WATER TROUGHS/ setting up paddocks

TUBBY

hello folks
Two questions.
1. What do people find the best cattle drinkers (shed) and what are the run of the prices. I am thinking of updating my concrete open troughs cause they always freeze over easily and are getting cracked. Am going to replace my 2L small drinkers also in other shed with the nose fill cause I reckon the cattle are barely getting min requirement from them. I dont want anything bulky in the sheds though. Just something to do the job.

2. I am also setting up paddocks for young bulls and want to see how people are working them. I am thinking of running groups of 15 in 4 acre paddocks. Any ideas or suggestions.

blue5000

I've grazed bulls in long narrow paddocks of about 4 acres, I used 3 fences across the paddocks. one was a back fence, the middle fence dividing two blocks, and the third fence in front of them set up in the next block. When you come out to move them let down or open one end of the middle fence. Then take down the back fence and set up the next block in front of them.

The big problem with this was the water trough had to be moved every 2nd day. I used a jfc 70 gallon trough and ran a 3/4 " hose along the ground.

Found a far easier way: Square paddocks about 6-8 acres with the trough in the middle. I put a few heavy stakes around the trough. Instead of square blocks each day, the bulls get a tri-angle of grass each day. You have to put the fence reels at the trough, so that when the bulls move from one tri-angle to the next just move the reel from one stake to the next so that they get water. It's a lot easier to explain with a diagram, so any questions just ask!

TUBBY

Sound job Blue5000. I always had bullocks up to now grazing larger paddocks with no bullying probs etc but now with the bulls and also want to make more efficient use of grass with smaller paddocks etc., can try something along the lines of your suggestion.
I was looking at the JFC troughs. they would need fair amount of support to stop them going out of shape I would say. What ya reckon.

Also, on a similar vein, finishing bullocks off grass with nuts is sound but anyone i chatted reckoned it a waste of time with bulls. does anyone finish off grass supplemented with nuts. it seems an awful lot of money to go ad-lib in shed to finish with grass growing away outside.

mantua

We built a few calving pins there about 1 1/2 ago and the builder put in these little water troughs but they are excellent little things but wouldnt suit having to keep a pin of cattle watered whereas for a cow and calve they're perfect!! don't know the name of the them off me head but will let ya know when i go out to them tomorrow!!

blue5000

Hi Tubby welcome to boards.

I have finished them on grass, but not recent years. I'd say the weather in autumn would have to be mild and probably the best way would be one of them O'Neill(?) feeder trailers where they would basically be on meal ad lib.

Ya the jfc troughs aren't perfect, tend to leak at the elbow/ballcock. I'm slowly changing over to concrete, maybe even slower now if they've cracked in the frost! Big advantage of the jfc is that you can pick it up, throw it in the back of the jeep, tie the hose on to the ball hitch and off you go.

Where are you farming?

TUBBY

Part-timer outside Athlone. Was buying bullocks as stores and finishing but margins not savage. kept a few bulls last few years and did nice bit better.
reckoned to giving it a go this year with all bulls and see how it went.
Placid enough so far and easy handle. Round the 450 mark i wud say. Hope to get another 100kg off grass (using better paddock system than i used to to maximise good grass) and then finish with meal.
See on indo today that they reckon we could be getting EUR4/kg later in year:)

5live

Just a quick note on the jfc troughs. As blue said they are very handy to move even the bigger ones by hand. I dont find leaks any problem with enough ptfe tape and if the ground is level then they dont go out of shape. The biggest problem, for me anyway, is if the water supply fails then cattle can puck them around the field and you need to stand over them filling to stop them being moved again. With 180 and 250 gal ones, it can take a good while

TUBBY

Sound lads. Thanks for that. JFC it is then.