Cowboy Up
Well-known member
My boss has 16 Black Angus cows, and he just recently got a bull. Bill Clark,the man he bought the bull from, said it would be a good idea for him to have a scale, what would be a cheap option for a cattle scale?
Scales
- Thread starter Cowboy Up
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nortexsook
Well-known member
16 cows and he needs a scale? Let me guess, Ol Bill just happened to have one for sale?
Waste of money for such a small operator.
Waste of money for such a small operator.
movin' on
Well-known member
Nortexsook, I would have bet a very large sum of money that you would be the first to reply and that your reply would be exactly as it was.
Cowboy Up, I am sorry that I don't know a whole lot about scales. There are some very helpful people on here that will more than likely chime in and give you some advice.
Cowboy Up, I am sorry that I don't know a whole lot about scales. There are some very helpful people on here that will more than likely chime in and give you some advice.
Frankk
Well-known member
I can tell you, if you find a set of LBS scales cheap don't buy them.
Durham Reds
Active member
I got an electronic scale off an outfit on ebay called BB Scales. It appears to have everything the expensive ones do. They were real helpful about helping me get the electronics set up over the phone.
Our crowd tub and alley are set up on an old concrete apron next to a barn. I built some brackets for the rubber feet under the weigh bars out of some old channel iron with a 1/2 slice of 3" pipe welded to it so the feet fit snug inside. I drilled through the bottom of the squeeze chute and the weigh bars then bolted them together. I used concrete anchors with 1/2 in. bolts to fasten the foot brackets to the apron and set the squeeze with weigh bars attached down on the brackets. It raised the floor of the chute a good six inches, but the cattle go through it fine.
It came with an ABS (plastic) indicator that has the hold feature. I mounted it inside a toolbox I mounted to the barn wall which gives it plenty of protection.
All told, I have less than $700 invested plus a little head scratching and about a half days labor, which sure ain't worth much
A neigbor offered $250 for my old balance beam, which made the deal even better! Hope this helps.
Our crowd tub and alley are set up on an old concrete apron next to a barn. I built some brackets for the rubber feet under the weigh bars out of some old channel iron with a 1/2 slice of 3" pipe welded to it so the feet fit snug inside. I drilled through the bottom of the squeeze chute and the weigh bars then bolted them together. I used concrete anchors with 1/2 in. bolts to fasten the foot brackets to the apron and set the squeeze with weigh bars attached down on the brackets. It raised the floor of the chute a good six inches, but the cattle go through it fine.
It came with an ABS (plastic) indicator that has the hold feature. I mounted it inside a toolbox I mounted to the barn wall which gives it plenty of protection.
All told, I have less than $700 invested plus a little head scratching and about a half days labor, which sure ain't worth much
A neigbor offered $250 for my old balance beam, which made the deal even better! Hope this helps.
I'm not really sure of the reason for this reply but I kind of felt the same way.I'm not sure one would want to spend a bunch of money on a scale thats not really needed for a small herd.That being said all the information giving to this young man is information he'll learn from...thats never a bad thing.movin' on said:
CattleArmy
Well-known member
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Cal
Well-known member
Put one in a trailer and drive to a local elevator and have the rig weighed weighed for $2. Or put several head in and get an average.Cowboy Up said:
Cowboy Up
Well-known member
His cattle are Registered Black Angus, and actually, he has 8 cows, 4 heifers, and 4 young bulls, plus the bull he bought. Bill didnt have one for sale, but he suggested it because they are registered, and it has something to do with that. I also included a link to the ranch's website.
http://www.clarkangus.com/index.html[/url]
http://www.clarkangus.com/index.html[/url]
movin' on
Well-known member
Mrs. Greg, you're right, he wouldn't want to spend a bunch of money on a scale.....that was the whole point of his question the way I read it. He was wanting to know some figures and options when it comes to scales, not whether the rest of us thought he needed one or not. We don't know the circumstances that they are in.....maybe they have a real need for a scale, but understand that, given the numbers of cattle they are dealing with, need to explore their options and keep it as inexpensive as they can. Maybe I'm way off, but that's how I read his post.
There are some folks that specialize in not so much answering people's questions or posts, but trying to prove that the post was in some way wrong or silly or not worth everyone's time. If I ever do that I sure hope somebody calls me on it because a lot of visitors come to this board looking for answers, not condescension.
There are some folks that specialize in not so much answering people's questions or posts, but trying to prove that the post was in some way wrong or silly or not worth everyone's time. If I ever do that I sure hope somebody calls me on it because a lot of visitors come to this board looking for answers, not condescension.
