Bringing the water to the horse
Watering livestock in the summer months can be a difficult task. It is an even more onerous task during winter times when housed cattle need a constant supply of clean drinking water. Or it can be as easy as turning on the tap. As always, what makes farming tasks and your working life that bit easier is having the right tools for the job. At the Dandy’s Derrynoose we stock a fine selection of drinkers and water troughs to suit all farms, all livestock, and every farmer.
Animals in your care should never be left without water. Dry cows can consume up to 50-60 litres of H2o per day and beef cattle will consume as much as 20-25 litres every 24 hours. Lactating or milking cows particularly need to have constant access to water and up to 80-90% of the water needs of a milking cows come through their drinking water. If your milking cow does not get enough hydration, your production will be affected. They need a whopping 60 to 110 liters of water per day. Cattle can typically drink at the rate of 14 litres a minute from a trough. Sheep will drink about 8 to12 litres a day. Clearly, access to clean drinking water is essential for all farming stock. A local safe water source is a godsend for any farmer, but even if you have a river or lake nearby, accessing the water, particularly during a dry spell needs to be carefully planned. A trough which collects water, and which knocks on and off as the level of water fluctuates, keeping water always available for animals. Place the trough or water butt away gateways and roadway and keep it someplace handy for the herd. Allow trough space of 450mm per cow. Avoid high pressure ballcocks and check regularly that all ballcocks are working smoothly and allowing the water through unimpeded. Water for your livestock should always be kept pure and it is important to keep the trough itself clean and free of grime, dung, and other mess. This is why it is vital to purchase a trough that suits your needs and is practical to move, maintain and install.
The day of carrying buckets to the flock or the herd are long gone. A well-functioning water trough is a must for all livestock farmers. From the JFC micro drinker to the more heavy-duty animal drinking troughs, here at the Dandy’s Derrynoose, we supply a range of animal drinkers to suit all needs and at reasonable prices. Quality and quantity guaranteed, as always. JFC are an Irish owned family group who specialise in supplying farmers with high quality, safe and functional water troughs for over 30 years. JFC Agri understand the importance of providing livestock with fresh, clean, and easily accessible drinking water. They have conducted consultation with agricultural specialists and listened to the needs of farmers to develop an extensive range of water troughs. Here at the stores, we have the tough, polyethylene, impact resistant fast filling oval water trough. The Oval Fast-Fill Water Trough DT1000FF from JFC Agri has an easy to access service lid. The trough is fitted with the fast-fill float valve which comes with a 3/4-inch connection and can deliver up to 175L/min. This particular model was designed to withstand heavy use, but there is an extensive range of innovative troughs available in a variety of shapes and sizes that are easy to transport, install and service.
Call into the stores today and have a chat about which water trough or drinker is best for your own needs and kick that old bucket where it belongs.
