How to weigh newborns?

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I was curious how others weigh their newborns. Many, many years ago, we would lay down a small piece of plywood and set a bathroom scale down, hubby would pick up calf.
This is how we have done it for maybe 30+ years.

 

[Silver]

We used the same scale, but rather than using a sling I used a short OB chain on one front and one rear leg kitty corner from each other.
We don't register cattle anymore now so I only weigh the odd exceptionally heavy calf born in the "hospital" end of the barn where there is a pulley in the ceiling. This just to make sure my story is straight when I'm telling about it later lol. I think I weighed one last year.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Other than for purebred registration I would consider weighing a new born calf an unnecessary risk and a waste of time.

 

[SBMF 2015]

We don't register, so I have used a calf foot weigh tape several years. not as accurate as a scale, but close enough for us.

 

[TCRanch]

I tried the bathroom scale and was traumatized when the number shot dangerously close to a deuce. Plus, I have no business picking up a calf that big in the first place. One 'n done, I'm out! And bought the Birthweight Hoofometer Tape. I also don't weigh unless it's exceptionally large or small.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

We register our cattle.
(Except for steers)
So we just pick them up and walk in the squeeze chute. Then subtract the weight after we got the calf out.

 

[coachg]

I was curious how others weigh their newborns. Many, many years ago, we would lay down a small piece of plywood and set a bathroom scale down, hubby would pick up calf.
This is how we have done it for maybe 30+ years.

That's how we did it !

 

[Redgully]

I have a jig with scales as in op photo but because i have so few i have some wood and scales and drive out to calf and weigh in the paddock. I'm getting good at guessing weights. I sit between 35-45kg (75-100pounds) couple of years ago i had a calf that was solid as a brick, the cows eyes watered delivering him so knew he was big, the back creaked as i lifted him so more of a clue he was heavy, my guess 50kg. Came in at 58kg (128pounds), that cost him his nuts.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We band every bull 100+

 

[wbvs58]

I get them in to a small 2 acre paddock to calve which is adjacent to the yards and once the cow has dealt with the afterbirth I get them up to the yards and run them through the weigh box. I have a set of bathroom scales and a bit of ply that I use occaisionally but I eyeball the calf first and if it looks to be in the 30 something kilos I might try and do it in the paddock but 40 kg would be my absolute upper limit these days. I can lift them OK but gripping onto them is tough on me.

Ken

 

[Katpau]

We use a digital scale and a sling. It is done out in the pasture, wherever they're born, so we manually lift and hold. We put a rod, long enough for us both to grasp, through the top of the scale and my husband and I lift together. That way we are usually lifting less than 50 pounds each. It is my job to read the weight once the feet are off the ground. Often I must change position for a better angle to read the scale. That may put more weight on him, and can earn me some negative comments on my speed, with the big calves.

 

[gizmom]

We use a digital scale and a sling. It is done out in the pasture, wherever they're born, so we manually lift and hold. We put a rod, long enough for us both to grasp, through the top of the scale and my husband and I lift together. That way we are usually lifting less than 50 pounds each. It is my job to read the weight once the feet are off the ground. Often I must change position for a better angle to read the scale. That may put more weight on him, and can earn me some negative comments on my speed, with the big calves.

That is the way we did it before both of our backs went kaput. Mike does 90% of the weighing and tagging now but his back is not what it once was either, although he is strong enough to still do it that way. a Number of years ago we had a calf catcher built that hooks up to a four wheeler. It wouldn't work for a lot of folks who have rough ground or a lot of trees we don't have much of either so it works great. The best part besides not having to worry about a cow working you over trying to keep you away from her newborn is the weigh set up we put a boat winch in so we put the sling on hook the sling onto the calf the sling to the scale but the scale is hooked to the wench so you just crank it up until the feet are off the ground then get your weight. Getting old tends to make you very creative

 

[Dubcharo]

 

[TwoByrdsMG]

We have a similar sling. If the calf is too big for me to pick up and put it on that sling then its too big to stay a bull. We have had a clubby 94.8 lb heifer and a 76.1 lb bull calf so far. We do register but I also want to know who is loosing the gonads. Banded two 100+ lb bull calves so far using this scale for the weight.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Same here. Over 100# - banded immediately.