Cowboy Up
Well-known member
I've seen a type of scale before, one of my old friends that did 4-h had it. It was a hanging box, and you would put weights on it to I guess counter-balance it. And by cheap, I mean under $1000 or so, hes already spent $1500-$4500 on a pen and chute system.
leanin' H
Well-known member
What would be the problem with being independent and not wanting to borrow the neighbors stuff? I would think it doesn't matter if he has 10 head or 100, he may want his own equipment and not have to be going somewhere else. It seems like when ya borrow stuff it gets screwed up or broken and ya end up with bad feelings or having to fix something that isn't yours! Buy a scale if it fits your plan and budget or pay to weigh at truck stops ect.. but don't let folks tell ya how to run your outfit :wink:
efb
Well-known member
If he intends to keep them registered and keep his performance information up to date and his EPD's up to date he will need to submit birth, weaning and yearling weights. A good scales will cost a min. of $1,400. The first few years I was in the registered business I found a neighbor where I could get the weights. Weights have to be on each individual. I can see from some of the previous comments some on here don't know what goes into the performance records in the seedstock business.
nortexsook
Well-known member
Look, I know all about performance records. I also know about profit and loss and 8 cows isn't enough to justify the cost. Also, what good are the weights really? If he/she has 8 calves and say 4 are heifers and 4 are bulls what good are the numbers if the the contemporaries is 3? Nothing that is statistically significant can be drawn from that. Oh yeah, I forgot, his/her numbers are added in with every other jake leg operator's numbers from their 4 head and some high accuracy epd numbers are generated from the AAA. How silly of me.
I'll just say this, in my line of work I see how these ranchers/farmers/hobbyists keep their financial records and I really don't imagine that they keep better track of their cattle's performance numbers than they do of their finances, so I patently don't trust the numbers sent in by most operators, especially these 8-10-20 head hobbyists. It's mostly a house of cards. I'd rather rely on a reputable breeder that I trust's ratio's from a statistically significant number of contemporaries within his/her herd than the bogus EPDs produced by the AAA's amalgamation of some good and some bogus numbers.
I'll just say this, in my line of work I see how these ranchers/farmers/hobbyists keep their financial records and I really don't imagine that they keep better track of their cattle's performance numbers than they do of their finances, so I patently don't trust the numbers sent in by most operators, especially these 8-10-20 head hobbyists. It's mostly a house of cards. I'd rather rely on a reputable breeder that I trust's ratio's from a statistically significant number of contemporaries within his/her herd than the bogus EPDs produced by the AAA's amalgamation of some good and some bogus numbers.
leanin' H
Well-known member
Nortexsook has offically banned all producers under 50 head from owning ANY LIVESTOCK SCALES!!!!!! If you currently own a scale, sell it as quick as possible to avoid persecution and execution!!!! Do not buy a scale if you were thinking about doing so. Just thinkin' about it is a jailable offence!!!! What about squeeze chutes or alleyways or panels or wire or horses? And little producers should get rid of saddles and ropes and vaccine and even barn cats are frowned upon!!!! In fact, all small producers really need to sell out, lock, stock and barrell as soon as it is humanly possible or you will have your cattle confiscated by Nortexsook and the Feds. I feel for all you "Little people" who don't "know any better" but you should have checked the regulations before entering into this "Hobby"! There is really NO PLACE for small outfits in this industry and the sooner Nortexsook gets rid of all of you, the better off HE'LL feel about himself. Truly clueless and arrogant if you ask me! BUT HE IS KING!!!!
efb
Well-known member
Well, CowboyUP there you have it. You'er too small to improve your herd. I happen to know Mr. Bill Clark. At one time he was the largest and most respected breeder of Angus in the US. Also the president of that association. To my knowledge he has never been in the scales business. I do agree that larger contemporary groups are more meaningful than small ones. I also know that with my scales and A.I. and EPD's , in the last 8 years I have increased my bull 210 day weaning weights 100 lbs from 550 to 650. I'm satisfied with what I am getting done
and I have calls for way more bulls and heifers than I can supply. I would say to Cowboyup or anyone else, start with the resources you have and set your targets and stay focused. You'd be surprised what you can accomplish.
and I have calls for way more bulls and heifers than I can supply. I would say to Cowboyup or anyone else, start with the resources you have and set your targets and stay focused. You'd be surprised what you can accomplish.
A
Anonymous
Guest
leanin' H said:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :clap: :clap:
Personally nortex- I'm the opposite as I would rather buy bulls and seedstock from the smaller breeder I know- that can tell me the life history of and show me the animal- the dam and the dams grandmother and and knows the animals performance from what they saw- rather than those big outfits that just reduce everything to numbers ....
Just because you got some bad paperwork breeders in Texas- doesn't mean they are all that way....
movin' on
Well-known member
Well, you last three guys have certainly said a mouthful and have made very clear the reason for my first response. Thank you for having the nerve to say what, I guess, I did not have the nerve to!
leanin' h...."barn cats"!!!! That's fantastic!
leanin' h...."barn cats"!!!! That's fantastic!
Now I get it :wink: :wink:movin' on said:Well, you last three guys have certainly said a mouthful and have made very clear the reason for my first response. Thank you for having the nerve to say what, I guess, I did not have the nerve to!