tnfarmboy67
Well-known member
What kind of set up do y'all use to weigh new born calves?
Weighing New Borns
- Thread starter tnfarmboy67
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Backbone Ranch
Well-known member
We have something very similar to this:
https://www.sullivansupply.com/cart/ia/popup.aspx?src=/cart/ia/images/Product/large/572.jpg
Instead of using the metal support rod, we hook the scale to a wooden dowel rod that is about three feet long. It makes weighing the calf easy with two people, but it can be done with one person. We have to calibrate the scale every once in a while, but it isn't very hard.
https://www.sullivansupply.com/cart/ia/popup.aspx?src=/cart/ia/images/Product/large/572.jpg
Instead of using the metal support rod, we hook the scale to a wooden dowel rod that is about three feet long. It makes weighing the calf easy with two people, but it can be done with one person. We have to calibrate the scale every once in a while, but it isn't very hard.
Clearly not an exact weight but we use the Birthweight Hoofometer Tape because it's easy. Haven't used our scale in years.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.htm ... b0d0204ae5
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.htm ... b0d0204ae5
Nesikep
Well-known member
I stand on a scale carrying the calf, and subtract my weight.. works for as accurate as I need to be
tnwalkingred
Well-known member
+1 to what Nesikep said!
KW
KW
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
I also do the same as what Nesikep posted. A bathroom scale attached to apiece of plywood.
Where I used to work, the hanging scale was used, with an attachment for the back of a pick-up truck.
Where I used to work, the hanging scale was used, with an attachment for the back of a pick-up truck.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
The one time we weighed any - as part of a progeny-test breeding trial we did - we used a bathroom scale and a piece of plywood. Stood on the scale holding the calf, then subtracted my weight.
Commercial herd... I've got no need to know birthweights. If they get here alive and get up and nurse, that's all I care about until they cross the scales again when I sell them.
Commercial herd... I've got no need to know birthweights. If they get here alive and get up and nurse, that's all I care about until they cross the scales again when I sell them.
Lucky_P":t50up1ck said:
Ours are also Commercial which is why I'm not too concerned about the exact weight (just for my own records). I have used a bathroom scale but even knowing I was holding a calf, I was traumatized when the numbers shot up so high
Lucky_P
Well-known member
LOL.
That's funny right there. I don't care who you are.
That's funny right there. I don't care who you are.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I live by myself and have a few (a lot) of cranky old cows and have had a few close calls, well been lifted by a cow so am a bit cautious plus now when I lift a calf up if it is over 40kg as I look over the front to see the scales they invariably wriggle and my hands not being what they were I lose my grip and the calf bellows and the cow comes after me so unless it is a heifers calf and obviously in my weight lifting range I wait until the cow has cleaned up and I have them in a calving paddock behind the yards and house and I bring them up to the yards where they are used to being fed and then coax them up into the yards and down the race and weigh them on the big scales and tag them. Even then I have to be very carefull of some of the older cows, they always know I am after their calf. I usually manage to get the weight within the 24 hr period that Breedplan requires. The secret is though to be patient and give them a bit of time for the calf to get mobile and know how to follow the cow.
Ken
Ken
etmountianman71
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I have just started the actual weighing of my calves and found it to be an interesting task for the first few times.
I bought a scale from Tractor Supply that has the hooks for $15 and made the saddle pack out of some canvas with wood rods on top to steady and it really works good with two people and a little harder with one.
Hardest part is the "cow", she does not always want to cooperate when the calf starts bawling.
I bought a scale from Tractor Supply that has the hooks for $15 and made the saddle pack out of some canvas with wood rods on top to steady and it really works good with two people and a little harder with one.
Hardest part is the "cow", she does not always want to cooperate when the calf starts bawling.
creekdrive
Well-known member
We use a hanging scale with the hooks & a sling as well. Took a metal rod and welded a hook to it that makes it much easier to lift them. As others have said - two people is easiest (one to lift and one to read the scale and keep cows away from the lifter) but Blaine can weigh them himself so long as they are under about 85 lbs and the mother isn't too mean. We calve in the pasture so try to weigh shortly after they have been up and sucked - if you wait to long it gets awfully hard to catch the little buggers.
We only weigh the purebred bull calves and the heifers that can be registered. None of the commercials get weighed unless we are really curious about a particular one or its a real slow day and we have some extra time.
One year we weighed all the bull calves with the scale & the hoof tape. Almost all of them were within 5 lbs or less one way or the other, except one sire group, all of his calves were at least 10-15 lbs heavier according to the tape, one calf reading over 20 lbs heavier (the tape read 89 and the actual on the scale was 67 lbs - and we double/triple checked that.
We only weigh the purebred bull calves and the heifers that can be registered. None of the commercials get weighed unless we are really curious about a particular one or its a real slow day and we have some extra time.
One year we weighed all the bull calves with the scale & the hoof tape. Almost all of them were within 5 lbs or less one way or the other, except one sire group, all of his calves were at least 10-15 lbs heavier according to the tape, one calf reading over 20 lbs heavier (the tape read 89 and the actual on the scale was 67 lbs - and we double/triple checked that.
