weighing scales

jomoloney

on the look out for a new lamb scales,

any recommendations?

Conmaicne Mara

Bought one this year of O'Hara engineering in Carlow, they were advertising on DD. Got a digital scales with it, while a good quality clock would possibly be more accurate weighing, having seen how lambs reverse, duck and dive in the crate I'm glad I went with the digital, the clock would be bouncing for ever and a day. Fully galvanised, looks well made to me. It's nothing fancy, doors are manually operated. Cost €500 + €40 for delivery by Langan couriers. Big enough to weigh my hill and crossbred ewes, got no big lowland sheep so can't comment on them.

jomoloney

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Bought one this year of O'Hara engineering in Carlow, they were advertising on DD. Got a digital scales with it, while a good quality clock would possibly be more accurate weighing, having seen how lambs reverse, duck and dive in the crate I'm glad I went with the digital, the clock would be bouncing for ever and a day. Fully galvanised, looks well made to me. It's nothing fancy, doors are manually operated. Cost €500 + €40 for delivery by Langan couriers. Big enough to weigh my hill and crossbred ewes, got no big lowland sheep so can't comment on them.

thanks

that's one of the ones i was thinking of

lowland here but would only be weighing the lambs,

arctictree

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Bought one this year of O'Hara engineering in Carlow, they were advertising on DD. Got a digital scales with it, while a good quality clock would possibly be more accurate weighing, having seen how lambs reverse, duck and dive in the crate I'm glad I went with the digital, the clock would be bouncing for ever and a day. Fully galvanised, looks well made to me. It's nothing fancy, doors are manually operated. Cost €500 + €40 for delivery by Langan couriers. Big enough to weigh my hill and crossbred ewes, got no big lowland sheep so can't comment on them.

I've been looking around for a while for one if these and was thinking of going for this one. Even the second hand ones are expensive and why would someone be selling it? I have lleyns and I doubt if an 80kg - 90kg ewe would fit in it?? But then when do you need to weigh the ewes....

Conmaicne Mara

jomoloney wrote: »

thanks

that's one of the ones i was thinking of

lowland here but would only be weighing the lambs,

Weighed ewes up to 60kg Jo so can't see a problem with lambs.

arctictree wrote: »

I've been looking around for a while for one if these and was thinking of going for this one. Even the second hand ones are expensive and why would someone be selling it? I have lleyns and I doubt if an 80kg - 90kg ewe would fit in it?? But then when do you need to weigh the ewes....

I find it invaluable, I wouldn't sell mine. Maybe people selling are getting out of sheep or upgrading to something with a reader in it, I don't know.

I can't say about the big ewes, sorry. Like I said to Jo, biggest ewe I weighed is 58kg, a cheviot blackface cross. I will weigh the ewes to see what weight are the ones producing the most kg of lamb for me, just idle curiosity. Saw another reason to weigh them before as well but forget it. Oh yes, it's handy to calibrate the dosing gun too.

rancher

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Weighed ewes up to 60kg Jo so can't see a problem with lambs.



I find it invaluable, I wouldn't sell mine. Maybe people selling are getting out of sheep or upgrading to something with a reader in it, I don't know.

I can't say about the big ewes, sorry. Like I said to Jo, biggest ewe I weighed is 58kg, a cheviot blackface cross. I will weigh the ewes to see what weight are the ones producing the most kg of lamb for me, just idle curiosity. Saw another reason to weigh them before as well but forget it. Oh yes, it's handy to calibrate the dosing gun too.

Maybe for the same reason I weighed mine, your ewe lambs are suppose to be 60% of the weight of your mature ewes before you breed them,

Conmaicne Mara

rancher wrote: »

[/B]
Maybe for the same reason I weighed mine, your ewe lambs are suppose to be 60% of the weight of your mature ewes before you breed them,

That wasn't it, I don't breed lambs, but it's another reason in itself. Annoying me now as to what the other thing was, it'll come to me again.

sea12

We have one here years. No brand name. Getting a little battered but otherwise it's ok. Still weighs. Don't know how we worked without one.

