how are you fixed for water?

whelan1

we are grand so far, a few local farmers are under serious pressure....having to draw water...river that goes through our farm is very very low at the minute

Timmaay

Grand for water, our well has never ran dry, only 60ft deep also! But more importantly how much does irrigation cost ha?

Juniorhurler

Jaysus, never thought last march that I would be seeing a thread like this so soon.

whelan1

Juniorhurler wrote: »

Jaysus, never thought last march that I would be seeing a thread like this so soon.

i would be the last person looking for water:D:D my wettest fields are just about travelable now

jaymla627

Alright on the home farm...outfarm where the calves are the wells ran dry currently drawing 2000 litres a day over in the morning for 63 calves and there just about empty when i go to fill them back up so 30 plus litres a day there drinkin pretty crazy

kevthegaff

mine are out of a stream in some fields, hope it doesnt run dry!

jaymla627

kevthegaff wrote: »

mine are out of a stream in some fields, hope it doesnt run dry!

You where sayin in another thread your cows where back in milk....in this weather your talkin 150 plus litres a cow a day and the majority of this is needed after milking what kind of water capicity yeah got

kevthegaff

jaymla627 wrote: »

You where sayin in another thread your cows where back in milk....in this weather your talkin 150 plus litres a cow a day and the majority of this is needed after milking what kind of water capicity yeah got

Some fields have 1 1/4 inch to 200 gallon troughs, others have a good stream with plenty of access. your prob right, need a major overhall, i have 3 500 gl troughs ordered and gona have to do some gravity flow or a bigger pump

hoseman

Sank well 10 yrs ago,never failed,have stream which is partially gone dry,should be ok.I check all troughs morning and evening to be sure.

Mulumpy

Anyone know what figure water supply has on milk yield. I have a water supply that I know needs upgrading (half inch 90 gal troughs 60 cow's) group water scheme. Looking at cows at hottest parts of last few days and there was never queue for trough, yield still holding at 24 litres.

mf240

A large trough half ways in the main lane and two more in the yard.
Find this takes a lot of pressure of troughs in paddocks.

Have 90 gallon in some paddocks and 180s in the further away ones.

50 cows . No problems.

Conmaicne Mara

If it continues dry - which it's supposed to do - then about ten acres will not have water here. Must get a clean IBC just in case, already got a drinker and fittings. Will pump water up there, then problem solved.

dzer2

Already supplying 2 neighbours drinking water for their houses and good friend has hose across road to his cattle. Well is donkey yrs old and has always held up.

Timmaay

Mulumpy wrote: »

Anyone know what figure water supply has on milk yield. I have a water supply that I know needs upgrading (half inch 90 gal troughs 60 cow's) group water scheme. Looking at cows at hottest parts of last few days and there was never queue for trough, yield still holding at 24 litres.

Hmm, 90gls with 1/2inch pipe would be pushing it in my book in this heat, are you sure the cows aren't drinking it dry, and just not bothering to come back? Biggest problem with that would be when you are bringing the cows up, they will most likely all go for the trough at once, and unless the trough is like 500gls it will be empty very quick, as any 1/2 inch pipe will only be knocking out at best say 20 l/min, so might as well be turned off as your not going to wait 20mins at the trough while herding them in for the milking!

But anyways, you did ask an interesting question, how much does water supply effect milk yield. It really is an open ended question, there are many different possibilities, say take a 6acre long narrow field with a trough at one end, and the cows grazing the other side, the cow might not bother going for water until she is really thirsty, but when she does she drinks a massive amount of water and takes on what she would have anyway over the course of the previous few hours. How much loss in yield will that cause? What if she had waited until just before she was brought up for milking, but because the chap herding them home was in a rush, the cow never got time to stop at the trough, and spend the next 2/3hours in the sun in the holding area before she could get through the milking parlour and back out to water, so she spent 1/2 the day without access to water.

My view on all of the above would be prevention is better than the cure, this was why I found myself today throwing in a very temporary 250gls steel tank in the paddocks the cows were in, with a 100m pipe across the field supplying it, as the only other access to water they had there was a tiny 60gls trough.

delaval

Ok for water so far. We upgraded the system about 6 years ago.
We are on group scheme with a 2" inlet. We have 2" water main throughout with 3/4 tees and 3/4 fast fill Philmac ball valves to 300gl troughs. All padddocks have 3 drinking points. there is always a group around each trough however they are only taking water level down a few inches.

We have 2 x 300 gallon troughs in the collecting yard and one as they exit the parlour, along with one every 200m along the road way.

