Low-Cost No Freeze Cattle Waterer

Low-Cost No Freeze Cattle Waterer LIVESTOCK Beef 20-1-32 You can make an inexpensive "no freeze" cattle waterer using components found on any farm, says Hugh C. Masson, Emo, Ontario, who's pleased with his low-tech waterer design after four winters of use. It makes use of the idea that running water won't freeze. "This idea will only work where you have a heated building nearby your pasture but it's cheap to set up and is relatively trouble-free. Our house is fairly close to our pasture, where we have a small herd of 12 head. Here's what I did: "I put a barrel fitted with a float valve in our basement and hooked it up to our house-hold water system. Then I ran a 1 1/4-in. dia. plastic pipe from the basement barrel to a water trough out on pasture that's made out of a 45-gal. barrel cut in half. I welded a 1-in. pipe near the top of the trough and fit the 1 1/4-in. plastic pipe to it. Then I put a small (200 gph) submersible pump in the barrel in the basement and ran a small 3/8-in. dia. water line from that pump, out through the center of the larger 1 1/4-in. dia. pipe to the water trough in the field. "The constant flow of water through the smaller hose keeps water in the larger hose from freezing. And when catle aren't drinking, the surplus drains down through the 1 1/4-in. hose back to the barrel in the basement. "I wrapped the pipe with foam insulation to help stop the freezing. On cold days there's some ice on the surface but there's always an open spot that the incoming water keeps clear. As cattle start drinking, they melt the ice away. The only time it froze over was when we had one straight week of 30 to 40? below zero. When temps went back up to zero, the ice melted. "This setup is so trouble-free, I decided to let the water run all summer, too. The circulation of water seems to keep algae from forming in the trough. "After testing this idea for four winters, I think I can say that it really works. I'll be happy to answer questions by phone or show visitors how it works." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hugh C. Masson, Box 59, Emo, Ontario P0W 1E0 Canada (ph 807 487-2663).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.