Best cattle weighing scales

restive wrote: »

Avoid the trays with the high sides. Cattle put their feet on all sides of them.

I bought the scales unit for £250 of a uk company. Just have to get a platform made now. I am sure you'll find better but you wont find cheaper

I have tru test aswell. I bought from o'Donovan's last year but they had a deal on at time and were a couple of hundred cheaper than current price

http://www.odonovaneng.ie/product/eziweigh5i-package/

Cavanjack wrote: »

Connaght agri are grand but find the platform too small for big cattle (>700kg), hard to get them to put their four feet on the scales.

What length is that Jack ,surely an 8 foot platform should do

cute geoge wrote: »

What length is that Jack ,surely an 8 foot platform should do

Think it's a 7'. Might stick two bits of 3" angle onto either end to add an extra bit of length to it. They have an 8' also for a couple of hundred extra.

brianb243 wrote: »

Are they worth the money or do they pay for them selves? Is TAMS still available for them

The only thing I find it useful for is dosing. Before I would just guess the weight and give them a dose. I was usually way out with my guess.

In terms of monitoring performance I don't think it adds value for my system. I sell the weanlins here and I know which cows are producing the best calves so weighing doesn't really help in that regard. Maybe if I was finishing cattle it would be of more use where I could separate into feeding groups based on weight

I think it's one of these things, if you can afford it well no harm having one but maybe spending the money on good animal would be better in the long run

brianb243 wrote: »

Really that's not good. What problem had you?How long have you it?

Five or six years, bad tray design and won't hold calibration. You could set it, check it, run a few cattle and check it again and it's way off. They are absolutaly ly pointless if they aren't accurate every time. It doesn't even stay consistantly out. It could be forty kilos out now and the next one could be eighty kilos out.

brianb243 wrote: »

God I'm glad I spoke to you. They only 25 miles down the road from me so thought be handiest. Goes to show always pays to chat to someone in the know.

I've had a good look at the odonovan ones and I'd say that's what il buy if I ever did change.

The lad who weighs for us uses o donovan type, swears by it. Connachtagri seem to sell mostly crap in my view.

RobinBanks wrote: »

The only thing I find it useful for is dosing. Before I would just guess the weight and give them a dose. I was usually way out with my guess.

In terms of monitoring performance I don't think it adds value for my system. I sell the weanlins here and I know which cows are producing the best calves so weighing doesn't really help in that regard. Maybe if I was finishing cattle it would be of more use where I could separate into feeding groups based on weight

I think it's one of these things, if you can afford it well no harm having one but maybe spending the money on good animal would be better in the long run

Monitoring is extremely useful if you're a weanling producer, it lets you see if you're on target for the sales.

Chatted a lad in the mart awhile ago, he brought 3 bulls to the sale, 2 big & 1 lesser. His trailer was out of action & a friend brought them as he had a few to sell to.
He got €900 for 450kg for the bigger & €900 for 300kg for the lesser.
3 fine bulls.
If that man had a scale he wouldn't of been feeding 300kg for nothing.
He thought the bigger were 350kg

Cavanjack wrote: »

Have you a calibrated weight or how do you calibrate it?

I've got it sent away a fair few times and a lad that used to work with me is fairly handy. He reckons they are just muck.

Who2 wrote: »

I've a Connaught agri one and wouldn't like it at all. They've a piss poor back up service after they get your money.

I have the 8' one for the past few years, no problem with it. My crush was a balls though, uneven wall on one side and it could get caught against it. Have a new wider crush and it's far better.

charolais0153 wrote: »

Can u explain that bit?

The man sold 2 bulls @ 450kg when he thought they were 350kg.
The price he got was the same as their 300kg comrade.

Dunedin wrote: »

Still makes no sense to me. Maybe just to clarify, what would he have done if he had a scales??”

Weighed them regularly & sold them when they were 300-350kg

RobinBanks wrote: »

Obvisously the 300kg calf was superior quality though??

No same quality just younger & lighter.
The younger lad was shipped the other 2 were too heavy