![]() However, if winter temperatures are extreme, in the single digits for example, an energy-efficient or continuous-flow model might be a better option. Most of these units are designed for an optimum number of 25-50 animals.Ĭlimate - Most energy-free models (when adjusted properly) will not freeze. ![]() To help with the decision process, Welch suggests considering the following factors:Īnimal numbers - Will your pasture be empty or will you carry animals thru winter? If there are only a few animals and temperatures drop, they may not drink often enough to prevent an energy-free unit from freezing. "If our pastures came together in a central location, we could have installed a simpler layout for even less." ![]() "If we had dug our own trenches, laid our own pipes, and did our own plumbing, we could have reduced that cost to less than $900 per unit," says Welch. To install five waterers on 50 acres in 2006, Welch spent about $7,000 for plumbing, pipes, and trenching. Geotextile fabric topped with gravel or concrete washout can also provide a stable surface around waterers. In addition, because cattle congregate near water sources, waterers will need to be placed on a concrete pad. Waterers should be placed near a fence line, possibly somewhere visible, for ease of inspection. Installing the waterers themselves is not simple either and may require a professional touch. Water lines need to be run and buried below the freeze line to every waterer. The real costs, Welch points out, lie in the installation expenses. "They're easy to justify when you figure you won't need to buy any more water tanks, hoses or axe handles." "The waterers themselves are relatively inexpensive, usually less than $700 or so," says Welch. "Continuous flow" models are also available, Welch explains, and prevent freezing by running water continuously through the container, with the surplus flowing into a drainage setup.īefore putting waterers into a pasture, Welch recommends planning carefully and making note of potential installation costs. "If just a few animals, there's a greater likelihood you're going to need a heated waterer." "If you have a lot of animals on a single waterer, you reduce the chance that it will freeze because there's enough water flow to keep them functional," says Welch. Producers with smaller operations should keep this in mind when researching automatic waterer brands and models. Energy-free models are also more likely to freeze if they are not used by a certain minimum number of animals, says Welch. These waterers are insulated heavily and use a low-drain electric heating system.įor either energy free or efficient models, supplemental heat sources may be needed to prevent freezing in extended periods of cold. It should be pointed out, though, that "energy efficient" models are also produced. In regards, to "energy-free," Welch clarifies this means no electricity is necessary to operate the waterer or prevent freezing. "We didn't want to use electricity, so we looked at only 'energy-free' models, designed to resist freezing without electricity," says Welch. Many designs of livestock waterers exist, Welch explains, "They're all basically the same: a drinking reservoir fills automatically when a valve is triggered by a declining water level." "It fits the animals and it dramatically cuts down on the time one has to spend dealing with water situations." "It's incredibly convenient to have automatic waterers," says Welch. A small flock of chickens complete the farm animal menagerie. To improve water access across the property for his livestock, he placed waterers in each pasture and tested the tested the units over a course of four seasons with his mixed bag herd of livestock which currently includes 15 cattle, 120 sheep, 20 goats, one mule, and two donkeys. Using a grass-based, organic management-style on his operation, Welch rotationally grazes his animals on approximately 50-acres of pastures which are split into a 6-paddock grid. Bryan Welch took a systematic approach to evaluate the pros and cons of a variety of companies' waterers purchasing five units of assorted brands to install across his farm.
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