While it was normal 25 years ago for cattle to spend the winter in corrals handy to the house, it is now becoming increasingly common for them to stay in the pasture or grain fields close to the feed.
Although there isn’t always water nearby in these situations, an assistant agriculture fieldman with Camrose County in Alberta says he is helping producers develop ways to water their cattle in fields during the winter.
“We’ve found out how to get the feed to them cheaply out on the range, but we still have to supply a water source for them and that’s where the winter watering aspect is really taking off,” Dave Trautman said.
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Supplying water to cattle on pasture is easy and cheap if there is access to electricity. If electricity isn’t available using solar panels to keep batteries charged enough to pump water from a well or dugout seems to work well, Trautman said.
“It’s a feasible way where you do not have electricity available to you and you do not have any other choice because of the theft of generators.”
Trautman said farm water solar systems can range from $2,000 to $7,000 depending on the size of the cattle operation.
Through the county office, Trautman has five solar pumping systems available to farmers to see if the system is feasible for their operation. Since working with portable solar water systems, he has learned a few tricks:
- Use the smallest water holding tank possible, about 75 gallons. In the beginning, Trautman used large white poly tanks. In the summer the water would almost start to boil and turn rancid because the water became so hot from the sun. Smaller tanks keep the water fresh.
- Keep the water system at least 30 metres from the dugout or well to prevent manure contamination.
Fence dugouts to keep cattle off the ice and use a wet well, which is a culvert about 20 to 30 metres from a dugout with a waterline connecting it. Make sure the wet well is higher than the dugout or water source.
- Buy the best batteries you can afford. While solar panels will keep the battery charged, they can’t charge a depleted battery. Have the batteries well insulated from the cold and wind in winter. Solar pumps need double the charging power in the winter.
- Have a system that can be moved with a quad or vehicle.
“If you’re going to use expensive solar equipment make darn sure you can use it all year round,” Trautman said
- Install an insulated lid on the water tank. Have only two watering holes in the lid to prevent freezing. Don’t create a wind shelter for the cattle near the water because it will encourage the cattle to linger around the well.
Trautman said more producers are making a conscious effort to not allow cattle to water at a dugout and the use of solar water systems will help producers move in that direction.
“The cattle do so much better when they fence off their water and protect it. Economics will drive the further uptake of the technology.”
