Thirsty Cows Need Their Water

A few days ago, Glenn attached the household water system to the old, underground  pipe which begins at the first spring and ends in the basement of the house.

When we first moved to the farm in '89, we use to get our household water from that spring.  During that time, the water was pumped from the spring-filled reservoir; uphill 800 feet through the underground pipe to the house.  A portion of the spring water filled a nearby stock tank via a second, smaller pipe.  The surplus water flowed into a creek.  The spring was sufficient to provide adequate water for the herd and to provide us with our household water needs.  Until....

A few years back, our annual drought was worse than previous years and the spring went dry.  We had to drill a well, and fast.

Initially, that well was questionable, at best, in providing all our household water (that is a story for another time). The well is very adequate, in terms of quantity, now.

herd coming to the stock tank

 

The spring came back in time and it is still used to fill the stock tank; although, it no longer provides our household water.  Most times, the spring furnishes ample water for the cattle.  That is until the drought and the high temperatures arrive mid-summer; and the animals' need for water increases.

slurpin'

If the entire herd visits this stock tank at the same time, the tank is rapidly drained, leaving the cows needing more water.  The slow spring flow into the tank cannot keep up with the water intake of the herd - gallons and gallons.  An adult cow can drink 10 gallons at one visit and as much as 25 gallons during the course of the day.  That is a lot of water.  I can watch the water level drop within the tank as just one cow drinks.  Now, multiply that by 50 cows and the 500 gallon stock tank is empty in minutes; leaving some of those cows wondering where their fair shares went as they try to lick the wetness at the bottom of the tank.

Then, Glenn had an 'aha' moment.  That pipe from the spring to the house still exists.  If it is reconnected at the house, the stock tank can be filled faster utilizing the household well, when necessary, with just a turn of a valve.  The cattle will be satisfied.  And, the spring will eventually catch-up. So, Glenn made that reconnection.

old spring box covering the location where the spring actually exits the ground

We are pleased to share our water with our cattle.  Maybe the laundry will not get done that day (oh, well - no pun intended this time) since we need to be cautious with our own water usage, but we will not have any cows suffering from dehydration either.  A thirsty cow is not a happy cow, and we want all of our cows to be happy!