mcdowedd
Well-known member
How does everyone weigh new calves?
Weighing Calves
- Thread starter mcdowedd
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coolpop
Well-known member
I just rec'd the calf hoofmeter tape from Valley Vet $5.95 - my calf was born last week on Thur. It claims to have accuracy up to 24 hrs. after birth -- my timeline exceeded that - so I can't say if it's right or not - but seems to be pretty close.
Nebraska Sandhills
Well-known member
have a scales mounted at the top of a 6 1/2 foot lightweight aluminum pipe, it must be 2-3 inches in diameter. Use an old piece of baler belting, bolt a loop on each end of it, then just put it around the middle of your calf, hook the loops onto the hook that comes out of the bottom of the scale, lift it up until the calf is off the ground and read the weight. I can take a picture of it if you are interested in weighing them with scales.
randiliana
Well-known member
We have an old beam scale. It is supposed to weigh up to 600 lbs, but we don't have the extra weights. As it is it goes up to 200 lbs, and we have yet to run into a newborn that big ;-)
Victoria
Well-known member
We have a sling which attaches to a scale which we attach to the bale handler. Put the calf in the sling raise it up and voila!
mcdowedd
Well-known member
Nebraska Sandhills":19zj355d said:
I like to see a pic...thanks!
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
We also use a "sling" that goes under the calf & we have a scale attached to the top 1' of an 8' pole. Poke the pole on the ground & lift. When they are "floating" read the scales.
We've used several different methods....The foot-tape is nice and as someone else stated, I think it gives you a good indication. Supposedly, when you take into account that most hanging scales don't maintain their accuracy after getting thrown around through a calving season, and a lot of people don't bother with calibrating them, the foot-tape would be the most consistent. Have an extra on-hand though, as it's pretty easy to lose when a protective momma is eating your ass. We've also used a pigging string with a hanging scale.....it's fast to put on, and once you've got it on, it makes it easier for tagging, treating the navel, and any shots you need to give.
David
David
Nebraska Sandhills
Well-known member
here is what the top looks like. You want to leave about 6-8 inches on the top so you have somewhere to put your hand to lift it up.
here is what the bottom looks like. It doesn't take very much for it to rest on the ground.
you can probably make a loop like this or have someone make it for you to put on the top of some old baler belting or something like it. The baler belting or whatever you use needs to be probably about 8-10 inches wide.
here's what the whole belt looks like.
hope that kind of gives you an idea. We have used this particular scale for over 25 years. It has weighed atleast 12,000+ calves, and we have maybe recalibrated it twice. We check it ever spring and fall to make sure it is weighing correctly. It is a Hansen 200 lb. scale, a piece of inch aluminum pipe 6 and a half feet tall, and some old baler belting. It may take a little more work to weigh them with a scale, but a weight with a scale is an actual birth weight, more than just a good indication. It all depends on what you are able to do though, some people aren't physically able to lift a scale on every calf--in such cases a tape is better than nothing.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Our set-up is essentially the same, but we have a wooden pole & use canvas for the sling. Works great. We think we have a good eye for weight, but those little buggers can surprise you - one way or the other - real easily.
We used to use bathroom scales with a board to set it on for level spot out in pasture - broke many scales that way, with my hubby weighing 200# + a calf. But it works if you can pick the calf up.
Now in NY everything calves in the barn & we have the hanging method.
We used to use bathroom scales with a board to set it on for level spot out in pasture - broke many scales that way, with my hubby weighing 200# + a calf. But it works if you can pick the calf up.
Now in NY everything calves in the barn & we have the hanging method.
I throw my calves in the back of the "Mule" and use a bungee cord to tie their feet. I then proceed to the chute (with scales underneath) then weigh them and record their number and weight in the scalehead when I tag them.
The scalehead stores them in memory and computes ADG for life.
The scalehead stores them in memory and computes ADG for life.
mcdowedd
Well-known member
Nebraska Sandhills - thanks for the pics...that helps a lot!
Victoria
Well-known member
Nebraska Sandhills":3hm6hcab said:
That's us, which is why we use the bale handler to lift or a pulley system works too.
MikeC":1sb6nfia said:
Thanks. I picked up a nice Gallagher monitor off of ebay a couple months back for next to nothing, now I need to come off the coin for the load bars, those things must be gold-plated. :shock:
cfpinz
