Typically, the process of weighing something is quite easy. You place it on the scale, read the measurements, and record them. However, weighing farm animals isn’t quite that simple. They can be stubborn and tend to move around a lot, leading to unnecessary difficulties and inaccuracies. Properly weighing your livestock with a scale certainly isn’t easy, but we’re here to help you find ways to lessen the burden.
Find the Right Scale
The first place to start when ensuring accurate results is with the scale itself. There are many aspects to consider when buying a livestock scale, but the most important is getting one that’s best suited for the types of animals you have.
Unlike people, animals come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some need more space to move, so they’ll need a larger scale, while others are low to the ground and need one that’s easy to step onto. If you buy the wrong kind, it’ll be much more difficult to optimally use.
Place It in a Good Location
Once you have your scale, you need to find a good place for it. Placing it in a central space is a smart choice because you won’t have to inconvenience your livestock in order to use it, but that’s not always going to mean that there will be a good spot in that area.
You need to make sure there’s a large, flat surface for the scale. An uneven surface will result in inaccurate measurements, and a small scale will make it difficult to maneuver your livestock. You should make sure that you can screw it down to the floor so that the scale doesn’t shift or tip over when the animals are on it.
Find Ways To Reduce Stress
The biggest problem with weighing animals is convincing them to get onto the scale. Waiting to get weighed or standing on a large metal scale can lead to stress, which will make them fight against you or even cause shrink loss to occur.
The best way to fix this issue is by being efficient. The less time the livestock has to spend on or near the scale, the less it will bother them. Set up your station in a way that gets them on and off quickly so they don’t have to stay longer than necessary.
Keep the Area Clean
Just like everything else on a farm, your livestock scale will quickly become dirty. Most models have ways to block out a lot of the dust and dirt that can build up over time, but you’ll need to put in the effort to wash it down. This will help ensure accurate results.
It goes further than a layer of dirt, though. Larger objects such as rocks, sticks, or even manure stuck underneath the scale will also skew results. In order to properly weigh your livestock with a scale, you must keep the entire area clean.
