As grazing season approaches, we think of two things – fencing and water for the livestock. Stock-watering solutions for mob/rotational grazing require an extra degree of creativity, so we like to provide examples that you might be able to adapt to your own operation. So, here’s Greg Judy in a 7:40 video describing a temporary water tank set up he’s perfected over the years. These pastures have pressurized county water that Greg uses for the limited time his cattle are there. He uses hoses and 3/4 inch polyethylene tubing and high quality hoses to bring the water from the source to the tank in the pasture.
The reason this is called a “Fail-Proof” waterer is that Greg has made improvements to his system to solve all the problems he encountered along the way. Fiberglass posts hold the tank in place and keep cattle from knocking it over. Sidewalls from earth moving tires surround the tub to keep cattle from muddying up the ground around the tank. He uses the best valves and hoses he can buy because, though they’re not cheap, they’re cheaper than the $300 to $400 water bills he might get when cheaper versions break in the middle of the night. Finally, he protects both the tub and his hoses with a little bit of electric fence. It keeps the cattle from climbing into the tank and breaking valves, and keeps them from stepping on and harming the hoses.
Check out his set up and see if something similar might work for you!
Transcript
I used to transcribe these by hand for On Pasture readers. But now, Youtube offers this service. If you’d rather read a transcript, you can click on “Show More” on the video description and Youtube will pop the transcript up in a sidebar that you can scroll through and read. How about that for a labor-saving device?! 🙂
Want More?
If you’d like to see more videos from Greg, check out his youtube channel. He’s got loads of very helpful instructional videos. You can also sign up to get emails from Green Pastures farm to stay up-to-date on events, grazing schools, and more.
Greg offers grazing schools every spring (and sometimes in the fall too). You can find out more here. I think Greg’s school are an inexpensive, extremely effective way to learn what you need to know to be a profitable, successful grazier and to add to your skill set.
