Pasture Drinkers Anyone?

[RanchHQ]

I am thinking about replacing drinkers in the Pastures.
Does anyone have experience with Nelson, Peterson, etc, that they would like to share?
I am getting away from anything fence mounted and would prefer a two-bowl off of one base, if possible.
Thank you in advance.
P.S. Freezing not an issue, 103d today, 112d last week

[kennewman]

ranch, you ever use ritchie, mirafount???only ever used nelson stall mount . good stuff. the only downfall is if you want to monitor intake of a particular animal , there is little way to gauge. some ol' boy once said, no problem in the weather where he is, they will drink, or they will die. well, that kinda takes care of those concerns.

[Excess]

We have automatic waterers in our stalls and in our pastures. I have mixed feelings about it. Like someone said that they don't like them because you can't gage them. I also found that lots of people are lazy about checking them too. Not that this has ever happened, but I'd worry about them not working and people assuming that they do and then the horses getting thirsty. Also one downfall that I have seen, is that some horses (mine) that are exceptionally playful, will knock off the top and then play with the spout thing that the water comes out and has a field day with it. That being said it is nice to not worry about busting ice or cleaning it out that much or any of that. I really think its a matter of preference and what your priorities are.

[RanchHQ]

Excess says: "I really think its a matter of preference and what your priorities are."

My preference is to use automatic drinkers. My priorities are my horses.

I am in the somewhat enviable position to be paid to take care of not only my horses but those of the Corporation that ownes old Rancho Brown Fenco.

That said I have seen too many green water troughs, kicked over buckets, leaky pipe fittings, horses without fresh water and old bathtubs to last my Career.

I have used Automatic Drinkers, without any problems, for as long as I have worked in a climate that will allow their use.

Drinkers here are checked X2 daily and cleaned X1 weekly. Every horse here changes location X2/day so as they are moved their drinkers are checked.

After 10 years technology has caught up with their current drinkers and it looks like time for me to catch up with technology.

[red]

Pasture Drinkers? Ok, "Patron" with a squeeze of lime, and two ice cubes. Little glass. Only for special, and most of the time just plain lemonaide, for me.

Whuts the madder no skeeters, algae and dead squirrels for ya? I only have those rubbermade stock wadderers..one is 175 gallons, the other 6 are 75 gallons. I dump em every day, and scrub em with rock salt twice a month...so I am no help. Am much closer to the desert, then you are now, but what didja do when you were in New Mehico, working for Doc Kilmer? Gosh dang, the water in the automatic wadderers I used to have would heat up to over a hunnerd degrees, in the shade, and the ponies, did not drink as much as when the wadder was hot, as they should have...so I switched back to the dump em every day kind. I keep them filled to the tippy top, just in case we have an earthquake. Come to think about it, this feels like earthquake weather. I better go check em.


love,
red

[RanchHQ]

Doc Holiday had a very sophisticated system, buckets and garden hoses, and if you don't think this is a desert (w/Oak Trees) then you got summin comming.

Our newest addition; one of this years Maiden Heifers wasn't "Maiden":

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/RanchHQ/CALF1-1.jpg

[mp18D]

We have used 4 Mirafounts. They are problem free. A little more work to install, to make them freeze proof (it will get cold again...and the air will clear up, tooooo).
I think they are marketed by the Priefert folks, we got ours through the regional rep 2 or 3 years ago. We use the kind that has a bowl on each side. If the heifers are in one of those paddocks they use them just fine!

Are you having any pneumonia probs with all the smoke??

Mike

[RanchHQ]

Mike:

We only had bad smoke for 2 days, Wednesday and Thursday, last week.

We run Stockers here, from Rain to Last Water in the Creek, usually 50-60 Head.

The "Year-round" Herd consists of 2 Longhorns and now I notsoMaiden Heifer and her Bull Calf (pictured).

I guess to answer your question, noppers, lungs all sound good.

Thanks for the info on Mirafounts.

If I still had to use 175 Gal. Tubs I would invite red up here and toss her butt in one for her "weekly", but don't tell her, it might make her mad.

[FrancaV]

If I still had to use 175 Gal. Tubs I would invite red up here and toss her butt in one for her "weekly", but don't tell her, it might make her mad.LOL! You are bad. :D

[RanchHQ]

Well, if The Lovely and Gracious little red was not the kind and loving Sole that she is, and did not, at all times, display the Wit of Reba and the Wisdom of, well, Reba again, I would have been foolhardy to make such a statement.

[red]

I am only missing one thing, Ranch...da bank de Reba. Oh, that, and I can't sing.
hmmmm.

carumba.



love,
red

[Sue]

We have used 4 Mirafounts. They are problem free. A little more work to install, to make them freeze proof (it will get cold again...and the air will clear up, tooooo).
I think they are marketed by the Priefert folks, we got ours through the regional rep 2 or 3 years ago. We use the kind that has a bowl on each side. If the heifers are in one of those paddocks they use them just fine!

Are you having any pneumonia probs with all the smoke??

Mike

Its getting a little old. Blue skies here are starting to look like LA.