Randi
Well-known member
We invested in this system to water cows. It is a Kelln system with an insulated 750 gallon fiberglass trough that we brought up from the USA. We also have a 800 gallon summer trough that we can use with it.
Mostly, the need was to water cattle on our main fall pasture. There is a spring there, but the water is poor, and it is pretty unreliable. Some years it runs well, some years it doesn't run. So, we dug the well, 27' deep and 10ish gal per min. We watered 170 cows on it after weaning, until Dec 23.
On Dec 23 we moved those cows home, and added another 80 that had been on a different pasture. We also moved the water system to the winter pasture, as there is a good well there, and no-one likes chopping holes in the ice....
The ones that had been on the water system, were very impatient with us, they knew what the trough meant. And they had access to the creek where they normally drink.
So far, we are really loving the system, a couple of minor glitches, the supply line froze one day, shortly after we installed it, there was a dip in it, and the water didn't all drain back.
We had to charge some batteries, once, because apparently, on the longest, and coldest days of the year, when the sun didn't shine at all....with 250 cows drinking on it, the batteries will run out. Now, we have 2 sets of batteries, and keep the extras charged. We only had the problem on 1 day, and it has been good since. Fortunately we don't get many long stretches of cloudy weather.
And finally, today, when we checked it, it was running over. Had been for a while, by the looks of the ice. This was a pretty simple fix, the cord to the pill float was stuck in some ice....
Mostly, the need was to water cattle on our main fall pasture. There is a spring there, but the water is poor, and it is pretty unreliable. Some years it runs well, some years it doesn't run. So, we dug the well, 27' deep and 10ish gal per min. We watered 170 cows on it after weaning, until Dec 23.
On Dec 23 we moved those cows home, and added another 80 that had been on a different pasture. We also moved the water system to the winter pasture, as there is a good well there, and no-one likes chopping holes in the ice....
The ones that had been on the water system, were very impatient with us, they knew what the trough meant. And they had access to the creek where they normally drink.
So far, we are really loving the system, a couple of minor glitches, the supply line froze one day, shortly after we installed it, there was a dip in it, and the water didn't all drain back.
We had to charge some batteries, once, because apparently, on the longest, and coldest days of the year, when the sun didn't shine at all....with 250 cows drinking on it, the batteries will run out. Now, we have 2 sets of batteries, and keep the extras charged. We only had the problem on 1 day, and it has been good since. Fortunately we don't get many long stretches of cloudy weather.
And finally, today, when we checked it, it was running over. Had been for a while, by the looks of the ice. This was a pretty simple fix, the cord to the pill float was stuck in some ice....