Water for pasture

[Archie1001]

I am needing to add a water supply to a small pasture (75 acres) and I would like to know whether a pond or well would be the best, both feasibly and economically . Water is available by drilling
at well less then 100 feet. This is bottom land pasture and I would like to know the best way to get it out pump, windmill, solar pump or otherwise.

 

[grannysoo]

Lots of other questions that need to be answered....

75 acres is not that "small" of a pasture. Are you planning on using a pivot irrigation system? Water hoses and rainbirds? :D
Reel gun?

These factors are going to help determine how much water you will need. If you need a lot of water, you may need a 6 - 8 " well to run it. If you're running a diesel pump from a pond, that might work too. A windmill will pump water, however probably not enough to keep a system with enough pressure. Solar? Not today... not enough power.

Check with your county extension office for recommendations. They are there to help.

 

[dun]

Pond locating and building aren;t a simple task. Annual rainfall, topography, soil type, foliage type all enter into the replenishment (recharge) rate. The replenishment rate dictates to a degree pond feasibility.
After looking into the pond espect it may dictate who you provide water.

 

[sodfarmer490]

I am needing to add a water supply to a small pasture (75 acres) and I would like to know whether a pond or well would be the best, both feasibly and economically . Water is available by drilling
at well less then 100 feet. This is bottom land pasture and I would like to know the best way to get it out pump, windmill, solar pump or otherwise.

well, after managing a bunch of ponds in sw mo, i would vote for a well, locate it nearest power and let cattle walk to drink clean water. ponds can be heavy duty maintenace if the cattle have total access to them, developing leaks, eroding banks, cattle standing in them all day, and if you fence them, fence maintenance, for just a beginning. and i forgot about the freeze ups and the calves and or cows falling through the ice. neighbor lost two calves, one morning after a fresh snow on ice, ponds are a pain.

 

[bigbull338]

i would put a pool in that pasture.a well would kill your pocketbook.because with a well youd have to have powerline to it.an put a sub pump an motor on it.an experenced dozer operator would know how to build the pool.an the pool would be 20% of the cost of a well.an with a well youd have to check it an make sure the cows have water.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

with a well youd have to check it an make sure the cows have water.

Prolly want to check them once in a while anyway. :o

 

[OhioRiver]

How often would you have to check cattle with one of the automatic watering systems out there.

with a well youd have to check it an make sure the cows have water.

Prolly want to check them once in a while anyway. :o

 

[IluvABbeef]

How often would you have to check cattle with one of the automatic watering systems out there.

with a well youd have to check it an make sure the cows have water.

Prolly want to check them once in a while anyway. :o

I'd say once a week...

 

[IL Rancher]

Depends on where you are and the temperature you are dealing with. We don't do much with auto waterers except floats and have had failures with the well happen. 90 degrees with high humidity and the cows would blow through the 1500 gallon tank we have for them, generally find out about that when you get out of the car and hear a roar of cows complaining about being thirsty.. If you only checked once a week you would be in trouble. Same measure, spring time on green lush grass and rain every other day the cows seems to never come up to the water tank.. The one thing I have always worried about with the autowaters is that there is no "reserve" for even a few hours of no power.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I know some people are long distance cattle people, but I try to check cows every day. In summer I check waters daily. In winter or if they are mostly watering out of a pond I might check every three or four days.

They can go a surprising long time with out water but man that is not a good way to do it. If something breaks it may take a day or two more to fix it, so you kind of want to know ASAP about that kind of stuff.

 

[milesvb]

an experenced dozer operator would know how to build the pool.

Pool?

You talkin' about what us Texans call a tank or are you tellin' the guy to build one of them "cement ponds" that the city slickers like to float around in? ;-)