Animal Management
A set of livestock scales is a significant investment, so finding the best solution to suit your needs and budget is key. We’ve compared the top 3 brands of scales - Tru-Test, Gallagher and Te Pari to help you decide which system best suits your farming operation.
Scale Features to consider
Before comparing scale options, consider these essential features:
-
Individual Animal Notes: The ability to add notes to individual animals such as Breed, Sex, Animal Type, AI dates, pregnancy results, calving complications etc gives you more options to help with animal management such as create reports using this data and also draft by it.
-
Record and manage treatments and traits: Recording what treatments animals have been given gives you the ability to keep track of product usage and manage how often treatments are given. This feature is very useful for recording treatments given to specific animals eg drenching poor performers for example. Some scale systems allow you to record more treatments to an animal than others. This can be restrictive especially when you are dealing with breeding animals that you keep for many years.
-
Animal alerts: Alerts can be applied to individual animals with some scale systems. This is often used to remind staff of withholding periods. In Macrostock an alert can be added automatically to animals in a session of treatments. It’s easy to set-up at the start of the session. See the table below to find out what scale systems can do alerts. Alerts will show up on the Macrostock screen for animals that have alerts set up.
-
Memory Storage: How long you want to store data for and how often you use the scale will affect how much storage you need on your scale system. It could be advantageous to be able to look back at data to compare previous years.
-
Smartphone Compatibility: Some scales allow real-time weight viewing on smartphones via apps, enhancing remote management convenience. Other models allow for downloading of the data after the weigh session has completed. Some scale systems can connect to a mobile app for transferring data to Nait/NLIS systems.
-
Cloud Storage: Access your data from anywhere with an internet connection. Cloud storage provides a good back-up for your data and many scale systems will automatically back-up data when an internet connection is available. Tru-Test, Gallagher and Macrostock scale systems offer cloud storage with subscription.
-
Wifi Connectivity: Simplifies data transfer without the need for cables, improving efficiency during operations.
-
EID Reader Compatibility: Connect an EID reader to your scale indicator for easy recording of electronic tags during weighing, reducing manual entry errors. Simply connect your handheld EID Stick reader or panel reader to your scale system via Bluetooth connection or cable and scan the tags on your cattle or sheep as they are weighed.
-
Auto Drafting and Multi-criteria Drafting: Check if the system supports auto-drafting and multi-criteria options, such as weight groups or specific traits. Many scale systems are only able to draft by 1 set of criteria eg weight groups. So, if you need multi-criteria drafting options then we recommend choosing the Macrostock or Tru-Test XR5000 Scale System. With these systems you can draft by a wide range of multi-criteria options such as weight and mobs, groups, sex or draft by weigh gain per day.
Tru-Test XR5000 scale indicator in use on a Racewell Sheep Handler.
Scale System Features Comparison
Tech Support
When something goes wrong with your scale system it’s important to have a reliable tech support team to help get you going as soon as possible. Te Pari has a fully trained and knowledgeable tech support team that you can call during business hours. There are also online tutorials and instruction manuals that you can use. We have staff in NZ, AU, US and the UK that can help with installation, training and problem solving. The Te Pari Tech Support team can even access your Macrostock account and help sort out any problems remotely, this is something that none of the other major scale brands currently offer.
Contact Te Pari if you want help to choose a livestock scale system that meets your specific operational needs, ensuring it integrates smoothly with your farm management practices.