The Importance of Weighing Your Feed

You’ve probably heard it a time or two, but doing the simple things right is the fastest way to reach your goal. A lot of decisions go into what you are going to feed your show animals. So, when you dump that bucket of feed into the pan or trough morning and night, you want to make sure your animals are getting exactly the right amount.

One of the best investments you can make for your barn or feed room is a simple fishing scale. This allows you to weigh each bucket and measure out the correct amount of feed. The reason why we encourage people to stay away from the coffee can or feed scoop method is:

1. Your coffee can or feed scoop might not be the same size as your friends’. When you are consulting back with the breeder of your animal, and you tell him or her you are feeding a scoop of this or two scoops of that, that isn’t giving an accurate picture of what you are feeding.
2. Different grains and supplements weigh different amounts even though the volume might be the same. For example, a scoop of oats vs. a scoop of corn vs. a scoop of cottonseed hulls will be very different weights.

Weighing your feed every day also keeps you consistent. It is easy for you to start to eyeball what you think 15 lbs. looks like, then realize you have only been feeding 13 or 14 lbs. once you weigh your bucket. By taking the extra step to weigh your feed, you’ll ensure your show animals are on the right track for success.