Using Livestock Scales for Animal Health

Weight is a critical part of business for ranchers throughout caring for and selling animals. Calculating weights assists ranchers in a variety of ways:

	Quality Livestock Breeding Livestock that grow larger than other cattle can be better for breeding since those genes mean bigger cows that provide a more significant return on the investment. Livestock scales can help ranchers determine what cattle are best suited for breeding, increasing long-term profits. Scales can also help ranchers assess weaning time and the growth of calves, providing accurate measurements to assess an animal at any stage of life.
	Livestock Health Monitoring Livestock scales also help ranchers identify when an animal is rapidly losing weight. This can be an early warning sign for disease, allowing ranchers to help animals before it spreads to the herd. Livestock with diseases or health concerns will likely need medication. Dosages are often estimated for livestock, but with accurate weighing, ranchers can use precise dosages and cut medication costs.
	Planning Livestock Diets For diet management, it can be difficult to tell from appearance if an animal is gaining or losing weight in small amounts. With a livestock scale, ranchers can quickly identify any irregularities. Diets can be adjusted until animals settle at a proper, healthy weight.
	Reducing Livestock Margin Shrink Many ranchers struggle with livestock shrinkage, which is when stressed animals rapidly drop weight. Shrinkage frequently occurs during the stress of transport. This can lead to inaccurate weights, meaning ranchers aren’t paid as much for their livestock. By having a scale on a ranch, livestock can be weighed in a familiar environment, minimizing shrinkage and helping ranchers get paid more.

Livestock Scales for Safe Weighing

Rice Lake Weighing Systems offers Legal for Trade solutions for livestock weighing, including group or single animal weighing, mobile livestock scales and more. No matter the needs of your livestock, Rice Lake has a solution suited to your ranch.