Watering individual pens

Johnsey

How do lads water individual lambing pens ? Looking to set something handy up to save time during lambing . Any ideas welcome

rancher

Johnsey wrote: »

How do lads water individual lambing pens ? Looking to set something handy up to save time during lambing . Any ideas welcome

Haven't done it myself, but a sewerage pipe with a stopper on both ends and filled with a hose seems to work well. Cut out hole for the ewe to drink in every pen and put it along the back of the pens. naturally enough it would have to be level
found a picture
http://www.farmersguardian.com/Pictures/inline/s/i/t/Sheep_Chillington3.jpg

Wooly Admirer

I've seen this done with a ballcock fitted also, so they never need to fill it. We just set up an open top blue barrel in the middle of the lambing pens, fit a ballcock on it so its always full. Last year bought a heap of cheap plastic 1 gallon buckets from this crowd http://www.alpack.ie/Plastic_Buckets__Pots_Tamper_Evident/Default.24.html

When you have plenty of buckets and water close-by, I find its a quick job.

grassroot1

Did the same as you Wooly, if you have the buckets and a full barrel of water it is pretty quick to water all. the piggery in Kildalton is where I saw the sewer pipe used first, a tank outside with a ballcock set the height for the water in the sewer pipe. You have to ensure the pipe is fairly level and the holes in top to drink through are all the same depth.

Lano Lynn

agree with woolies barrel,I use old mineral lick buckets (broad n stable in the pen) feed nuts(cobs) on the floor of the pen then bucket of water in sheep drink then bucket out otherwise sheep WILL knock it over wetting bedding increasing disease risk n proceed to break bucket.

would like to set auto drinker (sewer pipe) for at least some pens on the to do list for several years:o

paddysdream

Something similar to most on here.Very basic-just a mineral lick bucket or 2 and fill from trough in shed(large cattle one) and pour into buckets in pens.5 mins. twice a day would do 20 or 30 pens.No need to overfill buckets as;

Sheep just either sh*t in them
knock them over
lambs drown in them(very rare,just 1 or 2 bas**rds)
lambs fall in ,get wet and pi**es off farmer
Ewe breaks bucket
Anything else that can go wrong.

Often thought about the sewer pipe thing but problems are;

How high;sheep on straw not slats so bed rises
Freezing.
Hitting it cleaning out shed
Use temp. pens here in shed ie steel creels and move them depending on amount and where needed.So having permanent cut outs might not work for me.
Does it get dirty and how to clean inside?

Nekarsulm

Same idea, have a wheelie bin with a ball cock in it. And a collection of buckets, split 5 gallon drums, etc.

Western Pomise

Use the smaller galvanised buckets, place them in circular ring holder few inches off ground which hangs out of side of each pen,stops lambs entering buckets but ewes still S**t in them,use a garden watering can to fill them twice a day during lambing.