Weighing a newborn calf

Help Support CattleToday:

Alan":2bam3tj7 said:
I feel like there is a lot of differance between a 89 lb calf and a 99 lb calf. A scale is the only way to get a accurate weight. I was watching something on RFDTV that gave me a new Idea, they used a picking string to tie three legs of the calf then they were able to hang it from a scale, give the shots and tag it without any struggle. I'm looking to mount something from the trailer receiver on my 4 wheeler.

I'm agree with this Mate,

Digital scale is best option for you. A scale only used to check weights and measurements to reach a point of decision.
 
A scale is to weigh things and a tape is to measure things. About 15 years ago we took a bunch of cow's on shares and always have weighed every calf born with a hanging scale so we were doing these share cattle the same as our own. One day the cow's owner said thatwe must have wintered his cows awfully well as the birthweights were running a lot bigger than normal. After some disscusion it was decided to try both methods which we did and sure enough there was a difference. There is a lot of different ways to place the tape and darn sure different ways to measure. We use our bale unroller,place the calf in the sling, hook the hanging scale to the slingand then to the arm on the bale roller,push the button and up goes calf rcord the weight tatoo and tag dehorn[usually with paste] set the calf back down and all done no sweat and most of the muscle used is between our ears. Someone once mentioned if they were within 10-12 lb's that was close enough,B.S. 10 lb's on a newborn is a lot. On the subject of weight and what is big and or small have any of you ever heard it said that a cow should be able to handle a birthweight of about 8% of her weight[1000@8%=80--- but1600@8%=128 has always puzzled me if I had a 16-1700 cow and she had this calf that really did weigh the supposidly 8% I'm darn sure that he would be a heckuva thing to sell.
 

Latest posts

Top