Ball waterers

Help Support CattleToday:

We have one, and it does not need a heater. We started with just a few cows in the field that has it, and the first year the value froze a few times (we poured hot water over it to clear it up). Now that we have 20 plus head in that pasture, it never freezes. We take the balls out in the summer so the cows can get to the water easier, but put them back in during the winter so it does not freeze. I wish the hole was a little bigger on ours (Mirafount -http://www.miraco.com/MiraFount.aspx) because the cows get wear marks on their nose when they have to stick their head too deep waiting for it to refill....
The only damage we have is some wear marks from the horses trying to eat it when they were in that pasture!!! Teeth scrape marks.... Dumb horses :roll:
 
I have
3477c046494f213dc0a59959d95d6c7d.png


https://ritchiefount.com/shop/thrifty-king
 
I have been using Mirafount for over 10 years. Very few problems. We do not have any horned cattle so can't tell anyone about that aspect. The only issue I have had is a 2 hole one that is an off brand (can't recall what it is - blue and red) that gets moved around on base more due to the way it was first installed at the holding pen. I just fixed it, and made it so that it can't move. I think it has smaller holes which causes cows to push it around .

The black Mirafount do not seem to freeze, and we typically have temps below 0 degrees f for several days. They are out in the open and can get some sun. They also seem to keep water cool in summer. I do take balls out for calves to learn from but I'm not sure it is necessary.
 
Just make sure there is a gap between the ball and the side of the waterer, like 1/4in all the way around. If the balls up tight the cows will slobber on top of ball and it'll freeze around the sides of the ball. Also the wind blowing across the ball seems to "bounce" it a little bit. I really doubt a horned cow would pierce it but if your worried about it, tip the horns.
 
Not very successful here as the balls want to freeze up and they are'nt easy to thaw sometimes. What does work quite well here is a corbet ' made in Iowa' and another one that the hutterites make in Canada. Almost foolproof and no heet needed. Finally remembered the name "Therma--Sink". No cement just dig them in connect up to water and they'r done.
 
Beef Man":1vdhhwg2 said:
Not very successful here as the balls want to freeze up and they are'nt easy to thaw sometimes. What does work quite well here is a corbet ' made in Iowa' and another one that the hutterites make in Canada. Almost foolproof and no heet needed. Finally remembered the name "Therma--Sink". No cement just dig them in connect up to water and they'r done.
Click to expand...

:lol2: Looked up the Thermasink, and they would never work out here. According to the diagram, you need to go 7 feet deep to set it. You would need dynamite to get that deep out here... all rock! EVERYWHERE! When we built our home several years ago, we chose not to put in a basement, it would have cost $20,000 just to blow it out!
 
Fire Sweep Ranch":27hp20kn said:
Beef Man":27hp20kn said:
Not very successful here as the balls want to freeze up and they are'nt easy to thaw sometimes. What does work quite well here is a corbet ' made in Iowa' and another one that the hutterites make in Canada. Almost foolproof and no heet needed. Finally remembered the name "Therma--Sink". No cement just dig them in connect up to water and they'r done.
Click to expand...

:lol2: Looked up the Thermasink, and they would never work out here. According to the diagram, you need to go 7 feet deep to set it. You would need dynamite to get that deep out here... all rock! EVERYWHERE! When we built our home several years ago, we chose not to put in a basement, it would have cost $20,000 just to blow it out!
Click to expand...
Well I'll be darned never thought of not being able to dig deep enough because of rock. How do you get your waterlines below frost? all of our lines have to be at least 6ft. deep or more to keep from freezing. Have had to blow some shelf rock once to lay a line in some of our rougher grazeing land and just above it 1/4 mile is a spring comeing out of coal that runs enough water to handle 100 cows everyday of the year. Ain't nature something tho?
 
Beef Man":36utb94f said:
Not very successful here as the balls want to freeze up and they are'nt easy to thaw sometimes. What does work quite well here is a corbet ' made in Iowa' and another one that the hutterites make in Canada. Almost foolproof and no heet needed. Finally remembered the name "Therma--Sink". No cement just dig them in connect up to water and they'r done.
Click to expand...

Never had any freezing issues here but we haven't had much for winter's since I've had my Ritchie. The Cobett's are nice. A local MU extension farm uses those with success.
 
lifeofleisure"[b:b2j2129w said:
]I have been using Mirafount for over 10 years.[/b] Very few problems. We do not have any horned cattle so can't tell anyone about that aspect. The only issue I have had is a 2 hole one that is an off brand (can't recall what it is - blue and red) that gets moved around on base more due to the way it was first installed at the holding pen. I just fixed it, and made it so that it can't move. I think it has smaller holes which causes cows to push it around .

The black Mirafount do not seem to freeze, and we typically have temps below 0 degrees f for several days. They are out in the open and can get some sun. They also seem to keep water cool in summer. I do take balls out for calves to learn from but I'm not sure it is necessary.
Click to expand...
Have liked mine. Brother uses them as well. As long as they are drank from every day you will not need to worry about a heater.
 

Similar threads

M
automatic waterers
Replies
5
Views
2K
kenojoe
K

Latest posts

Top