livestock water heaters

[chrisdvorak]

I am looking for some advice on what you guys use from keeping your livestock water from freezing, i have a barn with electricity but do not want to run up a huge bill for having a heater going 24/7 and i do not have nor have the money to install a frost free hydrant. i have chickens with a self watering can and cows with a plastic tub, any suggestions?

 

[RichZ]

For my goats and sheep, I use 15 gallon heated tubs that TSC has for the best price. For my horses, I use a submersable heater that I put in their 50 gallon stock tank. That's also cheapest at TSC.

 

[valley]

We use 5gal heated plastic buckets, we have fewer goats that you Rich.
Richard

 

[RichZ]

The 5 gallon buckets are fine, but make sure they are someplace where the goats can't knock them over. Goats play rough with each other and can easily knock a 5 gallon bucket over, heck mine sometimes knock their 15 gallon buckets over, even when they're filled with water. Make sure the buckets turn off if the water dumps out of them. Any new heated bucket should do that, but I'm not sure about old ones.

 

[Soundguy]

I use floats that are heaters with thermostats.. they only run when temps hit freezing.. never had a tank freeze solid across a top yet.. always a couple foot hole around the float for the animals to drink from..

soundguy

 

[windy acers]

Use a the smallest rubbermade tank and heater that installs through drain plug from TSC. Bolt the tank to a fence post on a fence line and run the cord and plug on your side.The heaters have thermostates that keep the water above 40 degrees and are inexpencive to run.Use a gruond falt plug.

 

[Rusty]

Use a the smallest rubbermade tank and heater that installs through drain plug from TSC.

I have no experience with chickens or cows. For horses, I have a 50 gal. RubberMaid tank w/drain plug heater from TSC. The entire tank sets inside an Styrofoam insulated wood box. I cut a single round hole in the box cover that accepts a cut down 5 gal. plastic bucket with a large hole cut in the bottom. I have no data on electricity savings, but I am sure the insulated box and reduced water surface exposure is reducing electricity usage, considerably. The box cover can be lifted off to clean the tank. I do have to put the bucket back into the box cover at times, as the horses lift it out when they get bored.

 

[chrisdvorak]

can you see a big difference in you electricity bill by using these heaters?

 

[Rusty]

can you see a big difference in you electricity bill by using these heaters?

My heater is thermostatically controlled and the box has 1" of styrofoam insulation on all sides. My electricity bill averages 257 KWH higher per month during the heating months. Some of that increase is from the tank heater. Some of the increase is from three bucket heaters in an unheated barn, more lights on for more hours per day, and the furnace blower motor running more.

 

[sal64]

hello i use beat juice after boiling the beat the juice remaines i mix with water and water doesnt freeze as easy .naturaly i eat the beats and chickens love the juice.

 

[DennisArrow]

We use these with our goats:

Heated 16-Gallon Tub - Heated Bowls

Yes, a bit pricey but well worth it. 16 gal, 250 watt, auto shut off, and tip over........

The shut off is 42 degrees which is perfect. Goats use to much energy drinking cold water and then their bodies heating it up. Kills weight gain

We have a 20 amp circuit down at the barn so my wife has to be careful as to what she uses. When it isnt COLD she unplugs them. Cold meaning low to mid 20's........

Anyway, works for us, we use 3 of them.........Dennis

 

[Duffster]

hello i use beat juice after boiling the beat the juice remaines i mix with water and water doesnt freeze as easy .naturaly i eat the beats and chickens love the juice.

Good idea!

 

[windy acers]

My electric from last season on 75 gal tank with heater in bottom was dec 08-23.91 jan 09-24.82 feb-18.70 mar-09 9.42 . this is for heater only in ohio for 7 cows. I did not check the kwh.

 

[Soundguy]

can you see a big difference in you electricity bill by using these heaters?

It's not a 1500w heater like the ones you buy for your bathroom.. it just keeps the water around it just above freezing to prevent an ice over that will turn animals away.

I also install a ground rod at my tanks, and run a ground strap into the water just incase of electrical fault, as it will hit the strap not the animal, and then pop the breaker/fuse.. etc.

this can also prevent ground loops that may cause tingle.. cows usually ignore it.. but horses won't drink out of a waterer that tingles their nose/lips..

soundguy

 

[AKwelder]

we just had a 20 below cold snap, ended on thanksgiving. I have my horses at the inlaws, and the electric bill could be a sore topic.

I have a 160 gallon water tank in a wooden box and 4 inches of styrofoam on all sides. I have a 4 inch thick lid for 3/4 of the top, and run a thermostat controlled 1000 watt heater.

At zero the tank will take 3 days to crust over with ice

good luck

 

[chrisdvorak]

I think i will get a 16 gallon heated tank at TSC for the pasture and maybe get two smaller ones to go in both stalls and see how it goes

 

[QRTRHRS]

I think i will get a 16 gallon heated tank at TSC for the pasture and maybe get two smaller ones to go in both stalls and see how it goes

If you intend to hang the smaller ones on the wall, I would stabilize them with some kind of bucket holder.

For horses, I like to hang the bucket on a hook with an adjustable holder. The holder is a flat metal adjustable band that goes through a short piece of pipe welded to a flange. The flange is secured to the wall. When you pick up the bucket to clean it, the holder simply drops to the wall allowing me to dump any dirty water to another container.

The thing with horses is that you need to keep excess power cord to a limit and also cover the cord as much as possible. I don't know if cows get bored or not?