The ones at the parlour are the most important IMV. Our platecooler is served by an 11/2" pipe and all water is collected for washdown and drinking at milking time. They are drinking so much that at evening time so much is going to drinking that we rarely have enough to wash the floors.

yellow50HX

no issues with supply, the home well has never run dry.

have one big trough on the road way to which cows can access from about 2/3 of the fields, smaller troughs in paddocks. not a proablem most of the year and with the small groups but i had to give cows access to two fields so that he could get to the big trough as the one in paddock wasnt filling fast enough (its in the highest part of the farm so pressure probably isnt good enough. Have a second well and have been plannig to hook that one up to the upper troughs, it'll also mean i can swap wells if i need to.

the fella that i got the pump from was telling me about a few water tanks he has put in over teh last few years. He puts a big tank in a corner of the field above the heights of the other tanks on the farm. The water pump runs on the night saver meter and fills the system (troughs and tanks and then fills the big tank. during the day the gravity drains the water from the main big tank and fills the others. most of the year the pump only runs at night to top up the big tank. Depending on the set-up the saving in running costs will pay back very quickly. also helps in a power cut.

yellow50HX

have many people put in these kinda systems? i use the rain water to put water into the slurry tanks but the roofs and gutters would not be suitable for using as drinking water. seen a few yards with new sheds that have the collection tanks around the side. would make sense for power washing alright

moy83

yellow50HX wrote: »

have many people put in these kinda systems? i use the rain water to put water into the slurry tanks but the roofs and gutters would not be suitable for using as drinking water. seen a few yards with new sheds that have the collection tanks around the side. would make sense for power washing alright

It makes sense definitely but you would want huge storage to last this weather

bob charles

and what all the bird ****e that would be collected

reilig

yellow50HX wrote: »

have many people put in these kinda systems? i use the rain water to put water into the slurry tanks but the roofs and gutters would not be suitable for using as drinking water. seen a few yards with new sheds that have the collection tanks around the side. would make sense for power washing alright

Just installed 3 IBC's on a 5ft stand and have them piped up for next winter. They will serve a 3 bay slatted shed. Will see what the demand/supply is and have the option of putting 3 more IBC's on top to make 6000 litres of storage. It's on a gravity feed. In fairness, the whole lot cost less than €300 which is less than the water bill every year.

Water is ok, except on an outfarm which has poor supply at all times anyway. The drinkers were filling at night up to wednesday, but had to bring an IBC full yesterday and they drank lots of it.

TEAT SQUEEZER

watching it carefully and alternating between pumps... plate cooler given a holiday at the right wrong time:( recycling rinse water for claening the parlour... bucket and scrub job :mad::mad:

freedominacup

delaval wrote: »

Ok for water so far. We upgraded the system about 6 years ago.
We are on group scheme with a 2" inlet. We have 2" water main throughout with 3/4 tees and 3/4 fast fill Philmac ball valves to 300gl troughs. All padddocks have 3 drinking points. there is always a group around each trough however they are only taking water level down a few inches.

We have 2 x 300 gallon troughs in the collecting yard and one as they exit the parlour, along with one every 200m along the road way.

The ones at the parlour are the most important IMV. Our platecooler is served by an 11/2" pipe and all water is collected for washdown and drinking at milking time. They are drinking so much that at evening time so much is going to drinking that we rarely have enough to wash the floors.

I've tried a couple of times to get cows to drink water from plate cooler with no sucess. I saw it done on a farm I worked on in the U.K. years ago and the cows would fight for their turn to get at the plate-cooler tank esp in winter. I wonder am I doing something wrong with the set-up for this water. Agree with the tanks every 200m they always get a visit esp after milking which has to help with demand once they get back to the field. Got a little fright with water the other morning but turned out to be just pressure switch. Water main here is inch and three quarter but in almost 40 years so the oul boy can't be criticised too much for it being a bit small. Would have been well over-speced compared to recomendations at the time.

Dampintheattic

Piping water via overground pipe to temporary trough, which I move around, as I strip graze cattle.
I'm back fencing, so need to keep moving the trough.
Normally works ok.
This year, the water coming out of the pipe is not too far off boiling point at times:eek::eek::eek:
Moved trough last evening, and as I was reconnecting the pipe (3/4 normal guage hydrodare), I could barely hold my hand in the water coming out.

whitebriar

TEAT SQUEEZER wrote: »

watching it carefully and alternating between pumps... plate cooler given a holiday at the right wrong time:( recycling rinse water for claening the parlour... bucket and scrub job :mad::mad:

Are you using tap supply from your well for the plate cooler? That would be very heavy on the well.
We got an ice cooler tank with our new bulk milk tank a few years ago and now the same iced water is pumped from it through the plate cooler the whole time during milking,recirculating.
That means the milk going into the tank is below 5c before the tank starts at all.
The iced water is cooled via night rate electricity.
Loads do that,its the only way imho.

