Watering Cattle from a Pond

[Spike56]

What about a windmill?

Doug in SW IA

Possible. Last time I looked at one of these (for aeration) they were ($$) and even worse, the amount of concrete you need to install /protect from getting blown over. My neighbor has one and finally gave up on it due to the maintenance. Although he installed his with a concrete pad, so it was stable, he is getting too old to climb up to grease / maintenance issues. He told me the diaphragm / pump had lots of troubles? So, I am shying away from a windmill idea.

 

[Spike56]

Are you fencing the pond off? They get in it to cool off. We do well water for drinking. They have a pond, but they prefer clean water to drink. Weight gain will prove it. Our pond is big and has a live stream feeding it so it's pretty fresh. But I wouldn't want animals drinking from a stagnant runoff pond. I do not have any cattle myself, gave them away. I live alone now. But I'm in on over 3,000 momma cow herd I take care of. Probably closer to 3500.

There are areas I would like to fence off. No one anywhere around here has "fresh" water for cattle. I would like to recirculate the trough water but it would not be "fresh" per say. The water is as good as it gets here.

 

[Spike56]

Siphon system if you have an elevation change that works for you on your property?
Drain system to a float valve?
If you ahve to have an elevevation change then a small generator to run a centrifugal pump to a fill a cistern that then fills a stock tank with float valve by gravity.
Or solar pumping to the cistern, then to stock tank via a float valve.
As @ponytug mentions above, a pump controller (Linear current booster/DC to DC converter) will aid a solar pumping during cloudy conditions or at dawn and dusk. A pump controller will give you anywhere from 20% to 50% more water under low light conditions.

No chance for a Siphon system. I do not want a generator back there. This system would have to be solar. Perhaps this is not practical? Just not sure. I do not need anything fancy / too expensive. There are only about 40 head to water, and they have a couple other small ponds. They are wreaking havoc on the banks, so I need to fence it off.
If you have cattle, you know they make a path and will wear it down. With the wrong (like mine) type of soil it will start to erode pretty bad.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

There are areas I would like to fence off.lm No one anywhere around here has "fresh water for cattle. I would like to recirculate the trough water but it wouldi not be "fresh" per say. The water is as good as it gets here.

Oh, do you have to drink it too? Or do you buy water? I remember in Alaska seeing people buy water, driving a truck with a tank on the flatbed. You put money in and had like a gas pump hose that flowed water. We used it a few times to fill water cans.

 

[Spike56]

Oh, do you have to drink it too? Or do you buy water? I remember in Alaska seeing people buy water, driving a truck with a tank on the flatbed. You put money in and had like a gas pump hose that flowed water. We used it a few times to fill water cans.

Roustabout,
Guess I have not defined this project very well. This project is to provide water "up the bank" for cattle. It is approximately 1/4 mile from the house. Piping water or running electricity to the site is not a realistic option due to trees, ravines, fence lines, and other problematic circumstances to branch off either power or especially water.
No, we do not drink this water. I would be able, depending on the $$ to add large cattle through near the pond on one side. There are several good places on flat ground say.... 6' lift from the water level. That's really all I was asking if anyone had done something similar using solar. If so, what their experience has been and what they purchased.
I will not do anything that is not reasonably self-maintaining. That is, I am not going to run back and forth with fuel for a generator, for example. But the solar option may be too expensive I do not know.

 

[LouNY]

A small gas powered pump, filling several watering tubs will work. It does requireing pumping a couple of times every day depending on how much water trough and the number of cows.

it is a time consuming pain but is an inexpensive method, we use a foot valve on the end of the suction line to make for faster priming after the first time. A floating bucket or barrel will keep the suction line out of the mud.

 

[Egon]

Depending on the required amount of water needed.A small solar pump running continuously with an overflow line from the trough back to the pond??

Or else a small windmill set up as above.

 

[Cycledude]

Some pictures showing the pond and the cattle might help

40 head that’s quite a bit of water

 

[oosik]

My neighbor has two remote solar powered water pumps. Up out of two old hand dug wells and into water troughs. So... I know the necessary hardware is available.

BTW - you should also consider how you will get the cows to convert from the pond to the new trough. They may just prefer the old pond.

 

[CobyRupert]

You need numbers.

How many gallons a day do you need?

How much sunshine can you expect? Duration and frequency? Maximum duration without sun?
How much pumped water storage is there, to hold over, between sunshine pumping events?

Without a battery, you need to pump and store all the water needed for that duration until next sun event.
I think it means a larger pump and more solar panels are required for short pumping durations. It also means that excess solar beyond what is required to fill the tank is discarded….unless pumped water is stored.

I think storing excess solar energy (either as “pumped water” or in a battery) and making a smaller pump flow for a longer time duration is more practical.

It’s like pulling a 5 ton trailer (1250 gallons) up a hill. You might need 400hp if you want to do it in 60 seconds, but a 1/2 hp motor will also do if you have all day.