Stanley gave a good well made one as well.

AnFeirmeoir

Got the same one as Conmaicne Mara about a month ago. 520 total delivered.
Digital scales move around a bit but still accurate . Invaluable . Some lambs look the same as others but can be 5 kg heavier . It's unbelievable .
It excellent to know what your weight will be in the mart.

Conmaicne Mara

Did you purchase?

jomoloney

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Did you purchase?

presume that's me

nope, things often move slowly here, but happen in the end

won't need it till late april, was half thinking of applying for the grant , but i'll won't bother

that was basically why i asked, thinking about getting the application in

Zoo4m8

jomoloney wrote: »

presume that's me

nope, things often move slowly here, but happen in the end

won't need it till late april, was half thinking of applying for the grant , but i'll won't bother

that was basically why i asked, thinking about getting the application in

You can have mine, won't be too hard on you homemade , a copy of one I used to get a loan of, has worked very well over the years but not needed now and would like to see it get a good home if you fancy a drive to Wicklow..

arctictree

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Bought one this year of O'Hara engineering in Carlow, they were advertising on DD. Got a digital scales with it, while a good quality clock would possibly be more accurate weighing, having seen how lambs reverse, duck and dive in the crate I'm glad I went with the digital, the clock would be bouncing for ever and a day. Fully galvanised, looks well made to me. It's nothing fancy, doors are manually operated. Cost €500 + €40 for delivery by Langan couriers. Big enough to weigh my hill and crossbred ewes, got no big lowland sheep so can't comment on them.

Just bought myself one of these. Can't wait to try it out....

Conmaicne Mara

arctictree wrote: »

Just bought myself one of these. Can't wait to try it out....

I know the feeling, I weighed every animal on the farm just to play with it :pac: Save the ram who wouldn't fit in it with his horns!

Oddly enough I used it to weigh lambs today for the first time this year

One issue with the electronic scales that might catch you out. You should always take the reading eye level with the display, or 11kg can look like 17kg, caught me out on the first lamb today until I checked again!

sea12

arctictree wrote: »

Just bought myself one of these. Can't wait to try it out....

Congrats. U won't know yourself. Invaluable implement.

Digital scales is very accurate but I find it annoying having to remember to reset it before each lamb. Otherwise u have the lamb in and then realise it's the same weight as the last one. Just takes a bit of getting use to

arctictree

Got to weigh the lambs (22 of them) at the weekend.

Scales seems to work OK but some points:

1) Seems to be a slightly different weight (1 or 2 kg) if the lamb is standing on one end or the other? Maybe the scales was on a bit of a hill and that matters?

2) The odd time, the weight takes a long time to settle.

Anyway, otherwise the kit seems good. Very heavy and sturdy.

Lambs ranged from 12Kg (smallest of triplets) to the heaviest single at 23Kg. One set of twins were powering ahead at 21kg each.

Username John

arctictree wrote: »

Got to weigh the lambs (22 of them) at the weekend.

Scales seems to work OK but some points:

1) Seems to be a slightly different weight (1 or 2 kg) if the lamb is standing on one end or the other? Maybe the scales was on a bit of a hill and that matters?

2) The odd time, the weight takes a long time to settle.

Anyway, otherwise the kit seems good. Very heavy and sturdy.

Lambs ranged from 12Kg (smallest of triplets) to the heaviest single at 23Kg. One set of twins were powering ahead at 21kg each.

What age are the lambs Artic?

Cran

arctictree wrote: »

Got to weigh the lambs (22 of them) at the weekend.

Scales seems to work OK but some points:

1) Seems to be a slightly different weight (1 or 2 kg) if the lamb is standing on one end or the other? Maybe the scales was on a bit of a hill and that matters?

2) The odd time, the weight takes a long time to settle.

Anyway, otherwise the kit seems good. Very heavy and sturdy.

Lambs ranged from 12Kg (smallest of triplets) to the heaviest single at 23Kg. One set of twins were powering ahead at 21kg each.

