6 Best Feed Scales For Cattle That Prevent Feed Waste

That pile of leftover feed in the bunk isn’t just waste; it’s cash. Every time you "eyeball" a scoop or estimate a bucket’s weight, you’re either shorting an animal on nutrition or throwing away expensive grain. For a small farm, where every dollar and every minute counts, controlling feed cost is one of the most powerful levers you can pull for profitability.

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Why Precise Feed Rations Reduce Waste and Cost

Weighing feed isn’t about micromanagement. It’s about taking control of your single largest variable expense. When you feed by volume—using a "full" scoop or a "heaping" bucket—you’re guessing, and guesses are rarely consistent. A scoop of dense, pelleted feed can weigh twice as much as a fluffy, high-fiber mix.

This inconsistency leads to two problems. First, you’re almost certainly overfeeding, and that wasted feed goes straight to the bottom line. Second, you create nutritional imbalances. The boss cow gets more than she needs, while the timid heifer at the end of the bunk gets shorted, leading to uneven growth rates and potential health issues.

A simple scale transforms your feeding routine from an art into a science. You know exactly what’s going out, which means you can accurately track consumption, calculate cost per head, and make informed decisions about your rations. It’s the difference between managing your herd and just hoping for the best.

Tru-Test EziWeigh7i for Data-Rich Feed Management

If you’re the kind of farmer who keeps detailed records, the Tru-Test EziWeigh7i is your tool. This isn’t just a scale; it’s an information hub. It’s designed to work with Electronic ID (EID) readers, allowing you to track the feed intake and weight gain of individual animals. Think of it as performance tracking for your herd.

The EziWeigh7i stores data for each animal, which you can then download via Bluetooth to your computer. This lets you see which animals are efficient converters of feed to gain and which ones are lagging. For anyone raising breeding stock or finishing cattle to a specific target, this data is invaluable. You can identify your best genetics and cull underperformers based on hard numbers, not just a gut feeling.

The tradeoff, of course, is complexity and cost. This is not a simple "turn it on and weigh" device. But if you’re ready to move beyond herd-level management and start optimizing on an animal-by-animal basis, the investment can pay for itself quickly through improved efficiency and better breeding decisions.

Gallagher W-0 Weigh Scale: Rugged and Simple

Some days, you just need a number. You don’t need Bluetooth, you don’t need memory banks, you just need an accurate weight, right now. That’s where the Gallagher W-0 shines. It’s a tough, no-frills weigh scale indicator built for the realities of farm life—mud, rain, and the occasional bump from a curious cow.

The W-0 is incredibly easy to use. The large, backlit screen is easy to read in a dim barn or bright sunlight, and the controls are intuitive. It’s designed to connect to load bars under a platform or chute, giving you a quick, stable weight without any fuss. It does one job, and it does it exceptionally well.

This scale is for the farmer who values reliability and simplicity over data features. It’s a workhorse. You can use it to weigh out your daily feed rations into a cart, check the weight of a hay bale, or get a quick weight on an animal in a squeeze chute. It’s the perfect balance of modern accuracy and old-school durability.

Digi-Star EZ2500V for Total Mixed Ration Control

If you’re mixing your own feed, a scale isn’t just helpful; it’s essential. The Digi-Star EZ2500V is an indicator designed specifically for feed mixers and grinders. It ensures that your Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is the exact same recipe every single time. This consistency is critical for herd health and performance.

Instead of measuring ingredients by the scoop, you add them by weight. The EZ2500V lets you zero out the scale after adding each component, so you hit your target weights for corn, protein, and minerals with precision. This eliminates the risk of cattle sorting through the feed to pick out the tastiest bits, ensuring every animal gets a balanced bite.

This isn’t a standalone scale for weighing a bucket. It’s the brain for your TMR wagon or stationary mixer. For a small operation that has graduated to mixing custom rations, this kind of precision tool is a game-changer. It prevents costly mixing errors and ensures your carefully formulated diet is actually what the animals are consuming.

Rice Lake RoughDeck HP: A Durable Platform Scale

Sometimes you need to weigh more than a bucket of feed. The Rice Lake RoughDeck HP is a heavy-duty platform scale that becomes a central utility on the farm. Its rugged steel construction means you can roll a fully loaded wheelbarrow, a feed cart, or even a pallet of feed bags onto it without a second thought.

The versatility is its greatest strength. One minute you’re weighing out 200 pounds of grain for the herd, and the next you’re weighing a calf in a small crate to check its rate of gain. Because it’s a stationary platform, it provides a very stable and accurate reading for large, bulky items that are impossible to weigh with a hanging scale.

This is a foundational piece of equipment. While the initial investment is higher than a portable scale, its multi-purpose nature makes it incredibly valuable. It’s for the farm that needs a reliable, high-capacity solution for a variety of weighing tasks, from feed management to inventory control.

Brecknell 405 Hanging Scale for Portable Weighing

For the farmer with just a handful of animals, a big platform scale is overkill. The Brecknell 405 hanging scale is an affordable, portable, and surprisingly accurate solution. You simply hang a feed bucket from the hook, and you get an instant digital reading. It’s the easiest way to graduate from guessing to measuring.

This type of scale is perfect for ensuring each animal gets its specific ration. You can weigh out individual buckets for stalled animals or for those with different nutritional needs, like a lactating cow versus a dry cow. It’s lightweight and battery-powered, so you can take it right to the feed bin and use it on the spot.

The main limitation is capacity. You’re not going to weigh a whole cart of feed with it. But for precise, small-batch weighing, it’s unbeatable for the price. It represents the lowest barrier to entry for accurate feed management.

Scale-Tec POINT Indicator for Basic Feed Accuracy

The Scale-Tec POINT is the essence of simplicity. It’s not a complete scale system, but rather a robust, straightforward indicator that you can pair with load cells on a mixer, a feed cart, or a custom-built platform. It gives you the one thing you need most: a big, bright, accurate number.

There are no complicated menus or data features. It has a tare button to zero out the weight of your container and a simple on/off switch. That’s it. This makes it ideal for upgrading an old, non-digital mixer wagon or for a DIY project where you just need a reliable brain for your load cells.

This indicator is for the practical farmer who wants digital accuracy without paying for features they’ll never use. It’s a testament to the idea that sometimes, the best tool is the simplest one. It provides the core function of weighing without any of the fluff.

Choosing the Right Scale for Your Farm’s Needs

The "best" scale is the one that fits your operation, your budget, and your goals. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Before you buy, ask yourself a few key questions:

• What is my primary task? Are you weighing individual buckets (hanging scale), mixing large TMR batches (Digi-Star), or need a versatile workhorse (platform scale)?
• How much data do I need? If you just need a weight, a simple indicator like the Gallagher W-0 or Scale-Tec POINT is perfect. If you want to track individual animal performance, the Tru-Test EziWeigh7i is the clear choice.
• What is my herd size? A hanging scale is great for 2-5 animals. For 20 or more, a platform or mixer-mounted scale will save you a massive amount of time.
• What is my budget? You can start with a sub-$100 hanging scale and see immediate benefits. A full platform or TMR system is a larger investment but offers greater efficiency for larger operations.

Don’t get sold on features you won’t use. Start with the simplest tool that solves your biggest problem. For most, that problem is the inconsistency of "eyeballing" feed. Any of these scales will solve that, but the right one will feel like a natural extension of your farm’s workflow.

Ultimately, a scale is an investment in information. It replaces guesswork with certainty, allowing you to make smarter, more profitable decisions every single day. By controlling your feed, you take control of your herd’s health, your farm’s efficiency, and your bottom line.