Protecting a waterer from pushy cows?

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sunnyblueskies

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Well hi there, long time no talk. Summer was busy and spent less on the computer, but now I have a question and need ideas.........

Our old electric waterer for the cows finally gave its notice and we needed to replace it. Poured a small concrete pad, a little bigger then the new waterer, and installed a new Canarm. It sits between two large fence posts and wooden fence so it can be utilized from different pens on each side. Works great...... but it has to proove itself in the cold winter time before I yell hurray.

So my question is, our cows are quite pushy at the waterer, dominant cows may even hold access to water hostage, what do you build around YOUR waterer to protect it from pushy cows?

Ideas? Pictures?

I'd appreciate it.
 
I'll have to get some pictures tomorrow. We use 2x2x 1/4" walled box steel and build a frame and the drinker. Anchor it to the concrete and to the posts.
 
Well hi there, long time no talk. Summer was busy and spent less on the computer, but now I have a question and need ideas.........

Our old electric waterer for the cows finally gave its notice and we needed to replace it. Poured a small concrete pad, a little bigger then the new waterer, and installed a new Canarm. It sits between two large fence posts and wooden fence so it can be utilized from different pens on each side. Works great...... but it has to proove itself in the cold winter time before I yell hurray.

So my question is, our cows are quite pushy at the waterer, dominant cows may even hold access to water hostage, what do you build around YOUR waterer to protect it from pushy cows?

Ideas? Pictures?

I'd appreciate it.
Place rock around the water tank. Not small rock but fist size rock thats not comfortable for them to stand on. They drink and move back off.
 
Brute nailed it. Whatever waterer you've installed does not provide sufficient access for the number of cows you have. The fact that they are pushing/fighting is proof of that . 'Boss' cows will stand there and drink, keeping those farther down the pecking order from gaining access. Sometimes they won't even be drinking... just keeping others beaten back. Really timid cows will just give up and drift away, looking for a mud puddle or some other potential water source. This can and will significantly impact animal performance.
If this was a dairy, the impact would be noticeable, in decreased milk production. Perhaps not evident so quickly with a beef herd, but pounds of calf weaned will be impacted.

 
Brute nailed it. Whatever waterer you've installed does not provide sufficient access for the number of cows you have. The fact that they are pushing/fighting is proof of that . 'Boss' cows will stand there and drink, keeping those farther down the pecking order from gaining access. Sometimes they won't even be drinking... just keeping others beaten back. Really timid cows will just give up and drift away, looking for a mud puddle or some other potential water source. This can and will significantly impact animal performance.
If this was a dairy, the impact would be noticeable, in decreased milk production. Perhaps not evident so quickly with a beef herd, but pounds of calf weaned will be impacted.


Can't use tire waterers. Winter is too cold here to keep that from freezing.
 
Brute nailed it. Whatever waterer you've installed does not provide sufficient access for the number of cows you have. The fact that they are pushing/fighting is proof of that . 'Boss' cows will stand there and drink, keeping those farther down the pecking order from gaining access. Sometimes they won't even be drinking... just keeping others beaten back. Really timid cows will just give up and drift away, looking for a mud puddle or some other potential water source. This can and will significantly impact animal performance.
If this was a dairy, the impact would be noticeable, in decreased milk production. Perhaps not evident so quickly with a beef herd, but pounds of calf weaned will be impacted.


As to the numbers......... it's a waterer for 100 head, we have a little under that, around 90. But the problem might actually be the water pressure, the waterer filling up too slow. The water needs to be pushed quite a ways from the well and uphill. Maybe the well is failing, or the pump.
 
@sunnyblueskies, @Brute 23 is correct about the number of head. I don't know the kind of waterer that you have, but personally, I would not put more than 30 head (and that is pushing it) to a single 'ball' waterer. A 'single' waterer for 90 head sounds like a problem to me.

Another thing to consider, and I'm not sure of your set up. Is this a waterer for a pasture or a feed lot? If its for a pasture, and the animals have to walk over 600 feet to the waterer, they will only go as a group, and the boss cow determines how long they are there for. Consequently, some don't get to drink. If the waterer requires less than 600 feet to access from anywhere in the pasture, and there is clear line if sight to anywhere in the pasture from the waterer, the animals will go to the waterer individually whenever they want.

If it's a lot you have the cattle on, personally, I would install two, 2 ball waterers for 90 head. That may be overkill to some cattlemen, but I doubt I'd have thirsty cows.
 
yea they market those small waterers for a lot of head.. thats more a feedlot situation where they will learn to come and drink vs. a herd that comes in to drink. I have 7' tire tanks and that is the best IMO you can get for a larger herd. the larger the tire the better.
 
I thought someone on here had a concrete tank (or normal size tank) based off of a geothermal system. It was pretty slick. Maybe it was @Silver ?
 
I like that idea. How did you attach the steel to the concrete? Did you put an anchor into the concrete when it was poured? Or did you bolt it down after the fact?
We drilled holes in the concrete after it was poured and used concrete anchors. They're a threaded tapered bolt that has an expanding sleeve. When you tighten the bolt it wedges the sleeve to the sides of the hole.
Those are probably either 1/2" or 5/8" anchors.
If you zoom in on the leg you can see the bolt sticking up D54335F0-06AF-473A-8B3A-2FC8B0AE55DB.jpeg
 
Surely you have a 4 ball waterer for that many head. Try the rock as i suggested, it works. The boss cows drink and then step back to sure footing.
But if its not staying full you have a bigger problem. My well, on a timer, pumps to a reservoir and gravity feeds back out into the waterers. On part of them i have to put a pressure reducer. But also when the power is out i still have water for several days.
 
I like the CanArm waterers. If they are anchored down properly they cows won't move them. They will bugger up the float cover though. We protect the top with steel which isn't too hard to figure out when the trough serves two pens so the fence bisects the trough.
We have used CanArms for years and had more cows than recommended most times. Cows on winter feed tend to gather at the water trough regardless of the size of trough so they just need to figure it out.
 
Surely you have a 4 ball waterer for that many head. Try the rock as i suggested, it works. The boss cows drink and then step back to sure footing.
But if it's not staying full you have a bigger problem. My well, on a timer, pumps to a reservoir and gravity feeds back out into the waterers. On part of them i have to put a pressure reducer. But also when the power is out i still have water for several days.
I didn't see where she said her new trough was ball type. It is a CanArm that would look like something like this.
IMG_0219.jpeg
 

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