Anybody know how to make a livestock scale?

[boogburr37]

I have some sheep that i need to weigh.. And i need some way to weigh them! I dont have a live stock scale, nor do i want to buy one. I just want to make one.. Any ideas?

 

[AlienChick]

Not sure.
You will need a weigh scale and a cable attached to it so that you can run a display out from it up to where you can read it.
A platform should be easy enough but you want the weights distributed to four corners as well as the center.
Check all the Craigslist ads for folks selling their entire flock since they may have a scale you can pick up for cheap.
You can also pick up parts from the scale manufacturers... if you wanted to BUY... but then it would be easier to just buy the scale. LOL

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have never tried this, but there is an article on Mother Earth News about a DIY livestock scale. I really don't know how well this will work - definately not for full grown sheep. Maybe substitute a wire dog crate for the board would work better. Limited to the max load for the scales (added together). Some bathroom scales max out at 300 pounds, some older ones only go to 250, alot of the newer ones go to 400 pounds, it hsould say on the bottom of the scale its max.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/how-to-build-a-livestock-scale-zmaz83jazshe.aspx#axzz2jnOTzjzH

In a nutshell, take two bathroom scales and place a board on them - one scale under each end of the board.
Read both scales with the empty board on them. Add together to get weight of the board.
Stand the animal on the board and read scales again. Add together, then subtract the weight of the cage.