I Am Getting Ticked Off at the Little Fellows!!!

[gg4rebels]

I have a 55 gal. water trough for my two calves. It is more long than tall. It never fails what when I change the water one of them will go over to it, step up into it and then pee! This is really ticking me off. I have a 100 gal. trough that is taller but I was waiting to put it in the big pasture when they are larger. What makes them want to stand in the water??? :?

 

[bigbull338]

they are just being calves nothing more nothing less.id set the 100gal water trough up.

 

[Limomike]

cows, bulls, and calves will all pee and poop in ponds or other bodies of water they drink from.

 

[1982vett]

I have a 55 gal. water trough for my two calves. It is more long than tall. It never fails what when I change the water one of them will go over to it, step up into it and then pee! This is really ticking me off. I have a 100 gal. trough that is taller but I was waiting to put it in the big pasture when they are larger. What makes them want to stand in the water??? :?

How about trying to set it up on crossties or something to give it more height so they can't just step into it.

 

[Lammie]

I had a calf leap into a 150 gallon tank I had in the pasture. They just like to play around, like bigbull said.

 

[3waycross]

Cows are cows and if they can't run over it, run through it, rub on it, or otherwise tear it up. They will pee or poop on it. It's just their nature.

Partner stuck the bale wagon in the pasture the other day it had 30 bales on it and there was 52 cows in that pasture. They managed to EAT and or trash 22 bales in 24 hours before we could pull it out of the mud. The green grass in that pasture is knee high, they ignored the grass and ate the hay off the bale wagon. Go figure.

 

[dyates]

All true. For those who like big words, I think DOC HARRIS would call this indiscriminate defacation, or in your case, indiscriminate urination. Anybody ever play cow patty BINGO? We used to do it as a fund raiser for FFA. Draw a big Bingo grid on a field and turn in a cow. If the patty landed on your square....BINGO!

 

[ToddFarmsInc]

I have a 55 gal. water trough for my two calves. It is more long than tall. It never fails what when I change the water one of them will go over to it, step up into it and then pee! This is really ticking me off. I have a 100 gal. trough that is taller but I was waiting to put it in the big pasture when they are larger. What makes them want to stand in the water??? :?

I have an old bathtub sitting in a corner, that I use as a water trough in my sick pen. I used to fight with keeping the yearlings out of the tub. (seemed to me they insisted on taking a bath in the tub for some reason.) I dug up an old busted up bale feeder that was one of those four flat pannel squre kind. I cut and modified it and secured it to the fence to surround the old tub. That works like a charm, they just line up to it, and stick their head through it to get their drink, and I have lower blood pressure now.

 

[hillsdown]

I bet if you wanted them to go into that tub ,like for a foot bath etc there would be no way in he77 you could get them into it. :lol2:

The old adage applies: Cows have all day and nothing to do, so they will find things to do; usually things that will always be a pain in the but for you. ;-)

 

[dun]

I have a 55 gal. water trough for my two calves. It is more long than tall. It never fails what when I change the water one of them will go over to it, step up into it and then pee! This is really ticking me off. I have a 100 gal. trough that is taller but I was waiting to put it in the big pasture when they are larger. What makes them want to stand in the water??? :?

Maybe it has to do with the old gag about putting a sleeping persons hand in warm water.

 

[Turin5-3]

I have a 100 gal tank that the cows use as a play toy. If it gets 1/2 full(empty) they will knock it over and push it around the pasture. I have a 20 gal tub for the calves to drink out of and the older cows and bulls will drink it dry. Won't tip it over even empty. They just do as they do. :nod:

 

[gg4rebels]

Cows are cows and if they can't run over it, run through it, rub on it, or otherwise tear it up. They will pee or poop on it. It's just their nature.

Well sounds like I need to just get use to this happening and just plan on cleaning the thing out every day! When we first got the calves my husband said we had to make sure they did not get out of the barn pen for a while because they would run through the fences. I said it is a five stand fence.....no way. Boy was I wrong about that! One of them did get out and went right through the fence with little to no effort! I am learning every day with these two......still having fun though.

Thanks, g

 

[ga. prime]

Maybe it has to do with the old gag about putting a sleeping persons hand in warm water.

That's a failsafe trick if there ever was one.

 

[fourstates]

Maybe they just like to stay cool.

 

[msscamp]

I have a 55 gal. water trough for my two calves. It is more long than tall. It never fails what when I change the water one of them will go over to it, step up into it and then pee! This is really ticking me off. I have a 100 gal. trough that is taller but I was waiting to put it in the big pasture when they are larger. What makes them want to stand in the water??? :?

You might consider either setting it up on railroad ties so they can't get into it, or rigging some type of barrier - say a couple of posts with a board nailed across the top of the tank - so they can drink but can't get into the tank.

 

[TheBullLady]

We have one of those concrete water troughs.. one of the best things we've done! We have it between two pastures, with a hot wire over the middle, which will definately keep one from crawling in it, even if they could get over the sides!

Everyone is right.. if there is something you DON'T want tore up, don't put it where they can get to it! I think they are nosy.. and bored!

 

[grannysoo]

They're just adding a little flavor to it. Sort of like lemonade.... :lol:

 

[gg4rebels]

Well we replaced the small water trough with the 100 gallon tank. So far no climbing in......probably coming though based on everything I have been told. Thanks for the advice. :clap:

 

[gg4rebels]

Get some automatic waterers. I have never had any climb on them.

That is a great idea. Thanks, Gale

 

[poultryrancher]

I have no idea on that one. Probably the same reason my steer thought it was great fun to bowl his water trough over all summer so I would have to go turn it upright on a daily basis. :roll: