USDA 

=m 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Marketing and 

Regulatory 

Programs 

Instructions for 

Weighing Livestock 

Grain Inspection, 

Packers and 

Stockyards 

Administration Scales and Weighing 

Memorandum No. 3 
Slightly Revised March 1996 
Instructions for Weighing Livestock 

Scales and Weighing Memorandum No. 3 

Forward 

Regulations (9 CFR 201. 73) issued under authority 

of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, as 

amended and supplemented (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), 

require that persons weighing livestock for purposes 

of purchase or sale under the Act shall perform their 

duties in accordance with official instructions. 

Regulations (9 CFR 201.73-I; 61 F.R. 36282) 

containing the official instructions is set forth below. 

5 201.73 Scale Operators to be Qualified 

Stockyard owners, market agencies, dealers, 

packers and live poultry dealers shall employ 

qualified persons to operate scales for weighing 

livestock, livestock carcasses or live poultry for the 

purpose of purchase, sale, acquisition or settlement, 

and they shall require such employees to operate the 

scales in accordance with the regulations. 

5 201.73 -1 Instructions for Weighing Livestock 

Stockyard operators, market agencies, dealers, and 

packers who operate scales on which livestock is 

weighed in purchase or sales transactions are 

responsible for the accurate weighing of such 

livestock. They shall supply copies of the instructions 

in this section to all persons who perform weighing 

operations for them and direct such persons to 

familiarize themselves with the instructions and to 

comply with them at all times. This section shall also 

apply to any additional weighers who are employed at 

any time. Weighers must acknowledge their receipt 

of these instructions and agree to comply with them, 

by signing in duplicate, P&SP Form 215 provided by 

the Packers and Stockyards Program. (A facsimile 

copy of this form appears at the end of this section.) 

One copy of the form is to be filed with a regional 

office of the Packers and Stockyards Program and 

the other retained by the agency employing the 

weighers. 

(a) Balancing the empty scale. (1) The empty 

scale shall be balanced each day before weighing 

begins, and maintained in correct balance [when] 

weighing operations continue. The zero balance shall 

be verified at intervals of not more than 15 drafts or 

15 minutes, whichever is completed first. In addition, 

the zero balance of the scale shall be verified 

whenever a weigher resumes weighing duties after 

an absence from the scale and also whenever a load 

exceeding half the scale capacity or 10,000 pounds 

(whichever is less) has been weighed and is followed 

by a load of less than 1,000 pounds, verification to 

occur before the weighing of the load of less than 

1,000 pounds. 

(2) The time at which the empty scale is balanced or 

its zero balance verified shall be recorded on scale 

tickets or other permanent records. Balance tickets 

must be filed with other scale tickets issued on that 

date. 

(3) Before balancing the empty scale, the weigher 

shall assure himself that the scale gates are closed 

and that no persons or animals are on the scale 

platform or in contact with the stock rack, gates, or 

platform. If the scale is balanced with persons on the 

scale platform, the zero balance shall be verified 

whenever there is a change in such persons. When 

the scale is properly balanced and ready for 

weighing, the weigher shall so indicate by an 

appropriate signal. 

(4) Weighbeam scales shall be balanced by first 

seating each poise securely in its zero notch and then 

moving the balance ball to such position that a 

correct zero balance is obtained. A scale equipped 

with a balance indicator is correctly balanced when 

the pointer comes to rest at zero. A scale not 

equipped with a balance indicator is correctly 

balanced if the weighbeam, when released at the top 

or bottom of the trig loop, swings freely in the trig loop 

in such a manner that it will come to rest at the center 

of the trig loop. 

(5) Dial scales shall be balanced by releasing all 

drop weights and operating the balance ball or other 

balancing device to obtain a correct zero balance. 

The indicator must visually indicate zero on the dial 

and the ticket printer must record a correct zero 

balance. 

(6) Electronic digital scales should be properly 

warmed up before use. In most cases, it is advisable 

to leave the electric power on continuously. The zero 

load balance shall be verified by recording the zero 

balance on a scale ticket. The main indicating 

element and the remote visual weight display shall 

indicate zero when the balance is verified. The 

proper procedure for balancing this type of scale will 

vary according to the manufacturer. Refer to the 

operator’s manual for specific instructions. 
(b) Weighing the load. (1) Before weighing a draft of 

liestock, the weigher shall assure himsetf that the 

entire draft is on the scale platform with the gates 

closed and that no persons or animals off the scale are 

in contact with platform, gates, or stock rack. 

(i) On a weighbeam scale with a balance indicator, the 

weight of a draft shall be determined by seating the 

poises at such positions that the pointer will come to 

rest within the central target area or within l/4 (0.25) 

inch of the zero mark. 

(ii) On a weighbeam scale without a balance indicator, 

the weight shall be determined by seating the poises at 

such positions that the weighbeam, when released 

from the top or bottom of the trig loop, will swing freely 

and come to rest at the approximate center of the trig 

loop. 

(iii) On a dial scale, the weight is indicated 

automatically when the indicator moves around the dial 

face and comes to rest. 

(iv) On an electronic digital scale, the weight of a draft 

is indicated automatically when the weight value 

indicated stabilizes. 

(2) The correct weight of a livestock draft is the value 

in pounds indicated when a correct load balance is 

obtained. The weigher should abays concentrate his 

attention upon the beam tip, balance indicator or dial 

indicator while weighing and not concern himself with 

reading the visible weight indications until correct load 

balance is obtained. On electronic digital scales, the 

weigher should concentrate on the puking or flickering 

of weight values to assure that the unit indicates a 

stable weight before activating the print button. 

{c) Recording the weight. (1) The weight of each 

draft shall be recorded immediately after the load 

balance is obtained and before any poises are moved 

or the load is removed from the scale platform. The 

weigher shal make certain that the printed weight 

record agrees with the weight value visually indicated 

when correct load balance is obtained. He shalt also 

assure himself that the printed weight value is distinct 

and legible. 

(2) The weight printing device on a scale shall be 

operated only to produce a printed or impressed record 

of the weight value while the livestock load is on the 

scale and correctly balanced. If the weight value is not 

printed clearly and correctly, the ticket shall be marked 

void and a new one printed before the livestock is 

removed from the scale. 

(d) Scale tickets. (1) Scale tickets used to record the 

weight values of livestock in purchase or sales 

transactions shall be used, at any given scale, in the 

order of their consecutive serial numbers unless 

otherwise marked to show the order of their use. All 

tickets shall show the date of the weighing and the 

name or initials of the weigher performing the weighing 

service. 

(2) No scale tickets shall be destroyed or otherwise 

disposed of because they are soiled, damaged, 

incorrectly executed, or voided. They shall be 

preserved and filed to comprise a complete serial 

number sequence. 

(3) No scale ticket shall be used to record the weight 

of a livestock draft for ‘catch-weight,” inventory, 

transportation charge or other nonsale purposes unless 

the ticket is clearly marked to show why the weight was 

determined. 

(4) When weight values are recorded by means of 

automatic recording equipment directly on the accounts 

of sale or other basic records, such record may serve in 

lieu of a scale ticket. 

(e) Weigher’s mspnsibilflies. (1) The primary 

responsibility of a weigher is to determine and 

accurately record the weight of livestock drafts without 

prejudice or favor to any person or agency and without 

regard for livestock ownership, price, condition, fill, 

shrink, or other considerations. A weigher shall not 

permit the representations or attitudes of any persons 

or agencies to influence his judgment or action in 

performing his duties. 

(2) Unused scale tickets, or those which are partially 

executed but without a printed weight value, shall not 

be left exposed or accessible to unauthorized 

personnel. All such tickets shall be kept under lock 

when the weigher is not at his duty station. 

(3) Accurate weighing and correct weight recording 

require that a weigher shall not permit his operations to 

be hurried to the extent that inaccurate weights or 

incorrect weight records may result. Each draft of 

livestock must be weighed accurately to the nearest 

minimum weight value that can be indicated or 

recorded. Manual operations connected with 

balancing, weighing, and recording shall be performed 

with the care necessary to prevent damage to the 

accurately machined and adjusted parts of 

weighbeams, poises, and printing devices. 

(4) Livestock owners, buyers, or others having 

legitimate interest in a lie-stock draft must be permitted 

to observe the balancing, weighing, and recording 

procedures, and a weigher shall not deny them that 

right or withhold from them any information pertaining 

to the weight of that draft. He shall check the zero 

balance of the scale or reweigh a draft of livestock, 

when requested by such parties. 

2 
(f) Sensitivity control. (1) A scale must be 

sensitive in response to platform loading if it is to 

yield accurate weights. It, therefore, is the duty of a 

weigher to assure himself that interferences, 

weighbeam friction, or other factors do not impair 

sensitivity. He should satisfy himself, at least twice 

each day, that the scale is sufficiently sensitive, and if 

the following requirements are not met, he should 

report the facts to his superior or employer 

immediately. 

(2) A weighbeam scale with a balance indicator is 

sufficiently sensitive if, when the scale is balanced 

with the pointer at the center of the target, movement 

of the fractional poise one graduation will change the 

indicator rest point l/4 inch (0.25) or the width of the 

central target area, whichever is greater. 

(3) A weighbeam scale without a balance indicator is 

sufficiently sensitive if, when the scale is balanced 

with the weighbeam at the center of the trig loop, 

movement of the fractional poise two graduations will 

cause the weighbeam to come to rest at the bottom 

of the trig loop. 

(4) Adjustable damping devices are incorporated in 

balance indicators and in dial scales to absorb the 

effects of load impact and assist in bringing the 

indicator to rest. The weigher should be familiar with 

the location and adjustment of these damping 

devices and should keep them adjusted so that the 

pointer will oscillate freely through at least one 

complete cycle of movement before coming to rest at 

its original position. 

(5) Friction at weighbeam bearings may reduce the 

sensitivity of the scale, cause sluggish weighbeam 

action and affect weighing accuracy. A weigher 

should inspect the weighbeam assembly daily to 

make certain that there is clearance between the 

weighbeam and the pivot bearings. 

(6) Interferences or binding of the scale platform, 

stock rack, gates or other “live” parts of the scale are 

common causes of weighing inaccuracy. A weigher 

should satisfy himself, at the beginning of each 

weighing period, that all such “live” parts have 

sufficient clearance to prevent interferences. 

(g) General precautions. (1) The poises of 

weighbeam scales are carefully adjusted and sealed 

to a definite weight at the factory and any change in 

that weight seriously affects weighing accuracy. A 

weigher, therefore, should be certain that poise parts 

do not become broken, loose or lost and that no 

material is added to a poise. Balancing or weighing 

shall not be performed while a scale ticket is in the 

slot of a weighbeam poise. 

(2) Stops are provided on scale weighbeams to 

prevent movement of poises back of the zero 

graduation when balancing or weighing. When the 

stops become worn or broken and allow a poise to be 

set behind the zero position, this condition should be 

reported and corrected without delay. 

(3) Foreign objects or loose material in the form of 

nuts, bolts, washers or other material on any part of 

the weighbeam assembly, including the counterbalance hanger or counter-balance weights, are 

potential sources of weighing error. Loose balancing 

material must be enclosed in the shot cup of the 

counter-balance hanger, and counter-balance 

weights must not be of the slotted type which can 

readily be removed. 

(4) Whenever for any reason a weigher has reason 

to believe that a scale is not functioning properly or 

not yielding correct weight values, he shall 

discontinue weighing, report the facts to the parties 

responsible for scale maintenance, and request 

inspection, test or repair of the scale. 

(5) When a scale has been adjusted, modified, or 

repaired in any manner which may affect the 

accuracy of weighing or weight recording, the weigher 

shall not use the scale until it has been tested and 

inspected and found to be accurate. 

(6) Count-off men, gate men, or others assigned to 

open or close scale gates or to drive livestock on or 

off the scale, shall perform these functions as 

directed by the weigher’s signals or spoken 

instructions. They shall prevent persons or animals 

off the scale from being in contact with any part of the 

scale platform, stock rack, or gates while the scale is 

being balanced or used for weighing. They shall not 

open gates or remove livestock from the scale until 

directed by the weigher. 
3 201.49 Requirements Regarding Scale Tickets 

Evidencing Weighing of Livestock and Live 

Poultry 

(a) Livestock. When livestock is weighed for the 

purpose of purchase or sale, a scale ticket shall be 

issued which shall be serially numbered and used in 

numerical sequence. Sufficient copies shall be 

executed to provide a copy to all parties to the 

transaction. in instances where the weight values are 

automatically recorded directly on the account of 

purchase, account of sale or other basic record, this 

record may serve in lieu of a scale ticket. When 

livestock is purchased on a carcass weight or carcass 

grade and weight basis, the hot carcass weights shall 

be recorded using a scale equipped with a printing 

device and such printed weights shall be retained as 

part of the person or firm’s business records to 

substantiate settlement on each transaction. Scale 

tickets issued under this section shall show: (1) The 

names and location of the agency performing the 

weighing service; (2) the date of the weighing; (3) the 

name of the buyer and seller or consignor, or a 

designation by which they may be readily identified: 

(4) the number of head; (5) kind of livestock; (6) 

actual weight of each draft of livestock; and (7) the 

name, initials, or number of the person who weighed 

the livestock, or if required by State law, the signature 

of the weigher. 

(b) Poultry. When live poultry is weighed for the 

purpose of purchase, sale, acquisition, or settlement 

by a live poultry dealer, a scale ticket shall be issued 

which shall show: (1) The name of the agency 

performing the weighing service; (2) the name of the 

live poultry dealer ; (3) the name and address of the 

grower, purchaser, or seller; (4) the name or initials or 

number of the person who weighed the poultry or, if 

required by State law, the signature of the weigher; 

(5) the location of the scale; (6) the gross weight, tare 

weight, and net weight; (7) the date and time gross 

weight and tare weight are determined; (8) the 

number of poultry weighed; (9) the weather 

conditions; (10) whether the driver was on or off the 

truck at the time of weighing; and (11) the license 

number of the truck or the truck number; provided, 

that when live poultry is weighed on a scale other 

than a vehicle scale, the scale ticket need not show 

the information specified in (b)(9)+ 1) of this section. 

Scale tickets issued under this paragraph shall be at 

least in duplicate form and shall be serially numbered 

and used in numerical sequence. One copy shall be 

furnished to the grower, purchaser, or seller, and one 

copy shall be furnished to or retained by the live 

poultry dealer. 

5 201.76 Reweighing 

Stockyard owners, market agencies, dealers, 

packers and live poultry dealers shall reweigh 

livestock, livestock carcasses or live poultry on 

request of any authorized representative of the 

Secretary. 

NOTE 

Attention is called to Section IO of the Federal 

Trade Commission Act, which is made applicable to 

persons subject to the Packers and Stockyards Act 

and provides in part 

‘I... Any person who shall willfully make, or cause to 

be made, any false entry or statement of fact in any 

report required to be made under this Act, or who 

shall willfully make, or cause to be made, any false 

entry in any account, record, or memorandum kept by 

any corporation subject to this Act or who shall 

willfully neglect or fail to make, or cause to be made, 

full, true, and correct entries in such accounts, 

records, or memoranda, of all facts and transactions 

appertaining to the business of such corporation, or 

who shall willfully remove out of the jurisdiction of the 

United States, or willfully mutilate, alter, or by any 

other means falsify any documentary evidence of 

such corporation, or who shall willfully refuse to 

submit to the Commission or to any of its authorized 

agents, for the purpose of inspection and taking 

copies, any documentary evidence of such 

corporation in his possession or within his control, 

shall be deemed guilty of an offense against the 

United States, and shall be subject upon conviction in 

any court of the United States or competent 

jurisdiction, to a fine of not less than $1.000 nor more 

than $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more 

than three years, or to both such fine and 

imprisonment.” 

