Keeping your livestock scales in good condition is essential if you’re a farmer or rancher who relies on accurate animal weights for business. Whether you use your scales for weighing cattle, sheep, or any other livestock, it’s important to maintain the machinery regularly to ensure accuracy and longevity. Individuals who are new to livestock scales or have never performed maintenance before may not know where to start. We’ll share our top tips for maintaining your livestock scales so you can keep them in excellent condition and ensure reliable weight readings for years to come.
Clean Your Scale
Livestock scales can easily accumulate dirt, manure, and other debris. If you don’t clean your scale regularly, this muck can potentially fall into the scale’s active components, resulting in inaccurate readings, malfunctions, or breakdowns.
Start cleaning your scale by removing debris with a stiff-bristled brush, broom, or shovel. Then, you can remove caked-on dirt using a simple cleaning mixture of warm water and livestock-safe detergent. After cleaning your scale, rinse it and allow it to dry fully before the next use.
Store Your Scale Correctly
When you’re not using your scale, you should store it in a cool, dry place, preferably covered by a tarp or blanket to guard it against moisture and pests. The interior of your livestock barn is a reliable storage option. A garage or shed will also work.
Calibrate the Scale Frequently
Your scale readings must be accurate. If your scale produces inaccurate readings, you’ll have difficulty monitoring your livestock’s health, which can lead to sick animals and lost profits down the line.
Calibrating your scale is the key to ensuring it measures weight correctly. You can do this by using calibrated weights to check the accuracy of the scale’s readings. If the readings are off, adjust the scale accordingly.
Maintaining your livestock scales is crucial for efficiently weighing animals. By following these top tips for caring for your livestock scales, you can ensure the scales remain in good working condition.
Maintenance can prevent issues and increase the longevity of your scales, but they can sometimes malfunction or break even with regular care. Fortunately, Prime USA Scales has you covered in the event of a breakdown. We offer professional scale repair and calibration services and new cattle weighing scales to replace ones that are past their prime. Contact us today to inquire about our services, or browse our site to view the scales we have for sale.