Planning and Installing our 700 gallon water trough.

[jmc]

Sometimes I use the iPhone timer as a reminder to shut something off, if I can remember to set it.

 

[ovrszd]

Growing up, we had a tank just like that. Ours had a fence splitting it in half. Filled it with the windmill. My chore was to turn on/turn off the windmill and drain the pipe. Windmill was downhill from the tank location. Pipe dug and buried by hand. Had a drain on the pumpjack that drained the pipe. I'd like to have a penny for every gallon of water that windmill pumped. Aeromotor brand. Pumped water for 30 years before technology replaced it.

 

[MutzFarm]

Another interesting part of the two watering stations. They were both hand dug - rock lined - wells. About 4 feet in diameter. Water level in both was about 16 feet down from the surface. Both were right at 24 feet deep. So I guess it means they must have been dug in the winter during the lowest water level.

Still - I can't imagine how cold it must have been. Twenty four feet down - standing in water - rocking the last few feet of the dug well. If these two wells were dug during the time of homesteading around here - it would have been the 1880's or early 1890's.

WOW !!!!

 

[MutzFarm]

Why the galvanized steel tank? Where I grew up everybody is using used industrial tires on a concrete pad. Not susceptible to the cows leaning in, i.e. a permanent solution that does not cost much more. You can get various sizes but a 13' diameter and 2+ inch thick rubber wall will stand up to a lot of abuse. Of course you do not have freezing to worry about and maybe you do not have that many cattle that they start pushing each other around near the tank.

We dont have to worry much bout freezing. You can ALMOST just lay the water line on the ground year round and it wont freeze. We bounce between a dozen and 3 dozen head depending on the market prices. As long as it is full no problems. As we waited for them to finish off the old one we now hope there is not holes in it as the did step in to finish it off. Hunting down a tire that big and doing all that needs to be probably wouldnt been much different in the cost. The old galvanized one is still good. Just been there for over a decade and was used when we got it. I didnt want to move it and surprise the bottom falls out.

 

[MutzFarm]

We are now on our third location for our trough, and hopefully this is where it will stay. There is a lot of thought, and and also what the animals do, that goes into where to put it. My faucet to fill my trough is now in the wrong spot, so I'm going to dig down to the line, install a T, and then install another faucet over the trough so that when it's filling, it will make a lot of noise and you will see the water going from the spicket into the tank. For me, I think that will solve my forgetting to turn off the water issue. Since both my wife and I both suffer from this, it needs to be done.

I strongly believe in trenching and installing pipe versus long lengths of multiple water hoses. We use the float. Like $20. I will find you a link. Also threw in a old volleyball so you can see the level from a distance. Need a basketball though. Due to color it would be easier to see. When using water hoses we are hardcore fans of Gilmore. As long as you dont damage the ends they last forever. We run them over with vehicles, machines, etc.

Float for water trough.
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Water hose. We have tried many. Even the commercial ones from the local box store and the farm and ranch store. Just dont last.
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[MutzFarm]

Sometimes I use the iPhone timer as a reminder to shut something off, if I can remember to set it.

Yup. Dop it on our droids. Turn it off and plan to go over there as soon as I am done with....... Guess what the lake has begun again.

 

[MutzFarm]

Growing up, we had a tank just like that. Ours had a fence splitting it in half. Filled it with the windmill. My chore was to turn on/turn off the windmill and drain the pipe. Windmill was downhill from the tank location. Pipe dug and buried by hand. Had a drain on the pumpjack that drained the pipe. I'd like to have a penny for every gallon of water that windmill pumped. Aeromotor brand. Pumped water for 30 years before technology replaced it.

WOW !!!! Thats another good story.