No Freeze With Winter Waterer

2016 - Volume #40, Issue #1, Page #40

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Steve Kenyon gets freeze-free winter water for his cow herd by placing a submersible pump in a nearby pond. He controls shutoff and ensures drained waterlines by limiting fuel in a portable generator that powers the pump.

    “I fill the generator tank half full so when it runs out, the pump stops and any water in the line drains back into the pond,” says Kenyon.

    The simple system is aided by the steep slope between the stock tank in the nearby pasture and the pond with the pump. Kenyon mounts the end of the water line above one end of the tank. At the pond, the water line is insulated at water level by a pack of straw bales.

    Two strands of hot wire and a ground between the end of the water line and the cattle keep them from interfering with the hose. Having the electric fence over the tank also keeps his cattle trained to electric fences. While he has trained his cattle to eat snow, he prefers them having access to water.

    “In the winter, snow acts as an insulator, and a single cross wire doesn’t zap the cows like it does in the summer,” explains Kenyon. “As they push and shove around a water tank, they touch both hot wires and the ground, and it zaps them, reminding them to not touch the flimsy cross wire.”

    When they are in winter grazing areas without a water tank, Kenyon sets hay bales across a two or three wire perimeter fence as a training aid. “The cows will get zapped when trying to reach them,” says Kenyon. “It keeps them trained.”

    These concepts are among those he has developed for his farm-based business. He does custom grazing and feeding and direct-markets grass-fed meat to consumers. He also teaches intensive grazing techniques and mentors other farmers and ranchers in grazing and other elements of sustainable agriculture.

    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Kenyon, Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd., P.O. Box 188 Busby, Alberta Canada T0G 0H0 (ph 780 307-6500; skenyon@greenerpasturesranching.com;

www.greenerpasturesranching.com).

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No Freeze With Winter Waterer LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment Steve Kenyon gets freeze-free winter water for his cow herd by placing a submersible pump in a nearby pond He controls shutoff and ensures drained waterlines by limiting fuel in a portable generator that powers the pump
    “I fill the generator tank half full so when it runs out the pump stops and any water in the line drains back into the pond ” says Kenyon
    The simple system is aided by the steep slope between the stock tank in the nearby pasture and the pond with the pump Kenyon mounts the end of the water line above one end of the tank At the pond the water line is insulated at water level by a pack of straw bales
    Two strands of hot wire and a ground between the end of the water line and the cattle keep them from interfering with the hose Having the electric fence over the tank also keeps his cattle trained to electric fences While he has trained his cattle to eat snow he prefers them having access to water
    “In the winter snow acts as an insulator and a single cross wire doesn’t zap the cows like it does in the summer ” explains Kenyon “As they push and shove around a water tank they touch both hot wires and the ground and it zaps them reminding them to not touch the flimsy cross wire ”
    When they are in winter grazing areas without a water tank Kenyon sets hay bales across a two or three wire perimeter fence as a training aid “The cows will get zapped when trying to reach them ” says Kenyon “It keeps them trained ”
    These concepts are among those he has developed for his farm-based business He does custom grazing and feeding and direct-markets grass-fed meat to consumers He also teaches intensive grazing techniques and mentors other farmers and ranchers in grazing and other elements of sustainable agriculture
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Steve Kenyon Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd P O Box 188 Busby Alberta Canada T0G 0H0 ph 780 307-6500; skenyon@greenerpasturesranching com;
www greenerpasturesranching com

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