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Animal weighing systems

Animal Weighing Systems

The health of livestock is one of the largest concerns for all animal farmers, and there are various farm measuring tools that assist with keeping tabs on each animal. Livestock animal weighing scales are used to measure how much your larger livestock weigh (cattle, sheep, goats, etc), but you also get plant scales that can measure and record yield.

An animal weighing scale must be accurate, or the results will be deceiving and your farm management will be inaccurate. This is why it is important to find animal weighing scales for sale from reputable suppliers!

 

5 Advantages of Using Animal Weighing Scales

Regularly weighing livestock has become an integral part of animal farming. Having a high-quality livestock scale on your farm will optimise your processes and assist with making informed decisions that will ultimately lead to better success. Here are some advantages of using accurate scales on your farm:

 

Accurately Monitor Animal Health

In many livestock diseases, weight loss is one of the first symptoms that can be picked up with proper record-keeping. Outward changes and behaviours are difficult to notice, especially on large-scale farms. As soon as you spot a change in an animal’s weight, you can take action. It could mean bad news, such as disease, or it could be good news, and your animal is pregnant (depending on your breeding programme). Early treatment of diseases and acting decisively, like quarantining them, can save their lives and those of the other livestock. If your animal is pregnant, the right care can be administered.

 

Better Breeding Decisions

Oftentimes, when animals are at a certain weight, it can indicate the right time to breed them. This assists with breeding management and cycles to allow for better sustainability. Weighing livestock on a regular basis gives you a precise idea of which stock gain weight the fastest. This allows you to make well-informed decisions when it comes to genetic selection.

 

Informed Feed-Portioning

If your livestock are gaining or losing weight at an unusual rate, it may be time to rethink their food. If you have made a change in their diet, and are seeing a large discrepancy between your previous readings and your more recent ones, it can indicate a dietary issue. Better yet, if you are incorporating feed that is of a higher quality, and you have noticed steady weight gain, you could potentially balance out your livestock overall weight by adjusting the food and decreasing portion sizes, which ultimately saves on costs!

Weaning Requirements for Calves

On cattle farms, weighing calves can assist with understanding their overall health, as well as the right time to introduce them to solid foods. Their weight recordings from the beginning can assist with judging their growth rate, and planning what role they will play best on the farm.

 

What To Know Before Using Livestock Scales

Placement and Set-Up of Scales

Depending on your requirements, scales can be permanently installed on your farm, or temporarily incorporated when necessary. You also get portable livestock scales that can travel with your livestock for convenience. Permanent scales are reliable and sturdy, while the portable scales are ideal for weighing livestock at multiple different locations.

Choose Stability

To make your livestock weighing easier, you have to ensure that you have a stable surface to weigh your livestock on. An unstable surface will cause weighing inaccuracies and it will be dangerous for the livestock as they move on and off of scales. The surfaces need not be totally levelled and flat, and also non-slip. If you are going to incorporate an additional non-slip cover, be sure to factor that in to your scale set-up.

 

Farmers rely on accurate farming equipment to accurately measure the weight of their animals and monitor their progress. Livestock scales help farmers understand their stock better and make informed changes accordingly.

 

For animal weighing tools and other farming equipment that can assist farmers of all types and sizes, view our directory and find the expert supplier who can satisfy your needs!

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larger livestock weigh (cattle | sheep | goats | etc) | but you also get plant scales that can measure and record yield.