Pasture Hydrant

[3MileRanch]

Snake

How big are your pastures that you can run a hose out to them? A hose will only carry water so far before friction cuts the flow down to a trickle.

 

[snake67]

Snake

How big are your pastures that you can run a hose out to them? A hose will only carry water so far before friction cuts the flow down to a trickle.

You are absolutely correct - the flow does slow down - we run 3 x 1 inch hoses on the long stretch - the longest run is just under 450 metres - I will have to go measure it if you like - I can use my laser range finder toy. It comes out of a home made manifold that I put right on the well pump.

I thought the hoses were smaller but I was just corrected by "she who must be obeyed"

That system runs 24/7 and the tanks are always full when I check them - four tanks - black plastic jobs - not sure of the actual gallons they hold - but they are probably around 150 gallons or more each - keeps about 45 cattle very happy. They come and go as they see fit and there is no rush to drink. If they all came at once it probably would not work.

We are of the philosophy that the cows can walk a bit to water as well.

Trick is to never let them get empty or the rush to drink spoils the program.

The other hose is a shorty - only 150 or so metres in length - same size - it runs into four tanks and keeps another 50 or so cows happy.

I am sure there is some sort of calculation, but we never bothered - we just kept doing it this way from a long time ago - it works for us.

It is not so much the volume in a short time frame as it is the time it runs - I just leave them running. When things fill up the float shuts off the hose.

The rest of the cows water at the house.

Hope that helps

Cheers

Bez

 

[3MileRanch]

Actually that brings to mind another question I had when reading about your set up. Do you have a shut off at each tank? Other wise if the first tank is always runnning and the subsequent tanks are filled by overflow, what keeps the first and subsequent tanks from overflowing when the shut off in the last tank stops letting the overflow go there?

 

[snake67]

Actually that brings to mind another question I had when reading about your set up. Do you have a shut off at each tank? Other wise if the first tank is always runnning and the subsequent tanks are filled by overflow, what keeps the first and subsequent tanks from overflowing when the shut off in the last tank stops letting the overflow go there?

Shut off is in the first tank - the others have to fill to the top of the horizontal over flow pipe - one after another - then they all fill together after they reach the pipe.

The second tank fills to the run off point and then the third and so on - when the last tank is up to the pipe all fill together and the float in the first tank shuts everything off. It is not perfect I suppose but so far we have never had a problem

All tanks are on the same level - the overflow is a 4 inch pipe. The pipes are about three inches below the top of the tank and run horizontally between the tanks.

The tanks essentially all fill independently and in order until all water levels are up to the overflow pipes - then the tanks fill as one until the float valve shuts it all off.

Hard to explain - works like a charm.

Cheap too. Looked at plumbing the field - thousands of dollars - cattle could not make me the money to justify the cost. The money is just not there unless you have the numbers to pay for it - truth is not more than 5% of the folks on this board really make any money on cows - they play at it and work for a living.

That outside money is what makes their payday. There are some here that make it but you can be sure most do not. But they have nice barns and nice plumbing!! LOL I suppose it is an investment in itself - I just hate paying out cash if I do not have it.

We are all about cheap here - but I am putting up a new 60 foot building this year and paying cash for it - go slow - be cheap and save your pennies - it is the small stuff that kills you - not the big stuff.

Cheers

Bez

 

[snake67]

Seems to me it would be cheaper and easier to simply lay a hose out - even if it has to go the long way around so you can follow the fence line and not worry about hose damage from cattle - send it to the trough with a cut off float.

If you have multiple toughs - put an over flow in the first, connect it to the second and so on - let it fill them all - with the last trough getting a cutoff float in it. All troughs get filled - less than a couple hours to set up and the water shuts off automatically.

As for winter - this is a different story - you did not mention your plan for that.

When winter comes we shut it all off and bring the cows to home water. Makes it easy to catch them.

You guys seem to have way more cash than me.

Bez

Bez excellent idea you have there but unfortunately hose is not an option for me. I have a big pasture in which all the cattle stay during the winter that has 2 automatic waterers and 2 seperate paddocks that I will be using to rotate grazing that have 2 seperate wells. unfortunately the distance id need to run hose is just not practical not to mention I have row crops near these pastures in which i will have multiple pieces of equipment driving where some portions of the hose will go and I don't want to have a piece of equipment potentially catch it or cut the hose and all other bs that could happen with it so its just easier to use the troughs rather than run the hose.

If you have power to those well just set up beside them and run a line direct from the pump to the tank - with a float valve you can power it up and walk away - just check it every now and then. Be sure to put what I call a "pump tech" on each system though - if a line goes you might drain your well - hang the pump (you pick the distance) off the bottom. If the water drops below the pump level, the pump will shut off and not start unless the water is back over the top of the pump.

Have a good one

Bez

 

[3MileRanch]

Bez - Didnt you use to live somewhere else and have a different profile. Maybe I am confusing you with someone else.

How far apart are your tanks? If you already answered this sorry. Im just now correctly picturing what you have set up.

 

[John SD]

Snake

How big are your pastures that you can run a hose out to them? A hose will only carry water so far before friction cuts the flow down to a trickle.

That's what I was thinking. IMO, even if you put in hoses with enough flow capacity, winter operation would be a nightmare if water wasn't flowing continuosly, which would be expensive too. Put water line in the ground, it should be there for good and last for generations.

Although my water line is 1 1/2" diameter PVC, the flow is a trickle to non-existent at times on one stretch that is 1 1/2 miles from the 4" main water line source. I have 5 - 10' round tanks on this line that hold 1000 gal each. All the other tanks have to be full before the last tank on the line gets any water.

Have another line same length that runs parallel to this one from the same water source with one 10' tank, 3 smaller tire tanks, and the house on it. Flow capacity is even more important on tanks with smaller capacity.

I have pipeline water in every pasture now. No cow is more than 1/4 mile from water. Yes, the water system did cost a lot of money, although I did benefit from EQIP.

All my dams are dry now except for one which might be too boggy to use. There are way too many dry years like this one is shaping up to be (again) My place would not be worth much without a good water system.