Must have been the weekend for it, weighed mine as well over the week or atleast the Lleyn crosses. Averaged 19kgs at average 40 days of age, ranged from 28kgs 48 days old to 14kg for 29 days old.

Was surprised in the difference between ewes and weather lambs, ewes averaged 17.6kgs while males were average 20kgs...

arctictree

Username John wrote: »

What age are the lambs Artic?

From 30 to 64 Days. That smallest one was one of triplets at 44 Days.

The largest was a massive single and only 38 days old. A llyen/Cheviot cross.

arctictree

Cran wrote: »

Must have been the weekend for it, weighed mine as well over the week or atleast the Lleyn crosses. Averaged 19kgs at average 40 days of age, ranged from 28kgs 48 days old to 14kg for 29 days old.

Was surprised in the difference between ewes and weather lambs, ewes averaged 17.6kgs while males were average 20kgs...

Some good weights there.

Cran

arctictree wrote: »

Some good weights there.

Was totaly shocked tbh. I expected them to be good and looked better than other years but didnt expect them to weigh so well. They are all Lleyn cross mules on grass only, as trying to record replacements. They weren't to far behind my April born pedigree charollais who averaged 22kg weighed same day.

I'm finding these Lleyn crosses to be excellent sheep, last year was first year trying them and no stranglers which I expected compared to the Charollais crosses. I actually lambed down 20 hoggets Lleyn x Mule this April which were only born April last year and reared on grass only, never touched one all lambed unassisted. Finding big difference in the Lleyn crosses to pure Lleyns which not a huge fan off.....

jt65

Cran wrote: »

Was totaly shocked tbh. I expected them to be good and looked better than other years but didnt expect them to weigh so well. They are all Lleyn cross mules on grass only, as trying to record replacements. They weren't to far behind my April born pedigree charollais who averaged 22kg weighed same day.

I'm finding these Lleyn crosses to be excellent sheep, last year was first year trying them and no stranglers which I expected compared to the Charollais crosses. I actually lambed down 20 hoggets Lleyn x Mule this April which were only born April last year and reared on grass only, never touched one all lambed unassisted. Finding big difference in the Lleyn crosses to pure Lleyns which not a huge fan off.....

I presume you mean LLeyn ram and mule ewe ,, bought some pure lleyn myself last year & not over impressed

also bought some mule type inlamb ewes (bred by blue faced leicester ram off texel ewes) they were in lamb to ch & am very happy with the lambs

What ram would you or any other board member ,, recommend to breed replacements off above mentioned (pure Lleyn & the mule )

my first choice would be texel but since the mules are already 50% texel would a suffolk be a better bet ?

Cran

jt65 wrote: »

I presume you mean LLeyn ram and mule ewe ,, bought some pure lleyn myself last year & not over impressed

also bought some mule type inlamb ewes (bred by blue faced leicester ram off texel ewes) they were in lamb to ch & am very happy with the lambs

What ram would you or any other board member ,, recommend to breed replacements off above mentioned (pure Lleyn & the mule )

my first choice would be texel but since the mules are already 50% texel would a suffolk be a better bet ?

Charollais

jt65

Cran wrote: »

Charollais

no thanks, like a fecking eejit tried that once ,, only place for a ch ewe lamb is up the ramp

arctictree

What about this on done deal:

http://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/new-combination-rollover-crate-scale/5694475

Never seen one of these before. Wonder how sturdy it would be.

jt65

arctictree wrote: »

What about this on done deal:

http://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/new-combination-rollover-crate-scale/5694475

Never seen one of these before. Wonder how sturdy it would be.

any thing the stanleys make would be sturdy

george has been in sheep for decades & has put hundreds of hours into developing their engineering business & trying out new designs

their kit may not be the cheapest but it is built to last

sea12

arctictree wrote: »

What about this on done deal:

http://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/new-combination-rollover-crate-scale/5694475

Never seen one of these before. Wonder how sturdy it would be.

