Best cattle weighing scales

brianb243 · 26-05-2017 10:03pm #1

I'm going buying a cattle weighing scales both for my own use and bit of hire if I get it. Just looking for some advice on best one to get and what are the troublesome ones. What to look out for. Anyone know anything about connaght agri's scale. Thanks

restive · 26-05-2017 10:54pm

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

cacs · 26-05-2017 11:43pm

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

valtra2 · 27-05-2017 9:16am

I have tru test. Very good and strong. Make sure you get heavy duty leads

RobinBanks · 27-05-2017 9:25am

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 · 27-05-2017 10:45am

brianb243 wrote: »

I'm going buying a cattle weighing scales both for my own use and bit of hire if I get it. Just looking for some advice on best one to get and what are the troublesome ones. What to look out for. Anyone know anything about connaght agri's scale. Thanks

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.

cute geoge · 27-05-2017 10:50am

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

brianb243 · 27-05-2017 7:31pm

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

Cavanjack · 27-05-2017 8:48pm

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.

Who2 · 27-05-2017 8:55pm

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.

brianb243 · 28-05-2017 11:06am

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.

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

brianb243 · 28-05-2017 11:08am

RobinBanks wrote: »

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/

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

RobinBanks · 28-05-2017 11:50am

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

zetor 4911 · 28-05-2017 12:03pm

What do people think of the DMD scales

Who2 · 28-05-2017 1:25pm

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 · 28-05-2017 1:31pm

Who2 wrote: »

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.

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.

Who2 · 28-05-2017 1:36pm

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.

Cavanjack · 28-05-2017 2:25pm

Who2 wrote: »

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.

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

oldsmokey · 28-05-2017 3:59pm

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

Hard Knocks · 28-05-2017 4:56pm

zetor 4911 wrote: »

What do people think of the DMD scales

Have it, good job.
Plus if you have any issue, their extremely helpful at the end of the phone

Hard Knocks · 28-05-2017 5:11pm

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

charolais0153 · 28-05-2017 5:25pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

Can u explain that bit?

Who2 · 28-05-2017 6:49pm

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.

RobinBanks · 28-05-2017 6:59pm

Who2 wrote: »

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.

Ignorant enough sort of client to deal with aswell who2. That's why I didn't buy off them.

Count Mondego · 28-05-2017 9:28pm

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.

brianb243 · 28-05-2017 10:17pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Have it, good job.
Plus if you have any issue, their extremely helpful at the end of the phone

How long have you it. Torn between DMD and the O'Donavan one. They seem to be the only 2 advertised online.

Hard Knocks · 28-05-2017 10:22pm

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 · 28-05-2017 10:26pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

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

Hard Knocks · 28-05-2017 10:40pm

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 · 28-05-2017 10:47pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

Obvisously the 300kg calf was superior quality though??

Hard Knocks · 28-05-2017 10:51pm

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

Hard Knocks · 28-05-2017 10:52pm

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

RobinBanks · 28-05-2017 10:58pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

Oh right. Well that makes sense alright. Cheers

Hard Knocks · 28-05-2017 11:03pm

RobinBanks wrote: »

Oh right. Well that makes sense alright. Cheers

I'm not the best at explaining myself

The part time boy · 29-05-2017 6:13pm

Anyone get a scales using tams ?

What down side to doing it

Zr105 · 29-05-2017 8:16pm

Got an O'Neill scales under tams safety grant, no problems with it, the only pain was we went for the 8ft, and it's definitely needed if weighing fr blks, even contis are the full of it. But because it's based on a reference cost you only get the grant on what they say it costs. Only other thing about it was you need something else with it to get over the 2000 minimum threshold.
Looking back I think I'd possibly have gone the route of a full crate even if it was a good bit more money, it'd leave it a lot easier weighing as once there in it there right rather than trying to see if all feet are on

cute geoge · 29-05-2017 9:44pm

what sort of money would a crate work out at and would the grant be still be based on the dept. reference cost of the weighing scales at€1300

J.O. Farmer · 30-05-2017 8:15pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

How many calves does he sell and how often does he go to the mart.
If he only had 3 to sell I can't see him going to the mart with 2. That said if he'd only 3 I can't see him investing in a scales either.

