsense

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

I didn't use the beams at all, I took the weight cells off them and put them on the frame I made up.

Thats a great job. Project for the winter for me

Hard Knocks

funkey_monkey wrote: »

LC - is your platform separate to the frame? From looking at it would some lips at the side keep the beast from sliding off the side? - a bit like this (£985 inc VAT!!!):




Do they stand okay on the threadplate or would some corrugations help prevent slipping after a few animals have been up and dirtied it?

Ours is similar and no issue with slip
It’s no harm to rinse down after each use

pure breed

Limestone Cowboy wrote:

I didn't use the beams at all, I took the weight cells off them and put them on the frame I made up.

Hi Limestone,
Can I ask how did you attach the weight cells to the new frame you made?
It looks a great job from your pic.
What have you on top? I mean what are cattle standing on?
Hope to do something similar here for under 400 euros.

Water John

Intend following LC too and buying online. The guy who does my welding and will make the stand mentioned the need to have wings to keep the cattle legs on, not slipping down the side.

Lime Tree Farm

Water John wrote: »

Intend following LC too and buying online. The guy who does my welding and will make the stand mentioned the need to have wings to keep the cattle legs on, not slipping down the side.

Every blooming one of them will put a back leg on the wing and throw the weight off. You get the leg off the wing and they put it straight back up again.. Go flat

Water John

I think the edge plate he intends is a narrow edge sloping in.

Water John

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Every blooming one of them will put a back leg on the wing and throw the weight off. You get the leg off the wing and they put it straight back up again.. Go flat

I think the edge plate he intends is a narrow edge sloping in.

Lime Tree Farm

funkey_monkey wrote: »

One like that in image above shouldn't have that problem and will avoid the hooves slipping off the side too. All it needs is a small lip to stop the sliding off when they are wrestling on it.

I wonder would a darker colour be better than the bright chequer plate - might be less spooked by a dark colour - and a small step onto it.

My main concern is the robustness of these scales with a dynamic load as them are design for static loads.

putting straw on the platform definitely helps with getting them onto it.

emaherx

funkey_monkey wrote: »

My main concern is the robustness of these scales with a dynamic load as them are design for static loads.

There is a stable weight indicator on the scales I got, it comes on when the animal settles down. But even if the odd one dosen't fully settle down you might get the weight only varying by a few kilo.

MfMan

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

putting straw on the platform definitely helps with getting them onto it.

Or a spare slat mat, if any to hand. Only adds a few Kg to the weight. Beware of the scale (eventually) leaning down a bit into the electronic data cable. Mine was doing this for a while before I copped it. Had to prop the legs higher with a couple of 2x4s.

Water John

Thanks for the help here lads. Bought online and local made up the platform to fit in my crush. The platform rides on the beams, €450/500 all in.

emaherx

Water John wrote: »

Thanks for the help here lads. Bought online and local made up the platform to fit in my crush. The platform rides on the beams, €450/500 all in.

Its a small investment really and the scheme has paid for it already. The fact that you can weigh in small groups as you like is priceless especially if your land is disjointed.

jntsnk

Water John wrote: »

Thanks for the help here lads. Bought online and local made up the platform to fit in my crush. The platform rides on the beams, €450/500 all in.

Any pics of platform?

Water John

Sorry must try loading pics again. Failed anytime I've tried before. Didn't have it in for TAMS.