Cows here are drinking the well almost dry now at times and with little rain forecast apart from very localised thunder showers(ie no use) and with drought conditions especially in the east and south ongoing,its going to get worse.

TEAT SQUEEZER

whitebriar wrote: »

Are you using tap supply from your well for the plate cooler? That would be very heavy on the well.
We got an ice cooler tank with our new bulk milk tank a few years ago and now the same iced water is pumped from it through the plate cooler the whole time during milking,recirculating.
That means the milk going into the tank is below 5c before the tank starts at all.
The iced water is cooled via night rate electricity.
Loads do that,its the only way imho.

Cows here are drinking the well almost dry now at times and with little rain forecast apart from very localised thunder showers(ie no use) and with drought conditions especially in the east and south ongoing,its going to get worse.

plate cooler turned off ... tank compressors hammering away, all fans a gogo...thought of a version af that iced bank option . if i had an old tank which i filled with water and cooled at night and circulated tat water during milking would it take enough temp outta the milk its second or third time through the cooler and also what ratio water to milk i`d need..

whitebriar

TEAT SQUEEZER wrote: »

plate cooler turned off ... tank compressors hammering away, all fans a gogo...thought of a version af that iced bank option . if i had an old tank which i filled with water and cooled at night and circulated tat water during milking would it take enough temp outta the milk its second or third time through the cooler and also what ratio water to milk i`d need..

I'd imagine,water that isn't iced would be useless after its first 10 or 15 mins circulating as it would be warmed.
We used use it for washing clusters before the ice cooler pump came and the water was warm.

yellow50HX

freedominacup wrote: »

I've tried a couple of times to get cows to drink water from plate cooler with no sucess. I saw it done on a farm I worked on in the U.K. years ago and the cows would fight for their turn to get at the plate-cooler tank esp in winter. I wonder am I doing something wrong with the set-up for this water. Agree with the tanks every 200m they always get a visit esp after milking which has to help with demand once they get back to the field. Got a little fright with water the other morning but turned out to be just pressure switch. Water main here is inch and three quarter but in almost 40 years so the oul boy can't be criticised too much for it being a bit small. Would have been well over-speced compared to recomendations at the time.

my dad had a plate cooler to cool teh milk before it got to the tank. water came from the well so it was always cool, he used the water to top up the sinks for rinsing and washing, when they were full it woul then top up teh water tank for teh power washer and when that full out to a water trough for the cows. As it was just warm well water the cows had not bother drinking it. might be worth checking your trough and piping in case they are wrong?

KatyMac

whelan1 wrote: »

i would be the last person looking for water:D:D my wettest fields are just about travelable now

Same here. There is a big soggy spot in the middle of a field that never had water lodging in it before. Its stagnant and smelly, will have to do something about it if it's going to be a fixture. I'm lucky that most of my fields have some sort of watercourse that I fenced to allow access for the cattle to drink.

Viewtodiefor

whelan1 wrote: »

we are grand so far, a few local farmers are under serious pressure....having to draw water...river that goes through our farm is very very low at the minute

Upgrading water system at present new troughs bigger pipes etc. what size trough n pipes ye suggest for max 85cows?

Timmaay

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

Upgrading water system at present new troughs bigger pipes etc. what size trough n pipes ye suggest for max 85cows?

Inch pipe and 150gls troughs would probably cover it?

Viewtodiefor

Timmaay wrote: »

Inch pipe and 150gls troughs would probably cover it?

Yeah that's what I'm using at right now anyway have some set up seems good job! Only hope now the well keeps going!

hugo29

one section of farm is starting to struggle, but its only got a few cull cows and calves on it so can move if necessary
remainder is fine between rivers fenced with drinking areas and mains supply to troughs in paddocks, just waiting for the council to turn off the water, due to shortages, which i bet they will and without warning, which always pees me off

RobertKK

I have cows out in fields where there are streams to drink from, not ideal but it takes pressure off the well.
I am awaiting a plumber to fix a leak in a worn metal pipe, so I turn the well on for milking, for the house and for water for some calves and then turn it off after.
Water is being carefully managed, drought conditions, no rain in sight unless we get lucky with some thunderstorms.
Have two wells, the oldest one is not great.
Considering a third well for a different area of the farm where the water stays running even in very dry conditions.