Hard Knocks · 31-05-2017 10:49am

cute geoge wrote: »

what sort of money would a crate work out at and would the grant be still be based on the dept. reference cost of the weighing scales at€1300

Shop around but they're that ballpark

croot · 31-05-2017 11:04am

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

This is the reason I am hoping to get one. In sucklers anyway I think we all need to know what calves ADG is and that will tell us how good a cow really is. I know you look at the calf and say that's a super calf but maybe the ADG isn't as good as we think.

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

With the way the market is going this is another reason to know weights so that you can target the proper customer. I'm selling the Autumn born bulls next week hopefully because I think they are the right weight for the exporters but I wont know till they are on the scales

Hard Knocks · 31-05-2017 11:05am

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

Hard Knocks wrote: »

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

How many calves does he sell and how often does he go to the mart.
If he only had 3 to sell I can't see him going to the mart with 2. That said if he'd only 3 I can't see him investing in a scales either.

There comment that I replied to said a scale is handy for dosing & finishing and not needed for weanling production, so I remembered this story & shared it to highlight that weights are hugely important when producing weanlings, as knowing your weights is key

Muckit · 31-05-2017 7:39pm

Zr105 wrote: »

the only pain was we went for the 8ft, and it's definitely needed if weighing fr blks, even contis are the full of it.

Would bullocks be 8' from their front legs to their back legs? Just thinking would a finished lad not fit across an 8' cattle trailer?

charolais0153 · 31-05-2017 9:47pm

croot wrote: »

This is the reason I am hoping to get one. In sucklers anyway I think we all need to know what calves ADG is and that will tell us how good a cow really is. I know you look at the calf and say that's a super calf but maybe the ADG isn't as good as we think.

With the way the market is going this is another reason to know weights so that you can target the proper customer. I'm selling the Autumn born bulls next week hopefully because I think they are the right weight for the exporters but I wont know till they are on the scales

If one cow has a calf putting on .3 kg day more than an other calf but the other calf sells for more. What Fies that tell you? Weight and price are most important things in suclking. Not adg or price per kiko

croot · 01-06-2017 12:08am

charolais0153 wrote: »

If one cow has a calf putting on .3 kg day more than an other calf but the other calf sells for more. What Fies that tell you? Weight and price are most important things in suclking. Not adg or price per kiko

One thing it tells me is the one with more milk is the one I'll keep replacements off. Maybe it's not for everyone but I'd prefer to have all the information rather than guessing.

MfMan · 01-06-2017 12:25pm

Muckit wrote: »

Would bullocks be 8' from their front legs to their back legs? Just thinking would a finished lad not fit across an 8' cattle trailer?

No, they easily fit on an 8' scale.

Zr105 · 05-06-2017 11:06pm

Muckit wrote: »

Would bullocks be 8' from their front legs to their back legs? Just thinking would a finished lad not fit across an 8' cattle trailer?

It's not so much they don't fit on it, it's that your trying to get them on and stand still, the extra bit of space gives you more of a chance to get them right on it

Hard Knocks · 05-06-2017 11:12pm

Zr105 wrote: »

It's not so much they don't fit on it, it's that your trying to get them on and stand still, the extra bit of space gives you more of a chance to get them right on it

Is there a Fn button that will allow the display the static weight

Zr105 · 06-06-2017 9:43pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Is there a Fn button that will allow the display the static weight

Once they don't shift too much for 3 seconds the weight will lock and hold so long as they don't move a leg and take the weight off it

Hagimalone · 06-06-2017 9:44pm

cathal irwin wrote:

I bought the scales unit for Â£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

Cathal, what's the name of the UK company you purchased off

cacs · 06-06-2017 10:56pm

Hagimalone wrote: »

Cathal, what's the name of the UK company you purchased off

The price has gone up or maybe I am thinking of an ex vat price.
I just need to make platform and I am away

http://m.monsterscales.co.uk/Warehouse_Beam_Weigh_Scales_10274_10276.html?category_id=88

zetor 4911 · 16-06-2017 9:58am

cathal irwin wrote: »

The price has gone up or maybe I am thinking of an ex vat price.
I just need to make platform and I am away

Cathal did you make the platform and how did it turn out.

Best cattle weighing scales

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