A weigher who willfully prints or enters a false weight 

value on a scale ticket or other record of a stockyard 

company, market agency, dealer, or packer is subject 

to the section quoted above. 

4 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS ADMlNlSTRATlON 

PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS PROGRAMS 

WEIGHER’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

AND AGREEMENT 

FORM APPROVED OMB No 0590-00 15 

Response 13 required la acknowledge rece,p, ol ‘~I~~slrucl~ons for Welghlng 

Llveslock” and 10 agree to Ihw ~:orr~ph”nce (9 CFR 201 73-l) Intormallon held 

conl~denl~al(Y CFR 201 96) 

Public reporting burden lor this collec11or1 of tnformalion IS eslinrated tu averayc 

08 hours per response, Includwg the lime 101 r!3”lW,lllQ 1~1r”c11ons. searchlny 

existing data sources, gathering and malnlalnlng the dala needed, and complelmg 

and revieumg the form Send cornmw~16 regarding this brrrdeu est~male or any 

olher aspecls 01 lhas collecl~on 01 mtormalton. tnclrrdmg suggalions for rcduuly 

the burden, 10 USDA, OIRM, Clearance Otbcer, Room 404-W. Washlnylon, DC 

20250 When replying reter 10 the OMB Number and Form Number m your letler 

employed by , 

(FIRM NAME) 

at , as a weigher of 

OnI (STATE) 

livestock, have read the Instructions for Weighing Livestock issued under the authority of the Packers and Stockyards 

Act and agree to comply fully with said Instructions. I am aware that it will be an offense against the United States for 

me to willfully make any false entry of weight or other information on a scale ticket or other record kept by my employer. 

1 SIGNATURE OF WEIGHER 

USDA 

SIGNATURE OF WITNESS DATE 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FORM APPROVED OMB No 0590-0015 

GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS ADMtNlSTRATlON 

PACKERSANDSTOCKYARDSPROGRAMS Response IS requwed lo acknowledge rece~pl of “IIIE~~UCIKI~S for Wetghtrrg 

LIveslock” and to qrac to thelr comphance (9 CFR 201 73-l) Ir~forrnat~,,, held 

contldentmt (9 CFR 201.961 

WEIGHER’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ’ PubtIc repotting burden tor this cottectlon of mlormatlon IS estimated tu aver,u~e 

08 hours per response, wctudmg lhe time for revlewmg rnstructw~s, searchmg 

AND AGREEMENT 

exisllng data sowces, gathermy and wdintainlng the data needed, and complctlrng 

and revnewng the form Send comments regarding thts burden estamate or any 

other aweits of thts cotteclmn ot miormatmn. mcludma s~~~est~ons for reduww 

I the burdr+n. to USDA, OIRM, Ctearancc Oli~cer. Room 404-b%: Washlnglotl, DC - 

20250 When replymg refer to Ihe OMB Number and Form Number in your tetler 

1, I 

employed by 2 

(FIRM NAME) 

at , as a weigher of 

UT-0 (STATE) 

livestock, have read the Instructions for Weighing Livestock issued under the authority of the Packers and Stockyards 

Act and agree to comply fully with said Instructions. I am aware that it will be an offense against the United States for 

me to willfully make any false entry of weight or other information on a scale ticket, or other record kept by my employer. 

StGNATURE OF WEIGHER 

USDA 

SffiNATURE OF WITNESS DATE 

I 1 

FORM PLSP-2 15 (3-96) (Edtitw ul 4-89 rrwty Iw wed )