Scale for weighing?

[Bruce]

All too rich for my blood with only the 2 alpacas. I'm wondering if I can find an old used spring scale and build a lifting platform that connects to it. All very early in the thought process, it is just rolling around in my head at this point.

Just did a quick look. Wouldn't even have to be an OLD one - $20 550 pound capacity:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/prod..._campaign=CI&gclid=CJmBguWZr9ECFYpLDQodydMHXw

 

[Southern by choice]

All too rich for my blood with only the 2 alpacas. I'm wondering if I can find an old used spring scale and build a lifting platform that connects to it. All very early in the thought process, it is just rolling around in my head at this point.

Just did a quick look. Wouldn't even have to be an OLD one - $20 550 pound capacity:

I love my walk on scale! I think it is a great price. I actually have a different scale. It is great. We have lots goats and a bajillion dogs. So much easier to walk them on the scale and I always have a weight in case of emergency or treatment etc. I really got it at first to weigh our bucks.. big horns and big goats ... yeah much easier to walk them up on a scale.

I think I had 20 goats at the time we got ours so it worked out as $15 an animal not including the dogs.
With the animals we have now it comes out to about $5 an animal including housedogs. (For the scale we have)

 

[Latestarter]

Yeah... not so sure I'd want to try and get a 200-300 pound buck with horns to cooperate with climbing into a hanging platform to be weighed... However, were I to do so, I'd for sure want someone with video capability recording the event! I guess you could do a "hard sided" platform hanging just above ground level inside some sort of holding frame to keep it from moving in any direction aside from up and down. Using an "umbrella" type rig over top to attach it to the scale then tare out the weight of the whole contraption when weighing animals. But the weight of the contraption might eat up 1/2 the capability of the scale at 500 lbs...

 

[Bruce]

That was more of the idea @Latestarter. For one thing, I can't imagine where I could find a place flat and level enough to put a walkon scale in my barn. Heck I don't even have a level spot anywhere on the property to set the deck on my mower!

I was thinking along the lines of a 'platform' they would walk over in their alley to the outside. It isn't much wider than they are and if I put a gate at the alley end, there isn't much more than an alpaca length to the door opening. Maybe just a piece of 3/4" plywood with ropes at the corners that could be joined over their backs and hooked to the scale. It would have to have block and tackle to lift the whole thing up an inch. I don't need a lot of precision, just a general weight for any medicine that might be needed and based on weight or occasional 'are they maintaining weight' checks.

 

[greybeard]

For small animals, I think something like this should be pretty easy to cobble together;
http://moyfab.com/project/lamb-weigh-crate-2/

Click the image to enlarge

 

[Bruce]

Yep, for those who are handy. I'd have to do it in wood, no welding tools or skills.

And I see no reason not to include a scale if you make a squeeze chute for other purposes.

 

[NH homesteader]

I like that. So glad my DH can weld! Don't need it unless we get bigger goats or we get sheep though! But cool idea.

 

[Southern by choice]

For small animals, I think something like this should be pretty easy to cobble together;
http://moyfab.com/project/lamb-weigh-crate-2/

Click the image to enlarge

LOL way more trouble than that is worth... geezy peazy loading alone.

Many livestock scales are for field use they have adjustments on the feet.
I know my little goats don't want to go in something unless it is their idea.
Most of us with dairy goats don't need chutes. I like being able to also bring our meat goats up and weigh them right in front of the customer- the ones buying for meat... they see the weight and a fair price.

 

[Bruce]

You definitely have a different need and since you are selling you have a way to recover the cost of the scale.

For me, I figure since the only way the alpacas have to get in and out of the barn is through their "alley" any solid surface on the floor will be familiar. They wouldn't have to be "driven" to an unusual place to get weighed and the weighing would be pretty rare. Of course I've not thought long and hard about this nor have I built it. May not work at all.

 

[Southern by choice]

You definitely have a different need and since you are selling you have a way to recover the cost of the scale.

For me, I figure since the only way the alpacas have to get in and out of the barn is through their "alley" any solid surface on the floor will be familiar. They wouldn't have to be "driven" to an unusual place to get weighed and the weighing would be pretty rare. Of course I've not thought long and hard about this nor have I built it. May not work at all.

I think I had 20 goats at the time we got ours so it worked out as $15 an animal not including the dogs.
With the animals we have now it comes out to about $5 an animal including housedogs. (For the scale we have)

Yes, needs are different. Even without the meatgoats we do keep track of gains and always want to know how things are going. Having large dogs and lots of them it is also advantageous.
Don't know if you saw my one post but for us it comes out to a onetime $5 an animal. We spend more than that scale costs in a week on feed alone.