GANGGREEN
Well-known member
Total newbie here with a question regarding getting water to my steers. I have about 6 acres of pasture planted and have bids on barbed wire and/or high tensile (that's another topic). I intend to put the acreage into two paddocks and pasture 3 or 4 beef steers in there. Ideally I'd like to have a water trough that would service either paddock. The problem is that I don't have a pond or creek in the pasture area nor do I have electric on that side of my property.
I suppose I could run electric over there but I'd rather do without if possible. I've considered pumping water up from a nearby small tributary stream with a solar pump, digging a small pond or drilling a well and using a solar pump to provide the water. I think that the water table in that area is fairly high so I don't think that the well would need to be terribly deep to provide enough fresh water for a few animals. Would a hand pump work? What about a well with a small windmill to bring the water up? What about keeping the trough from freezing in the wintertime (I live in northern Pennsylvania and it gets cold) in the absence of electricity for a heated trough?
I know that I can get water to them one way or another but I want to try to keep the expense fairly low if possible and would like it to be as trouble free as possible. I'd sure appreciate any thoughts or opinions on what would work best for me.
GG
I suppose I could run electric over there but I'd rather do without if possible. I've considered pumping water up from a nearby small tributary stream with a solar pump, digging a small pond or drilling a well and using a solar pump to provide the water. I think that the water table in that area is fairly high so I don't think that the well would need to be terribly deep to provide enough fresh water for a few animals. Would a hand pump work? What about a well with a small windmill to bring the water up? What about keeping the trough from freezing in the wintertime (I live in northern Pennsylvania and it gets cold) in the absence of electricity for a heated trough?
I know that I can get water to them one way or another but I want to try to keep the expense fairly low if possible and would like it to be as trouble free as possible. I'd sure appreciate any thoughts or opinions on what would work best for me.
GG