Whether you are a farmer, rancher, feedlot owner or a sheep or hog farm owner, having a reliable livestock scale on the property is a very helpful piece of equipment. This is particularly true if you are close to Dallas, TX and what to be able to closely monitor growth, feed conversion or other factors with your livestock.
Agribusiness, livestock shows, research facilities, abattoirs and packing plants will also need both large platform scales for weighing rail grade as well as chute types of livestock scales for individual sales.
If you are in the market for a specialized or all-purpose type of livestock scale, there are a few important questions to answer before you start shopping for scales in the Dallas, TX and Fort Worth areas.
Stationary or Portable
There are pros and cons to both a stationary and a portable scale. For most operations where it is easier to bring the scale to the animals a portable scale is a simple solution. For areas where animals are brought to be weighed or when the scale is in continual use, stationary scales are more durable and offer less maintenance as they can be covered and kept out of the elements.
Size of Animals
For cattle, most general livestock scales will work, and the same is true if you are weighing horses. However, some cattle breeds such as Brahmas or if you happen to raise Longhorns, the size of the cattle or their physical attributes have to be considered.
Sheep, goats, and hogs tend to require a smaller scale with additional railing on the sides of the chute. Some scales are sold as utility types of livestock scales and may have structural differences that make them a good choice for both smaller and large livestock.