How accurate are weight tapes

[A.Lane]

I had a set of twins born Sunday and after we got them gathered up I weighed them using the weight tape that goes around their foot. It said both of them are 100lbs. The heifer is taller and her tendons were contracted for a bit and the bull is short and stocky. I'm sure they both weigh the same but just amazed they were both that big. Momma is doing great but only claimed the bull which I feel is best since the heifer will be headed to town.

I was just wondering how accurate you all feel the weigh tapes are. I didn't want to drag my bathroom scale down to barn so I thought I would ask.

On another note, just wondering if any of you disclaim heifers that are freemartins at the sale barn or just run them through with the rest of the heifers.

Thanks for your input.

April

 

[greybeard]

I've never used the calf tape on the hoof area.
I've used the girth tape before on bigger calves and cows, it's fairly accurate depending on any one person's ability and self honesty to decide
if the animal fits which--thin-moderate-fleshy category. To me, the more mature the animal, the less accurate the tape estimate is.

Dunno if this is the one I have or not, but close enough.
http://www.qcsupply.com/80106-beef-stoc ... -tape.html

 

[snake67]

Some folks swear by them - I think they are crap

Buy one - very cheap and try it - like it keep it - do not like it offer to give it to someone on this board

Then go and buy a real scale if it really matters to you - they are not expensive and last forever if looked after - and you will find a lot of other uses for it as well.

As for your second question - I am straight up all the time when I sell - no matter who or whom I sell to or through - you get the good, the bad and the ugly - even if it means I take a hit

Never hurts to be known as an honest person

Cheers

Bez

 

[Katpau]

I have used a hoof tape a few times. Not enough times to have an opinion on accuracy, but I would not trust it over an actual scale. I did try a girth tape that was marked for calves. For three years, I took both a girth and weighed on a scale. (approximately 150 weights & measurements) I had hoped this would enable me to get weights without having to lift them or run them onto scales. It was highly inaccurate. Weights using the tape were off as much as 20 pounds from the scale. It was usually under the real weight, which makes it popular with those selling breeding animals, because it made their birth weighs appear lower than the really were. I always have a few calves over 100 pounds, but with the tape they seldom measured over 90. The higher the calves actual weight, the more likely the tape would be off. Those heavy calves were not that much bigger around, just much longer. I expect that would also be true on a hoof measurement. I considered measuring length and girth to see if I could come up with a calculation that would be more accurate, but in the end it was just easier to weigh them.

 

[greybeard]

Some folks swear by them - I think they are crap

Buy one - very cheap and try it - like it keep it - do not like it offer to give it to someone on this board


Cheers

Bez

That's why I said "tape estimate".
The girth tapes a fairly close but don't take into account an animal's length or different breeds other than one side being dairy and the other beef. I can guess as close as the tape shows most of the time within the tape's margin of error anyway.
Really not worth mailing one to someone here on the board-you can buy them for around $4 here--dang postage would probably cost that much.

The higher the calves actual weight, the more likely the tape would be off. Those heavy calves were not that much bigger around, just much longe

Katpau, that was experience too on weaning age calves .
I do have a 200# hanging scale with a sling I made for newborns. Picked the scale itself up at a flea market for $30. It ain't much to look at but it is accurate.

 

[Alan]

It should say on the tape or the instructions. I learned here a long time ago, a hoof tape can be + or- 7 pounds. Meaning it could be as much as 14 pounds off. Also one side is for heifers and one side is for bulls. Threw mine out years ago.

 

[randiliana]

OK, I did a test with my herd a few years ago. On an average of 168 calves the average weight was 88.17 lbs for the scale and 86.79 lbs for the weight tape so the literal average was 1.38 lbs lighter on the tape. BUT, there was an average difference +/- of 6.89 lbs , and a max difference of 22 lbs heavier or 15 lbs lighter than the scale. So take that for what it's worth. I would never use one again.

 

[Nesikep]

It won't tell you much more than your eyes can.. If it's a big calf, you know it already, and if its small, you know that too... to be accurate you gotta put them on a scale.. I may not have as good average with my eyes, but in the 70-110 lb range I'm probably never going to be 22 lbs off either.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Twin 100 lb calves?

What breed?

 

[polledbull]

ive never seen twins weigh 100 lbs each ,

 

[torogmc81]

If you want to know a calves real weight, then use a scale!!! Seriously. You can get a decent digital scale at Target or anywhere for 25-35 bucks.

Then, just find yourself a retaining wall block topper, or anything else that is flat, heavy, and concrete based, but just light enough to carry. That way you can easily take yourself and the scale to the location of each individual calf. The slightest bit of manure, hay, or uneven/soft ground will throw most floor scales way off. And using something with a flat face that is heavy still reads accurate on the scale even if it's not on the most level ground in the world. Weighed myself first, says 215, damn, unfortunately its right. Grrrrr

 

[A.Lane]

Thank you all of you for your experiences with weight tapes. Now you really have me wondering so I'm going to get an actual scale to weight them. I know it's four days after the fact but it should still be close.

TT we have huge black angus cows bred to black angus or gelbvieh bulls. Having 100-130 pound calves is nothing new. I was just surprised with twins. It also has been very cold here in South Dakota so that probably added on the pounds.

 

[Nesikep]

Last year my biggest cow had a pair of 110 lb bull calves, 2nd one was malpresented and caught too late (30 hours later), just because I didn't figure there'd be another one in there after seeing the first. He had some damage to him too though, so I'm not even sure if I would have checked right away if the damage had occurred while the first was born. This cow is about 2000 lbs and gets *very* excited about her calves.