What to Consider When Purchasing a Livestock Scale
Weighing livestock is essential for ranchers, and there are many different scales to suit application needs. Whether you are selling hogs, cattle or other livestock, it’s hard to identify what scale is the right choice. Here are some common features to consider when deciding on the proper scale.
1. Margin of Shrink
Selling livestock means dealing with shrinkage. Animals can rapidly lose weight during transport or stressful situations. Ranchers have to consider factors such as distance and weather, and even then, shrinkage occurs at a 7-8% rate when livestock is transported to an offsite scale.
For ranchers selling livestock, the ability to bring scales to livestock and reduce shrinkage can make a huge difference in profits.
2. Mobile Livestock Scales
Ranchers can choose from mobile, portable or stationary scales. Depending on application needs, any of these scales could be right for you.
A mobile livestock scale is designed with wheels so it can be transported to livestock by simply attaching it to a vehicle hitch. Portable livestock scales don’t have wheels but can be loaded on a trailer for transport. Lastly, stationary livestock scales are usually permanently installed on a concrete platform for weighing animals at a central location.
