// water management //

How to Set Up a Fail-Proof Temporary Waterer for Farm Animals 

Get ideas for temporary water structures to ensure livestock have the resources they need in the hot summer months.
Tags: Article, Video

To build a temporary watering system on his ranch, Greg Judy, Green Pastures Farm, Rucker, Missouri, uses 3/4-inch polyethylene tubing and high-quality hoses to bring the water from the source to the tank in the pasture.  

Fiberglass posts hold the tank in place and keep cattle from knocking it over. Sidewalls from earth moving tires surround the tub to keep cattle from muddying up the ground around the tank. He also “armored” the tub with a little bit of electric fence. It keeps the cattle from climbing into the tank and breaking valves, as well as keeps them from stepping on and harming the hoses.  

Judy does use better valves and hoses, and even though they aren’t cheap, they are less expensive than $300 to $400 water bills that result if cheaper versions break.  

Watch Greg Judy of Green Pastures farm discuss temporary watering systems.

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Additional Resources

Watch NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) winner profiles. See how the beef industry showcases its stewardship, conservation and business practices that work together on farms and ranches.

Blair Brothers Angus Ranch – South Dakota

Gracie Creek – Nebraska

Beatty Canyon Ranch – Colorado

JY Ferry & Son, Inc. – Utah

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