Animal Scales – How do farmers and veterinarians keep track of their animals’ weights? They use dedicated large animal scales. But how do they work? Read to learn more.

Animal Scales help you to know how much medicine you give a foal? Or – how much can you charge for that steer? Or how many bags of feed do you need to buy?

Veterinarians and farmers know the answer to these questions. It all depends on weight. How much an animal weighs determines medical treatment, diet, and value.

Animals like rabbits are easy to pick up and weigh, but how can you effectively weigh larger animals like cattle or horses?

Keep reading to find out more about animal scales and how they are used.

Calculate the Weight

Farmers and ranchers without access to a large animal scale must calculate weight by measuring. Measuring livestock can be a difficult process. This method can easily result in weight inaccuracies.

Weighing with a dedicated scale ensures accuracy. Weighing saves the time and hassle of trying to measure moving four-legged friends.

Pet Patients and Farm Friends

Veterinarians need to know their pet patients’ weight. However, their furry friends aren’t always the most cooperative.

Farmers and ranchers need their livestock’s weight as well. Weight is an indicator of cattle health. The weight of an animal determines its price in some auctions as well.

Farmers also need to measure their feed. Traditional scales won’t hold the amount of feed they need to measure.

Vets can use different sized platform scales to weigh their patients. Here is a closer look at how these animal scales work.

Step Right On the Animal Scales from Weigh-More Systems

Large animal scales come in different varieties. Most of them are able to handle a wide range of weights.

These scales have a platform that sits on the ground. A digital indicator can be mounted on the wall or carried with the unit. An indicator has a digital screen and control buttons.

These platforms can be placed on the floor or table of a vet’s office. Farmers and ranchers can build livestock scales into a pen. A pen prevents livestock from wandering off the scale.

Four-legged friends can stand or sit on the scale platform. The scale displays their weight on the indicator.

Weighing Your Options

Animal scales come with different features and options. Here are some important things to consider when buying veterinary scales and livestock scales.

Materials

Animal scale platforms are made of metal or plastic/rubber material. Plastic/rubber platforms may offer better traction. They can also collect bacteria and are more difficult to keep clean.

Platforms made of sheet metal are less expensive. Sheet metal is less durable and easily damaged. Stainless steel platforms are durable and easily cleaned.

Many stainless steel animal scales come with a rubber mat. These mats can be removed and cleaned between messes.

Portable or Stationary Animal Scales?

Weighing animals might involve moving to different locations. Farmers and ranchers want accurate weights when going to auction. Large animal veterinarians might need to take scales on house calls.

Some portable scales have the indicator mounted on a bar. They have wheels on the bottom and can be pushed around like a dolly. Others have handles and wheels attached to the platform.

Sometimes it makes more sense to keep animal scales in one place. In these cases, you can mount the indicator to a nearby wall. Mounting the indicator keeps the controls at an easy-to-use level.

Stationary scales are ideal for veterinary offices and barns.

Feet Firmly Planted

Scale platform materials vary, but they should all have one thing in common. They shouldn’t move.

Moving platforms make animals feel unstable. Creatures big and small will try to escape an unsteady platform. Weighing animals who are in escape mode makes everyone’s job more difficult.

A stationary platform should also be as close to the ground as possible. The less your furry friends need to step up, the more secure they will feel.

Level With Them

Animal weighing doesn’t always take place in an exam room. Sometimes scales are used on uneven ground. Thankfully, most animal scales come equipped with adjustable feet.

These feet should twist up or down. Each foot twists independent of the others, making it adjustable to uneven ground.

Clean Up on Aisle Five!

Animals aren’t known for their cleanliness. Veterinary and farm animal scales should be able to hold up to these messes. Animal scales should be able to withstand solid and liquid messes.

Scales need to be thoroughly sanitizable as well. Removable traction mats make cleaning up much easier.

User Friendly

Veterinarians and farmers have a lot to do each day. These tasks shouldn’t be complicated by confusing gadgets.

Scale indicators should be easy to read. They should have essential functions, like zeroing out. They should also be user-friendly.

Too many buttons can make the weighing process more complicated. Small digital windows or blurry numbers pose the same problem.

Backlit indicator windows and simple button models are the easiest to use.

Different Units

Animals aren’t always measured in the same units. If farmers are using scales for animals and feed, they need to be able to change units on their scale.

Selecting animal scales with measurement conversions makes this job easy. Pounds, Kilograms, ounces, and grams are the most common units of measurement.

Animal Scales for Everyone

Animal scales are used in offices, ranches, farms, and auctions. Weighing animals is important to their medical care. It’s also important to monitor animals’ health and feeding by weighing them.

Animal scales come in different sizes. They can be mobile or stationary. Animal scales should provide a non-moving surface that is easily cleaned.

Easy-to-read indicators and user-friendly buttons are a must for busy farmers and vets.

Where to Find the Best Animal Scales

At Weigh More Solutions, we can find the best animal scale for your farm or veterinary practice. Our durable products are high quality and user-friendly.

Give us a call 24/7 at 1 300 366 131, send us an email at info@weigh-more.com.au, or stop by unit 9/160 Hartley Road, Smeaton Grange, NSW 2567. We’d love to help you find the right animal scale today.