# Livestock Scale



## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

I am building my new barn and plan on installing some sort of alley scale. The digital models "claim" that cows moving still get a good read out.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

Are you asking for recommendations? Paul Scales.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Central City Scales.

I put the scale on the last 8' section of alleyway right before the palp cage.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I have scales on our squeeze chute that is permanently set up in the barn. There is an option on the program for weighing. It can be set to weigh when the animal is stationary for one second (or longer) or set to begin calculating the weight as the cow moves.

With today's technology it makes weighing a lot easier. A person can hang from one end of the squeeze chute and it will weigh them the same as when they are standing in the middle.

We thought about building an alley scale with six load bars. Never got around to doing it and is not as important to us now as it was then.


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## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

We put weigh bars under our working chute. Works way better than any in the alley scales I have seen. Alley scales usually require an extra confinement pen above the weigh platform. Without the pen it is hard to keep cattle on and others off for a good reading. Pens around the platform tend to give livestock a place to lean against the sides or back or a place to leave a foot off, leading to poor readings and extra hassle. Even with a good pen it means an extra stop and extra time/stress on the way to the chute.

Our under the working chute scales work great. Convenient and quick for record keeping and weight specific treatments. Adds next to no extra time to get a weight. Our monitor will lock in on a moving animal, works great.

Disadvantages are that the chute is a little higher requiring a step up and that the back gate to the chute must be used to keep other animals off. Also if you are just wanting weights it means a trip through the working chute (that can be good though, sometimes a low stress trip through the chute makes a future one easier). Under working chute weigh bars need to be rated for a lot more weight than the total of the chute + animal because of the shock of cattle hitting the head gate hard (either that or I was sold a load of BS).

Our system has worked great for 15+ years of work. Never any problems with the weigh bars. Had a little trouble with moisture build up causing bad readings. We did have one monitor quit working right (it did not have the lock in feature). Traded that in on one with lock in feature and has been working great with no more trouble.

Purchased ours from Central City scale. Have been very good to work with.


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