(cheap) scales set-up?

[pdubdo]

Bought a scales kit off amazon for $170 and built a wooden platform for it. Good news is it's accurate and crazy cheap compared to traditional scales. Bad news is that it has to be on a flat surface to work. My baseline plan is to pour a 3" thick concrete pad in the alleyway leading up to my headgate. Anyone have a better idea? My working pens are pretty bare-bones in the middle of my pasture. I didn't really want slippery concrete issues, but might be price I pay for buying cheap scales.

 

[bird dog]

Set the load cells on cross ties buried where only a couple inches are showing above the dirt line. I guess you know your platform will have to support the full weight of the animal without binding on the sides or bowing and touching the ground don't you?

 

[pdubdo]

That's a good option to consider-thanks. And it's mostly for weaning weights. We have put 600 pounds of people on it so far and it weighs accurately. I'm sure I will try it on one of my 1300 lb mommas though and we'll see what happens!

 

[dvcochran]

Can you provide a link to the scales you purchased? I am interested.

 

[Lucky]

Can you pour 4 12" piers 3 to four feet deep? Might be easier than pouring a slab that might break or move. Be prepared for the calves to stomp around and be pretty hard on the platform. I have a set on a squeeze chute and it's not as easy to weigh calves as you would think. Cows and bulls are easy enough but calves seem to stomp and cause a fuzz. I'm guessing it's because they aren't in the routine of going through the alley and chute

 

[pdubdo]

Can you pour 4 12" piers 3 to four feet deep? Might be easier than pouring a slab that might break or move. Be prepared for the calves to stomp around and be pretty hard on the platform. I have a set on a squeeze chute and it's not as easy to weigh calves as you would think. Cows and bulls are easy enough but calves seem to stomp and cause a fuzz. I'm guessing it's because they aren't in the routine of going through the alley and chute

I thought about this, but not sure if over time, cows will trample down the soil around it and I'll be left with 4 small posts sticking up out of the ground...

 

[pdubdo]

Can you provide a link to the scales you purchased? I am interested.

Amazon.com

Just be aware: I haven't used it yet to actually weigh my cows! I'll post a review after this next weekend.

 

[pricefarm]

I bought a set of those about 4 years ago. Worked good for a couple years. Now I can't get them to calibrate right. Every time you weigh something it's a different weight.

 

[lucky7chief]

I put this scale under a stull feeder on our Mule 3 years ago. We've been happy with it.

 

[sstterry]

I bought a set of those about 4 years ago. Worked good for a couple years. Now I can't get them to calibrate right. Every time you weigh something it's a different weight.

It sounds like the scales in my bathroom. They never weigh the same, they are always going up.

 

[dvcochran]

Amazon.com

Just be aware: I haven't used it yet to actually weigh my cows! I'll post a review after this next weekend.

Thanks for the link. I would love to see your plate setup on top of the scale. Always looking for better ideas.