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Everything You Need to Know When Buying Livestock Scales for Your Farm

Farmers who sell livestock for profit understand the importance of having the right scale to decrease the cost of production. Animals are constantly moving, which makes it hard to weigh them on a traditional scale. Read on to find out everything you need to know when buying livestock scales for your farm on eBay.

Choose between stationary and portable livestock scales

When browsing through livestock scales for sale listings, you must decide on the type of scale for running your daily operations. The main types are:

  • Portable livestock scales: A portable scale gives you flexibility and allows for setting up a weighing location. It can be used on gravel, with squeeze chutes, and with alley weigh scales. An alley weigh scale is an option for getting an accurate weight on farms. This scale is portable. It can be set up without ramps and does not require recessed flooring.
  • Stationary livestock scales: A stationary livestock scale allows you to capture the weight of a group of animals. It usually combines with a customized platform with gates. The gate helps with containing the animals within a certain location. For example, this type of scale works well with pigs and cattle. Other names for this type of weight equipment are pig scales and cattle scales.
  • A livestock scale kit: A kit allows you to build your own scale at an affordable price. This kit includes a digital weight indicator, AA batteries, waterproof junction boxes, swivel feet, thread mounting blocks, and 5000-pound capacity load cells with cables. The method you plan on using to weigh your cattle can help with determining the right scale for your farming operations.
What is the size of the animal?

The size of animal is an important factor when looking at new or used cattle scales listings. It is hard to weigh some animals depending on their characteristics. For example, a square or rectangular scale is best for weighing a heavy animal. A flat scale is good for weighing large animals over 500 pounds. The appropriate scale is important for getting the correct measurements. You also cannot predict the behavior of the animal while getting weighed.

What is the data storage capacity of the livestock scale?

When shopping for your livestock scale, you should ask about storage capacity. Farmers need a database to store measurements of their animals. Many scales come with these capabilities. You do not want to choose a scale that just records weight. It should record additional data, like pregnancy status of the animal, body condition score, and animal identification. Farmers can also back up this information on their business computer. Regardless, you need a way to keep up with the animals on your farm.