6 Best Pig Weighing Chutes For Reducing Waste On a Homestead Budget

You’ve done the math on your feeder pigs, and the numbers look good. But as the weeks turn into months, that ever-growing feed bill starts to feel less like an investment and more like a leak in your homestead budget. The truth is, guessing a pig’s weight is a fast track to wasting expensive feed. A proper weighing chute turns that guesswork into data, giving you the control to tighten up your costs and improve your outcomes.

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Why Accurate Pig Weights Cut Your Homestead Feed Costs

Feed is your biggest variable cost when raising pigs. Period. Knowing a pig’s exact weight allows you to dial in their rations precisely, which is the single most effective way to manage that cost. Overfeeding by just one pound per day on a couple of pigs adds up to a whole bag of wasted feed every month.

This isn’t just about saving money on feed, either. It’s about efficiency. A pig’s feed conversion ratio—the amount of feed it takes to gain one pound of weight—changes as it grows. Young, growing pigs are incredibly efficient, but that efficiency drops off sharply as they approach market weight. Weighing regularly tells you exactly when they’ve hit that sweet spot for processing, preventing you from pouring expensive feed into an animal that is gaining fat far more slowly.

Accurate weights also serve as a critical health indicator. A pig that isn’t gaining weight—or worse, is losing it—is an early warning sign of illness or parasite load. Catching that a week earlier because you have hard data from your weekly weigh-in can be the difference between a simple intervention and a significant loss.

Tarter’s Steel Chute: Durability for Long-Term Use

When you think of a piece of farm equipment that will outlast you, a heavy-gauge steel chute comes to mind. Tarter is a well-known name in farm equipment, and their steel chutes are built for exactly this kind of longevity. The all-steel construction means you don’t have to worry about rot, warping, or a nervous pig chewing its way out.

The primary benefit here is buy-it-once durability. This isn’t a tool you’ll be replacing in five years. The powder-coated or galvanized finish resists rust, and the solid build can handle the stress of a 250-pound hog pushing against the sides without issue. This ruggedness provides peace of mind and a secure environment for the animal, which often makes the weighing process calmer for everyone involved.

The tradeoff, of course, is weight and cost. A steel chute is heavy, making it a semi-permanent installation rather than something you’d move between pastures on a whim. It also represents a significant upfront investment. However, when you divide that cost over a decade or more of reliable service, the annual expense becomes very reasonable for a serious homesteader.

Behlen Country Squeeze Chute: A Versatile Option

The defining feature of the Behlen Country chute is its squeeze mechanism. This function allows you to narrow the chute’s sides, gently holding the pig in place. For a homesteader often working alone, this is a game-changer. It prevents the pig from turning around and makes for a quicker, more accurate, and far less stressful weighing session.

This chute isn’t just a one-trick pony. Its ability to safely restrain an animal makes it a multi-purpose tool for your homestead. Need to administer a shot, apply a pour-on dewormer, or insert an ear tag? The squeeze chute provides the control you need to perform these tasks safely and efficiently without a second set of hands. This added utility helps justify the price tag.

While incredibly useful, the moving parts of a squeeze mechanism require a bit more maintenance than a simple fixed chute. It’s important to keep the hinges and levers clean and lubricated to ensure smooth operation. The cost is typically in the mid-to-high range, but for those who value versatility and solo-operation capability, it’s an investment that pays dividends in time and safety.

Sioux Steel’s Adjustable Chute for Growing Herds

If you farrow your own pigs or buy weaners to raise to market weight, you know a 40-pound pig and a 240-pound hog require very different handling. Sioux Steel’s adjustable chutes are designed to solve this exact problem. Their key feature is the ability to change the width of the chute, accommodating animals at every stage of growth.

This adjustability is crucial for preventing smaller pigs from turning around inside the chute, a common and frustrating problem that can make getting an accurate weight impossible. By narrowing the chute for your smaller stock, you create a secure channel that guides them onto the scale smoothly. As they grow, you can widen it to ensure they are comfortable and not overly stressed.

This feature makes the chute a long-term asset for a homestead looking to manage a continuous cycle of pigs. Instead of needing different setups for different age groups, one piece of equipment does it all. It’s a practical design that acknowledges the reality of a multi-generational herd on a small-scale farm.

