Drinking Water

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Anonymous

I have a small herd of cattle and ther water source is an old hog waterer. They have drank out of this for 5 years and I have never had any trouble. This past weekend we were gone and when I got home the waterer had froze as I forgot to turn on the heater. On Christmas day I thought the cows looked thin and I decided maybe I should start giving them some grain. The next day I noticed they had not eaten their hay and were looking even thinner and they were bellaring. I then deducted they were thirsty and carried water to them which was the problem! What I can't figure out is why all of the sudden they won't drink out of this waterer. I have felt it and there is no sign of electricity or too warm. It smells fine as I raked all the water out of it to make sure it was fresh and they will drink it off of the cement. The only thing I can deduce is that while it froze up it shocked them and now they are scared of it?

Has anyboody experienced this and if so any suggestions on what to do to get them to drink out of it again. I have turned them into another lot where they can get water from a different place and they are drinking but I can't leave them there all winter.

Thanks for all comments!

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The electricity may still be the problem. You may not be able to feel it, but there may be electrical shock in the water. I would borrow or buy a new heater & try that. It will still take a while for them to drink out of it, if they got shocked trying before. I have heard of floating apples in the water to get them to try it. Jeanne
> I have a small herd of cattle and
> ther water source is an old hog
> waterer. They have drank out of
> this for 5 years and I have never
> had any trouble. This past weekend
> we were gone and when I got home
> the waterer had froze as I forgot
> to turn on the heater. On
> Christmas day I thought the cows
> looked thin and I decided maybe I
> should start giving them some
> grain. The next day I noticed they
> had not eaten their hay and were
> looking even thinner and they were
> bellaring. I then deducted they
> were thirsty and carried water to
> them which was the problem! What I
> can't figure out is why all of the
> sudden they won't drink out of
> this waterer. I have felt it and
> there is no sign of electricity or
> too warm. It smells fine as I
> raked all the water out of it to
> make sure it was fresh and they
> will drink it off of the cement.
> The only thing I can deduce is
> that while it froze up it shocked
> them and now they are scared of
> it?

> Has anyboody experienced this and
> if so any suggestions on what to
> do to get them to drink out of it
> again. I have turned them into
> another lot where they can get
> water from a different place and
> they are drinking but I can't
> leave them there all winter.

> Thanks for all comments!

Simme Valley in NY
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Without a doubt there is a ground current running thru the water. The strange thing about these is that the current is insignificant and the voltage (assuming your heater is 110V) will be about 43v. I have had this problem for years with submersible heaters. Using a metal tank, I ground it with a wire to the water pipe(galvanized) and it goes away. Without the ground wire, I can measure a voltage between the ground and the water with a voltmeter. The cattle feel the voltage, even if it isn't enough to shock them and they won't drink. Just ground the tank and all should be fine.

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