Saw it a few weeks ago when I was buying gates off him. It looked very sturdy. Would like to see it in operation though.

Agree with poster below. All their stuff is very well made but can be expensive

J.O. Farmer

jt65 wrote: »

I presume you mean LLeyn ram and mule ewe ,, bought some pure lleyn myself last year & not over impressed

also bought some mule type inlamb ewes (bred by blue faced leicester ram off texel ewes) they were in lamb to ch & am very happy with the lambs

What ram would you or any other board member ,, recommend to breed replacements off above mentioned (pure Lleyn & the mule )

my first choice would be texel but since the mules are already 50% texel would a suffolk be a better bet ?

I think the texel wouldn't be a bad choice actually. The replacements would be 3/4 bred texel but texel ewes can be good ewes if not quite as prolific as you might like. As regards the suffolk you've also to think about the terminal sire you would put on them and he might be suitable. I would prefer not to have any terminal sire breeding in the ewes just to maximise hybrid vigour.

Green farmer

jt65 wrote: »

no thanks, like a fecking eejit tried that once ,, only place for a ch ewe lamb is up the ramp

Have to agree .their breed for the table,make excellent butchers lambs, nothing else. Have a few that I thought mightn't be to bad to keep as replacements, never again. Either no mothering ability or poor milkers. When I fed them nuts they put on muscle rather then milk. A bit flighty as well. However that's just my own experience , others might have had better luck then me.

Robson99

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Bought one this year of O'Hara engineering in Carlow, they were advertising on DD. Got a digital scales with it, while a good quality clock would possibly be more accurate weighing, having seen how lambs reverse, duck and dive in the crate I'm glad I went with the digital, the clock would be bouncing for ever and a day. Fully galvanised, looks well made to me. It's nothing fancy, doors are manually operated. Cost €500 + €40 for delivery by Langan couriers. Big enough to weigh my hill and crossbred ewes, got no big lowland sheep so can't comment on them.

Sorry to drag up and old thread. Going to buy a scales. Anyone have any problems with these scales.? Which is better digital clock or standard clock?

Robson99

Robson99 wrote: »

Sorry to drag up and old thread. Going to buy a scales. Anyone have any problems with these scales.? Which is better digital clock or standard clock?

Anyone ?

razor8

I’m using a digital crane clock now for 4 years & only replaced batteries a few times

roosky

Robson99 wrote: »

Anyone ?

I bought one off o'hara in Carlow, had to get rid of it as waste of time.....they are not properly balanced so when a lamb wend in and stood mostly as one end with his arse against the back door he was 3 kg heavier than if i put him in the other end of the scales.

Bough one of DMD scales in mayo last year and very happy with it...its a weigh cell under the sales rather than a clock.

razor8

roosky wrote: »

I bought one off o'hara in Carlow, had to get rid of it as waste of time.....they are not properly balanced so when a lamb wend in and stood mostly as one end with his arse against the back door he was 3 kg heavier than if i put him in the other end of the scales.

Bough one of DMD scales in mayo last year and very happy with it...its a weigh cell under the sales rather than a clock.

picture?

roosky

razor8 wrote: »

picture?

http://www.dmdlivestockscales.com/digital-sheep-scales.html

razor8

roosky wrote: »

http://www.dmdlivestockscales.com/digital-sheep-scales.html

never heard of them, look a good job, how much are they?

roosky

razor8 wrote: »

never heard of them, look a good job, how much are they?

I got mine last December 12 months, it was a demo model so got it for €700, seems dear now but was sick to the teeth of sending lambs to slaughter and not trusting the scales.

ganmo

razor8 wrote: »

I’m using a digital crane clock now for 4 years & only replaced batteries a few times

How well does that do if the lamb is a bit jumpy

orm0nd

Stanley's from Laois sell the most accurate scales, it is running on bearings

Hard Knocks

razor8 wrote: »

never heard of them, look a good job, how much are they?

Dealt with them on Cattle scales, they’re a family business over in Mayo.
Very good after sales.