Lamb/Sheep scales

[liammogs]

Looking for new scales..... Want old fashioned mechanical rather than eletric so whats peoples reviews on whats out there? Like the bateman simple but any others better?

Tia

 

[S J H]

The Morris one looks good but it's dear compared to others. I'd make sure that they have enough room to feel the lamb, our IAE is a PITA to feel the cover on lambs as there's too much in the way.

 

[neilo]

If you don't mind me asking, why would you want a spring balance weigher instead of a simple digital one? You rarely hear of anyone that's moved the other way, that would ever consider going back (I certainly wouldn't).

Pharmweigh make some of the best weigh crates I've seen, being designed so you can handle the lambs in the crate. Maybe not the cheapest as Victor (quite rightly IMO) refuses to compromise on quality. Not sure if he makes them with a Spring balance though.

 

[liammogs]

I want somthing mobile and tough so to speak as it might be used in the feild one day to the shed the next and with mechanical less things to go 'wrong' so to speak

 

[cotswoldcs]

+1 for electronic weigh head. I can weigh up to 600 lambs an hour with our Prattley.You wouldn't be able to that with a manual one! Our 3 way (Manual) drafter has transformed the way we select lambs for slaughter and I would never go back. Even with a smaller flock the price difference for an electronic version is worth considering, especially if you can store/use it indoors.

 

[gatepost]

Alligator weigh pad in bottom of race here, put in back of truck one handed, good weigh head, take it to the pub if you want, why drag a race and a crate about?

 

[neilo]

I want somthing mobile and tough so to speak as it might be used in the feild one day to the shed the next and with mechanical less things to go 'wrong' so to speak

I have an old IAE pig weigher (wouldn't recommend as I have rebuilt the gates after lamb abuse and a job to handle, or even spray mark, lambs inside). I put a Pharmweigh electronic conversion on it and it has been faultless, despite being bounced around on the back of the Prattley, chucked on the tailgate of the truck, and generally abused. I'd think it's probably less prone to damage (take the reader head off) than any Spring balance weigher, and close on a foot lower to fit in a small trailer/pick up. I've had that weigher for close to 20 years, and the conversion for nearly 15, used in a similar fashion to that you describe.

 

[liammogs]

Hmmm maybe a electronic maybe a option then.....i thought they would be more 'fragile' but obviously not! But the only problem i suppose id have is its easy enough for me to use yes but when it comes to the old man....(hes only just learnt how to txt and use a camera on his mobile) maybe another kettle of fish!! Haha or they as simple as turn on and a way to go?

 

[neilo]

Yes, the basic ones are just 'turn on & go'. Much faster than a Spring balance, as it gives you a stable weight within seconds, rather than bouncing around. Lambs usually stand more quietly in it too, as the crate isn't moving up & down.

If you can source one without the head unit, I have an Easiweigh 2/Pharmweigh junior that I was going to put on the classifieds here. I upgraded mine to a Bluetooth one to work with EID on the recent Welsh grant scheme, so old head unit is redundant/spare.

 

[Henarar]

We bought one at a sale for 30 quid

 

[Chapelton]

Go digital - very simple and as neilo says just push the on button and away you go. It transformed our selection accuracy, and we're now much closer to target weight than we used to be.

One thing about crates - make sure the back 'door' is either sliding or scissor action. If it opens out then it does so in the face of the next lamb, which you then need to push back or fight against as there'll be lambs behind it. It's not a massive problem if you don't have too many to do, but it wound me up something rotten!

 

[Tim W]

I have digital scales that sit in the back of my scotpen race---it gets towed 1000's miles a year across fields & up rutted tracks (I am not gentle on equipment, ask any mechanic ). Buy 2 load bars and a weighhead probably not much more expensive than a mechanical scale option and much better
electronic scales are;
1) Lighter and easier to handle
2) Accurate
3) Faster to use
4) Often easy to link to a handheld device to save data on (may be useful in the future?)

 

[Johnny400]

I have an old pig weigh crate with a conversion head on it. It weighs lambs at multiple locations and, sits on the back of the pick up or tied to the Prattley and works fine. Would always take the weigh head off when travelling. Much better than the spring balance that we had before, would never go back

 

[David.]

Agree Neil's comments above, we have a Pharmweigh conversion on an old Bateman crate that has been faultless unless the lambs have nibbled the wires, in which case Victor has been more than obliging in getting it going again.
Could you not perhaps put a weigh pad in a race, last summer we bought a weigh bar set from @Allied Weighing to put in the Scotpen race, and it is far quicker and easier than messing with a separate weigh crate. Way cheaper too.

 

[Beef farmer]

Pratley electronic 3 way draft weigh crush here, lighter and far more accurate than the old spring balance. Would NEVER go back.

 

[Only]

Agree Neil's comments above, we have a Pharmweigh conversion on an old Bateman crate that has been faultless unless the lambs have nibbled the wires, in which case Victor has been more than obliging in getting it going again.
Could you not perhaps put a weigh pad in a race, last summer we bought a weigh bar set from @Allied Weighing to put in the Scotpen race, and it is far quicker and easier than messing with a separate weigh crate. Way cheaper too.

How much for the conversion please

 

[David.]

It was about £400 some years ago.
Allied weigh bars are similar money now, but I fear Pharmweigh conversion now is fair bit more

 

[reverand]

Alligator weigh pad in bottom of race here, put in back of truck one handed, good weigh head, take it to the pub if you want, why drag a race and a crate about?

Just got an alligator. Silly question but can you weigh accurately on a slope with their inbuilt weigher

 

[gatepost]

Just got an alligator. Silly question but can you weigh accurately on a slope with their inbuilt weigher

Don't see why not, usually find somewhere fairly level to set up race, handy bit of kit used it in barn to check weight of feed etc and do all ped lamb birth wts just grab lamb and stand on then deduct yourself, beats buckets and balances.

 

[exmoor dave]

Pratley electronic 3 way draft weigh crush here, lighter and far more accurate than the old spring balance. Would NEVER go back.

@Beef farmer how do you find the prattley auto weigh/draft?
Do the sheep flow well through it or did they take some training?

Any problems?

TIA