Digital hanging scale that can be read from above?

[GoWyo]

We are carrying our scale and our other supplies into some difficult to access locations, so I don't want to haul anything more then the minimum. Our digital scale and the rod it hangs from are pretty small and light. The rod is only about 18 inches long weighing a few ounces. The sling is the heaviest part of the whole thing and weighs about 2 pounds. Lifting the calve is really not too much of a challenge. I just wish that it was readable when looking down at it, but for some reason they are designed to be read from below, so I need to duck down to read it. I don't know why none are designed to be read from up above. Those electronic numbers fade and become invisible if viewed from above. It is a pain to have to either lift the calves feet way up off the ground to read the scale, or for one person to duck down to read it.

Can you turn the scale upside down? If it has hooks at both ends might work?

 

[Katpau]

M Magis,
That looks great, but you are correct. 100 pounds might not cover every calf. We don't have too many over 100 pounds, but some years we have a few out of certain cows.

 

[Katpau]

Can you turn the scale upside down? If it has hooks at both ends might work?

I tried that. The numbers are upside down, and my brain can't translate fast enough.
I ordered a new scale yesterday that looks like it might work. I will post results when it arrives.

 

[birdog]

Someone needs to develop a remote head with Bluetooth connection or a cellphone connection

 

[Katpau]

The one I ordered works great. I can easily see it from every angle. It has a rechargeable battery too.

 

[W.B.]

Most here use a calf carrier with a load cell hooked to a hitch on back of atv or utv. A little speedy but seems accuracy is kind of important when keeping bull calves for calving ease use.

 

[Katpau]

Something like that would be great, but very few calve in a location that is accessible to the ATV.

They are out on about 60 acres. It is steep and brushy, so we drive to various locations and hike around carrying walkie-talkie's looking in all of the flat spots until one of us locates her. One or both of us return to the ATV for the supplies. If it looks like they are going to take off, one of us will remain with the pair and slip a halter on the calf. We may be able to drive a bit closer, but ultimately it usually results in a hike into the location carrying a flake of hay, iodine, tag and tagger, and the scale and sling.

We have calved in this pasture for years because the hills give the cattle plenty of safe & dry spots to calve, and the feed barn is in this pasture. It rains here all winter, so mud would be an issue if we tried to calve in a more confined location. The cows like their privacy and I want them to be comfortable when they calve, so it is worth the extra work finding them. We have learned all of the spots they choose for calving and as a result we are covering a large area, but the number of spots suitable for calving are somewhat limited and we have never failed to find them.

 

[Randi]

Have you checked the hoof tape vs an actual scale?

I have and in some cases it was off up to 20%. If you want an accurate number for your records and future breeding then up to 20% error is a lot.

I have compared the weight tape to an actual scale 2 different calf crops, several years apart. The average it was out was 7 lbs. The max the tape was out was by 31 lbs. The actual BW of the calf was 109 lbs and the Taped BW was 78 lbs. Fifty out of 170 were out by 10 lbs or more.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

The actual BW of the calf was 109 lbs and the Taped BW was 78 lbs. Fifty out of 170 were out by 10 lbs or more.

109 vs 78 is over 28% error.....

As I said if 20+% error is accurate enough then your good.

 

[Randi]

109 vs 78 is over 28% error.....

As I said if 20+% error is accurate enough then your good.

I'd run far away if I found a seedstock breeder was using a tape to do their weighing.