As we look to the year ahead, many producers are finding themselves debating whether a digital cattle scale is worth the investment. For many, digital cattle scales are steadily becoming an essential tool for livestock management, especially as on-site weighing becomes more important as operations scale up or become more seamless.
If you’re a cattle producer considering investing in your own cattle scale, you’re far from alone. So, how can you decide if a cattle scale is right for you? What benefits does it provide for producers in the Canadian prairies? Join us here at Accurate Scale as we explore several of the most common reasons prairie cattle producers value having a cattle scale on their farm. Let’s dive in, below.
#1: Reduce Shrink Loss
As cattle producers seek ways to improve their herd management strategies, shrink loss remains one of the most significant challenges. Shrink loss refers to the weight loss that occurs when farm animals are transported from one location to another. When animals are loaded into a vehicle and transported for hours at a time, they experience significant stress. As a result, this stress leads to dehydration, gut fill loss, and other stress-related fluid losses. Once cattle reach the lot and are weighed, shrink loss can often account for up to 10% of their pre-transportation weight.
With a digital cattle scale on hand, cattle producers can accurately measure their livestock before transportation and mitigate shrinkage loss.
#2: Avoid Third-Party Fees
Not having a digital cattle scale doesn’t just cost you time; it also impacts your operation’s bottom line. Relying on auction marts, commercial scales, and other third-party weighing services can add up significantly over the growing season. By weighing your cattle on-site, you get to skip the weighing and processing fee every trip.
#3: Have Your Own Legal For Trade Option
Any cattle being sold by weight for commercial purposes must be measured using a Legal for Trade scale. This national certification from Measurement Canada is an integral industry standard. These standards protect both buyers and sellers by ensuring full regulatory compliance.
Having your own legal-for-trade certified digital cattle scale on-site means you have more control over the weighing process. From calmer, less-stressed cattle to avoiding lineups and wasted time at auction or transport sites, these improved conditions are a major benefit of having your own digital cattle scale.
#4: Improve Farm Operation Efficiency
There’s truly no off-season as a cattle producer. Whether your calving or operate a feedlot, the best farms run like a well-oiled machine. With a digital cattle scale, you can remove the guesswork from one of the most crucial tasks on the farm. Fully mobile digital cattle scales, like the MAS-M Mobile Animal Scale, are among the most widely used options. This scale is built on a trailer-style metal frame and allows for seamless weighing of livestock. Cattle and other animals are simply loaded onto the deck with steel-pen sides and are easily transported between pens, enclosures, and pastures.
All of Rice Lake’s digital cattle scales offer comprehensive data tracking from start to finish. For even more end-to-end support, several accessories are also available for enhanced operational comfort. From printers for real-time data logging to comprehensive rate-of-gain software, these digital cattle scale add-ons can bring unparalleled efficiency to your farm.
Make Every Pound Count with Accurate Scale
Alberta’s cattle industry is the largest in all of Canada, supplying beef, dairy, and other products to households worldwide. Make sure that your operation has the right weighing tools behind it with Accurate Scale. Visit our website or contact usdirectly to learn more about our digital cattle scales and take your livestock management to the next level