The ground is crying out for water as brown becomes an increasing colour of the grass.

blue5000

RobertKK wrote: »

I have cows out in fields where there are streams to drink from, not ideal but it takes pressure off the well.
I am awaiting a plumber to fix a leak in a worn metal pipe, so I turn the well on for milking, for the house and for water for some calves and then turn it off after.
Water is being carefully managed, drought conditions, no rain in sight unless we get lucky with some thunderstorms.
Have two wells, the oldest one is not great.
Considering a third well for a different area of the farm where the water stays running even in very dry conditions.

The ground is crying out for water as brown becomes an increasing colour of the grass.

I mentioned that I'd need rain next week on facebook, jeezus the slagging I got from my non farmer 'friends' was unbelievable.

severeoversteer

need rain here even before all this dry weather, regrowth is non existant, everything is going to dust ! even the biggest troughs I put in with inch supply are emptied by cattle im finishing at grass getting meal, another week would be a disaster have cattle going to factory hopefully will cut back on problem

anybody else fed up of the state of grass growth?

Dampintheattic

No rain needed here. Grass flying. Loads of silage. Cattle and calves thriving. Not a single cough from a calf. Not a kilo of creep meal used. Long may it last!
We have had enough rain to do us a life time.

Pacoa

Went out yesterday evening and found the plastic trough half way down the paddock :eek:
The ballcock had gotten some dirt in it so the flow was halfed. Cleaned it and put it back together but there was some hell of fighting after milking to get at the trough but thankfully this morning they were all lying around the field and the water trough full again
You'd want everything running perfectly this weather in regaurds to to water.

49801

Pacoa wrote: »

Went out yesterday evening and found the plastic trough half way down the paddock :eek:
The ballcock had gotten some dirt in it so the flow was halfed. Cleaned it and put it back together but there was some hell of fighting after milking to get at the trough but thankfully this morning they were all lying around the field and the water trough full again
You'd want everything running perfectly this weather in regaurds to to water.

Had that problem too with the plastic troughs.
Had to fit the philmac fast flow (Rx) to a 90 gallon plastic trough after it go drained and the standard high pressure ballcock could not keep up with demand.

Have concrete put around most of the plastic troughs we have to stop cattle moving them about too easily

freedominacup

49801 wrote: »

Had that problem too with the plastic troughs.
Had to fit the philmac fast flow (Rx) to a 90 gallon plastic trough after it go drained and the standard high pressure ballcock could not keep up with demand.

Have concrete put around most of the plastic troughs we have to stop cattle moving them about too easily

Changing to low pressure inserts in the ballcocks might be a cheaper and easier fix.

49801

freedominacup wrote: »

Changing to low pressure inserts in the ballcocks might be a cheaper and easier fix.

Thanks. Tried it in a few troughs but not convinced output meeting demand.

Timmaay

freedominacup wrote: »

Changing to low pressure inserts in the ballcocks might be a cheaper and easier.

And if that doesn't allow enough flow, if your very careful about it, you can make the hole bigger in the low pressure insert using a drill. Just make sure you leave enough of a surface on the tip of the insert to allow a proper seal, and have afew to spare.

Viewtodiefor

Timmaay wrote: »

And if that doesn't allow enough flow, if your very careful about it, you can make the hole bigger in the low pressure insert using a drill. Just make sure you leave enough of a surface on the tip of the insert to allow a proper seal, and have afew to spare.

Yep have done this it works a treat!

Conmaicne Mara

Think I'm going to have to make a move on setting up my drinker tomorrow or Monday, drains are almost run dry now.

periodictable

With dry spells like this would it not be an idea to find some field corner and excavate a pond and turn the drains into it? I did this about 10 years back-it's 7' deep and 40' x 20'. Never goes dry, and ticks the biodiversity box with all the frogs.

keep going

had an inkling we might get a dry one on the law of averages so drilled a new well about a month ago 410ft and the pump going in tuesday -hopefully this will solve the water issues.

just do it

periodictable wrote: »

With dry spells like this would it not be an idea to find some field corner and excavate a pond and turn the drains into it? I did this about 10 years back-it's 7' deep and 40' x 20'. Never goes dry, and ticks the biodiversity box with all the frogs.

Did you have to line it?

periodictable

No just got down into bedrock.