water in winter?
- Thread starter ar1warren
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Saltydawg
Well-known member
I have a frost free faucet with a garden hose setup to fill the water tanks when i go down each feeding.
I just unhook the hose from the faucet after each watering and the hose is run on a downhill slope to allow the water to drain out so it isn't frozen the next time i need to water them.
I've tried all manner of freeze proof floats and stuff and I just prefer to manually hook the hose up. If it's sloped right for drainage freezing isn't an issue.
I give them enough water so they drink it up before it freezes solid and the rest of the time they eat snow.
I have several creeks in the pasture though and cows are amzingly good at finding source of water as long as there isn't too much ice on it.
I just unhook the hose from the faucet after each watering and the hose is run on a downhill slope to allow the water to drain out so it isn't frozen the next time i need to water them.
I've tried all manner of freeze proof floats and stuff and I just prefer to manually hook the hose up. If it's sloped right for drainage freezing isn't an issue.
I give them enough water so they drink it up before it freezes solid and the rest of the time they eat snow.
I have several creeks in the pasture though and cows are amzingly good at finding source of water as long as there isn't too much ice on it.
preston39
Well-known member
We have a 1 acre pond with altitude about 45' above the corrals and gravity feed water to that area. In the winter we let it run to prevent freezing.
This AM I noticed ice on the pond has a concave appearance from the amount of water running for the past several days. Plenty ice buildup in back of the wateriers from the overflow. Avoids a lot of ice breaking/chopping.
In the other tanks we use small air pumps and bubble the water which does a nice job. It must be very cold a long time before they freeze. Maybe some ice around the edge of the wateriers.
This AM I noticed ice on the pond has a concave appearance from the amount of water running for the past several days. Plenty ice buildup in back of the wateriers from the overflow. Avoids a lot of ice breaking/chopping.
In the other tanks we use small air pumps and bubble the water which does a nice job. It must be very cold a long time before they freeze. Maybe some ice around the edge of the wateriers.
mnmtranching
Well-known member
I don't know of anyone else that does this, Buy it works great!
I have a 5" submersible, I run hoses to three tanks for different pens. I turn the water on when the weather gets cold. [when the nigh time temps get to about zero]. And turn the water off in the Spring when the cold weather is done. :cboy:
Runs all winter, the running water keeps the tanks ice free, and fresh 40 degree water all the time. In the well I have a 1/8 in hole in the drop pipe 10 ft down, just in case of a power outage. That drains pipes to prevent breaking.
The overflow goes to a stock pond about 100 yards away. Lot of water by Spring. Wild ducks and geese nest in our pond. 8) And the cattle use it until Fall.
I have a 5" submersible, I run hoses to three tanks for different pens. I turn the water on when the weather gets cold. [when the nigh time temps get to about zero]. And turn the water off in the Spring when the cold weather is done. :cboy:
Runs all winter, the running water keeps the tanks ice free, and fresh 40 degree water all the time. In the well I have a 1/8 in hole in the drop pipe 10 ft down, just in case of a power outage. That drains pipes to prevent breaking.
The overflow goes to a stock pond about 100 yards away. Lot of water by Spring. Wild ducks and geese nest in our pond. 8) And the cattle use it until Fall.
dj
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Messages
- 1,607
If you can't pump it you may have to haul it from some other place? A neighbor used a 400 gal tank in a pickup bed trailer and could haul enough to last for the day. Because the cows drank most of it the ice build up wasn't terrible. But as cold as it was freezing might be a problem, if you have to haul it far. You might want to think about a generator?ar1warren":9da9u7xh said:
preston39
Well-known member
msscamp,
I believe he was asking what type you had that you could get by cleaning once a year.
How do you prevent green slimey alge buildup with cleaning them once a year? Maybe we are not doing something we should be doing.
We clean them probably 3-4 times a year. It doesn't take long for the snots and residue from the mouth to do a job on the tanks, especially during the many long warm/hot months we are blessed to have.
I believe he was asking what type you had that you could get by cleaning once a year.
How do you prevent green slimey alge buildup with cleaning them once a year? Maybe we are not doing something we should be doing.
We clean them probably 3-4 times a year. It doesn't take long for the snots and residue from the mouth to do a job on the tanks, especially during the many long warm/hot months we are blessed to have.
preston39":362r6hh1 said:
Sorry about that, I didn't think of that. I tend to be too literal a lot of times. :oops: We don't do anything special. I think it's a combination of enough animals on the tanks, that they essentially refill every day (if not twice a day), and a lot of cool/cold months. Please remember that we have a very short growing period - only 4, maybe 5 months out of the year with consistently warm or hot temps. Both of those things make a pretty big difference in algae growth - the only time we had a problem with algae is when the girls were out on summer pasture, and the tanks were cleaned out prior to them coming home in the fall.