The DIY Plywood Scale Crate: A Budget-Friendly Build

For the homesteader whose budget is stretched thin, a commercial steel chute can feel out of reach. This is where the DIY approach shines. A simple but effective weigh crate can be built from a single sheet of 3/4-inch plywood, some 2x4s, and a box of screws. The design is straightforward: a narrow box with a front and back gate, built to sit on a platform scale or a set of load bars.

The most obvious advantage is the drastically lower cost. If you have basic carpentry skills and some scrap lumber, you can build a functional weigh crate for a fraction of the price of a manufactured one. You also get to customize it perfectly for your needs—the exact length, width, and height for the breed of pigs you raise.

Of course, there are significant tradeoffs. Plywood is not as durable as steel. A determined pig can chew it, and it will eventually degrade if left exposed to the elements. Its lifespan is measured in seasons, not decades. This option represents the classic homestead dilemma: you’re trading your time and future repair work for immediate cost savings.

Sydell Aluminum Chute: Lightweight and Portable Design

The standout feature of a Sydell aluminum chute is its portability. Aluminum offers impressive strength at a fraction of the weight of steel, making these chutes easy for one person to move and reposition. If your operation involves rotational grazing or weighing pigs in multiple locations, this is an enormous advantage.

This lightweight design means you can easily store the chute indoors when not in use, protecting it from the elements and significantly extending its life. It’s perfect for homesteaders who don’t have a permanent, dedicated livestock handling area and need equipment that can be set up and taken down as needed. The smooth, solid aluminum sides also reduce the risk of injury to the animals.

The main consideration with aluminum is the cost. It is typically more expensive than a comparable steel model. While strong, it may also be more susceptible to denting from a sharp impact than heavy-gauge steel. It’s the ideal choice for someone who prioritizes ease of movement and flexible setup over the sheer brute force resistance of a steel unit.

Gallagher W-0 Weigh System for Precision Management

This option shifts the focus from the crate to the technology underneath it. The Gallagher W-0 system consists of a set of load bars and a digital weigh head. These components can be used with any of the chutes mentioned above—from a high-end squeeze chute to your own DIY plywood box. This modular approach lets you invest in precision without being locked into a specific crate.

The power of this system is in the data. A digital scale provides a fast, stable, and highly accurate weight reading in seconds. Many modern weigh heads can connect via Bluetooth to your phone, allowing you to record each pig’s weight and track their growth curves over time. This level of management lets you identify your fastest-growing genetics and make incredibly precise feed adjustments.

This is an investment in information. While the upfront cost is significant, the Gallagher system provides the most accurate data possible, which in turn allows for the most efficient feed management and informed decision-making. For the homesteader serious about optimizing their pork production, pairing these load bars with a simple, effective chute is the ultimate combination of function and precision.

Choosing a Chute: Key Features for Homestead Success

Selecting the right weigh chute isn’t about finding the "best" one, but the one that best fits your specific operation. A homesteader raising two pigs a year in a single pen has vastly different needs than someone managing a small farrow-to-finish herd across multiple pastures. Your decision should be guided by a few key factors.

First, consider your workflow. Will the chute stay in one place, or does it need to be moved? This will immediately point you toward either heavy steel or lightweight aluminum. Second, evaluate the animals you’ll be weighing. If you’re handling pigs from 40 to 250 pounds, an adjustable-width chute will save you countless headaches. For those only raising a uniform batch of feeders, a fixed-width chute is simpler and often cheaper.

Finally, be honest about your budget and your priorities.

• Budget First: A DIY plywood crate is the clear winner for minimizing upfront cost.
• Durability Above All: Heavy-gauge steel like Tarter’s is a lifetime investment.
• Solo Operation: A squeeze chute from a brand like Behlen Country is your best friend.
• Maximum Precision: Combining a simple chute with a digital system like Gallagher’s provides the best data.

By matching the features to your farm’s reality, you can choose a tool that will not only pay for itself in feed savings but will also make your homestead more efficient and profitable for years to come.

Ultimately, a pig weighing chute is a tool of intention. It moves you from reacting to your feed bill to proactively managing it. By investing in the right equipment for your scale and goals, you’re taking a critical step toward a more sustainable, productive, and financially sound homestead.