watering cows

[whistlepig]

I am thinking about buying a beef cow or two. I have everything I need except water. No water or no electric close to where the cows could be. The thought of hauling water and dumping the water trough every day in freezing weather is holding me back. I am not wanting to dig a pond. Have I optioned myself out? We have horses and automatic water for them. But we don't want the cows running with the horses. Road apples much easier to clean up than cow patties.

 

[Kfbeal]

How far is the water access away?

 

[whistlepig]

400 yards.

 

[dave1949]

If drilling a well is possible, I can think of two options, freeze proof hand pump (Bison Pumps, Houlton, Maine) or if the well is not over 100' deep to the static water level, there are solar electric driven pumps that will pump to that depth.

You can still get the old Aeromotor windmills - very pricey.

If your water table supports it, a dug well maybe 20' deep might work. That would take a decent excavator operator a couple hours to dig (assuming no bedrock) I think.

None of these are cheap options, sorry.

Dave.

 

[whistlepig]

We do have an open well on our place. It's in the field that the cattle would run. Fenced off like Fort Knox and overgrown with wild rose it is. But I can see the water in it when I brush hog this field. A very long way from electric. At least a thousand yards.

 

[dave1949]

We do have an open well on our place. It's in the field that the cattle would run. Fenced off like Fort Knox and overgrown with wild rose it is. But I can see the water in it when I brush hog this field. A very long way from electric. At least a thousand yards.

That's a great advantage to have that well. I don't know how much water a couple cattle need, I have seen producing cows take a 3 gal. bucket in one slurp, but if you can work a hand pump, they claim the Bison pumps will not freeze up.

Maybe you could put a wood cover over it to support the well head and lift pipe/cylinder.

They are made from stainless steel. Lehman's in Kidron, OH sells them, they don't usually sell junk.

I had a dug well on my lot, it was way off in the corner, about 15' from the road and I could never make use of it. I pulled it in with the backhoe. It was a shame as it was a really nice rock lined well that always had water. Just afraid a child would fall in it someday.

Dave.

 

[whistlepig]

That's a great advantage to have that well. I don't know how much water a couple cattle need, I have seen producing cows take a 3 gal. bucket in one slurp, but if you can work a hand pump, they claim the Bison pumps will not freeze up.

Maybe you could put a wood cover over it to support the well head and lift pipe/cylinder.

They are made from stainless steel. Lehman's in Kidron, OH sells them, they don't usually sell junk.

I had a dug well on my lot, it was way off in the corner, about 15' from the road and I could never make use of it. I pulled it in with the backhoe. It was a shame as it was a really nice rock lined well that always had water. Just afraid a child would fall in it someday.

Dave.

The open well scares me too. We have a neighbor with three young girls just across the fence. But these are farm girls. I do know about good watering systems. We have Nelson waterer here for the horses. I just can't get the cows to it.

 

[schmism]

The open well scares me too.

put a proper removable cap on with a solar powered small pump and it would be easy to pump water a few hundred yards.

 

[deere755]

My brother in law hauls water to his cattle and uses a solar heater to keep the water from freezing in the winter.

 

[Western]

My brother in law hauls water to his cattle and uses a solar heater to keep the water from freezing in the winter.

Bingo!! easiest, fastest way.

You may consider a plastic tank, plumbed to the trough with a float. then fill the main tank 1 or 2 times a week versus every day.