The term waterer is primarily used in agriculture, livestock, horses, and cattle communities to refer to an apparatus used to water the animals. In most cases, a waterer implies some automation. These are usually referred to as automatic waterers.
An authentic and continuous supply of good quality water is integral to any livestock farm or business. Even if you run a ranch or a cattle farm or simply raise cattle, bison, horses, sheep, and other animals, you need to ensure freshwater delivery all around the year. But this becomes challenging in winter when all the water streams or other standing water sources freeze.
If you are raising beef cattle and other livestock, Low water consumption sedates the growth and could prove to be detrimental to your animal’s health. While in the case of dairy cows and the ones with calves, milk production is adversely affected. However, traditional options for watering livestock have severe limitations. Ponds, lakes, and other standing water sources are often far away, may not be clean enough, or may freeze in the winter, thus inconvenient for livestock hydration.
Water Requirements
When considering installing a winter water supply system, it is necessary to understand the amount of water an animal needs during the coldest months of the year. Factors like ambient temperature, feed humidity, body size, and level of milk production have a significant impact on the water intake of an animal. Talking about winters, on a 40 ° F December day, a cow will drink about 11 gallons, which is relatively more minor than the water requirement of the same cow in summer.
Automatic/Electric Waterers
Automatic livestock waterer is a technological innovation of the modern era. This has made it more convenient to water the livestock even in freezing temperatures. These mechanical electricity-operated waterers require an easy installation and a continuous supply of power only. The logic behind this device is that this apparatus uses a heating element responsible for generating heat and preventing the water from freezing. The power requirement of an automatic waterer may range from 250 watts to 900 watts, depending upon your need and selected device. Also, the style and shape of the device hold crucial importance as it should be harmless, i.e., its corners should not be sharp as sharp corners can harm your animal.
The automatic waterer is reliable and safe from electric shocks as the electricity delivered to this device commonly runs underground; also, it comes up from underneath the unit. These plastic waterers feature a safe bowl with standing water, the flow of which is commonly regulated by a float valve (like the one in the flush). When the water level drops in the bowl, the valve reopens, and the water is refilled. Afterward, the water supplied to the bowl is heated automatically to prevent it from freezing. The main feature of this device is that water in the bowl is always visible, and you can inspect it anytime.
Why Install An Electric Waterer
Electricity has eased our lives with its wonders. One should benefit from all the facilities available. In essence, electric waterers use electricity to heat the water so that it does not freeze. In short, training and implementation are as easy as placing a heating element inside the bowl or tank. Some basic and most common benefits of using electric waterers are:
- Convenience
- Zero training
- Swift Implementation
Are you looking for livestock waterers? SPI Plastics can help; Get in touch with us today.