Question for Canadians

[shortybreeder]

All of our drinking fountains are pretty old and beat up, so I'm wondering what is typically used up in the real cold country for winter watering? I'm in MN so we do tend to get just as cold, but we don't stay at those temps for as long. Any pictures or brand recommendations are very much appreciated!

 

[Doc]

I'm definitely not from Canada(have been there several times if that counts) but I would definitely look at Cobett.

 

[coyote]

We have been putting in these Thermo sink waterers, they require no power but have to break a inch or so off the top on real cold days. but some stay open if you have enough cows on them and out of the wind.
http://www.thermosink.com/

 

[neocattleman]

I'm not from Canada or that far north but we get plenty cold and have started using the jug waterers with the added heater option and never had a problem with them. They are nice because there is very little exposed water and they don't have a ball that can freeze in place like some other waterers. We will be switching all of them to these soon. http://jugwaterers.com/jug-waterer/

 

[Boreal]

If you have electricity nearby I’ve been using ufa livestock waterers for years now. We put heat tape on the line down to 8 feet below ground. There’s an element on the pan. I’d like to find one without electricity that doesn’t freeze but this is the only one I know of that won’t freeze off in the extreme cold (just went through a week of night temps of minus 60 F without them freezing)

https://www.ufa.com/products/Livestock+Livestock-Equipment+Waterers-and-Feeders/canarm-h100-cattle-waterer

 

[GoWyo]

Second the Cobett drinkers.  I have them at the pens (small ones) and in the pasture (large ones).  You do have to pop the ice out in the mornings if it has been below say 15 degrees over night, but it is really easy -- never more than an inch or so of ice.  They are easy to install and do not require a concrete pad.  We used the geo fabric 12" below ground level and placed rock and dirt on the fabric after we set and back filled the drinkers.

 

[Doc]

Second the Cobett drinkers.  I have them at the pens (small ones) and in the pasture (large ones).  You do have to pop the ice out in the mornings if it has been below say 15 degrees over night, but it is really easy -- never more than an inch or so of ice.  They are easy to install and do not require a concrete pad.  We used the geo fabric 12" below ground level and placed rock and dirt on the fabric after we set and back filled the drinkers.

Yea, I 2nd everything you said. We've installed 10 in the past 3 years. We have 3 more places that we want to install them and then we will be in good shape.

 

[Shorthorn-Fed]

We use mainly Canarm as parts and elements are readily available. When they are out of the wind and have enough cattle drinking they don’t freeze up too often other than the float. It was -40 to -45 celcius over a week period a little while back here in Manitoba and only had frozen floats.

Russ

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Yup I agree with Rusty - we have canarm bowls.  Not fancy, use lots of electricity but they probably handle as much cold as anything. They're relatively cheap, easy to fix, and parts are readily available when needed.  Ritchie bowls are alright as well. I don't have any but I know lots who do.

 

[shortybreeder]

Thank you for all the replies! Most of our winters here seem to stay subzero for at least a couple months, and I've seen -60F twice in the past 5 years.. The fountain i'm looking to replace is in the pasture with only about 20ish head drinking out of it, and they all seem to drink at the same time due to the layout of the paddocks.

I like the idea of that non-electric unit, but I wonder how difficult it is to install/what it may cost to get it installed?

I haven't had time to look at the other brands mentioned yet, but I definitely will take a look and I appreciate the input!

 

[Doc]

The Cobetts are not hard to install at all. We've installed all of them our self.

 

[GoWyo]

For a Cobett, if your pipeline is already in place, just dig down to the bottom of the incoming trench.  If your line is at 6' you will likely need an insulated extension tube plus the noninsulated bottom tube.  If your line is deeper, then will probably need the second insulated tube.  Cobett website will help you figure out what you need.  The tube sits on the incoming pipeline and you will need whatever adapters to fit your supply line to the Cobett plumbing.  Hold the tube level and back fill.  If your watering area is gravel (we have a lot of that in Wyoming), backfilling is about all you need.  If the soil is deeper, then buy the geo fabric and you will need to dig a foot or so deep in a 15'x15' square to set the fabric.  Put crushed rock over the fabric and done.  The Cobett works best if you bury it deep enough so that only 20-22" is above ground.

 

[justintime]

I have 13 water bowls from very old to new, and from 4 different makes. None of them are fool proof when you get very cold winters like we are having right now. Six years ago, I started putting in- line heat tapes in the water bowls and since installing them, I have not had any problems with water bowls freezing. These heat tapes go right into the water line and come out just below the bowl and so far they have saved me hours and hours of kneeling beside a water bowl trying to thaw it out. I am not sure if these heat tapes are custom made by a company or not, but a local feed store owner has them made for him locally. He sells hundreds of them every year.
The only issue I have had since installing these in line tapes happened last winter when one water bowl quit working. It turned out that the water line froze on the way to the fountain despite being buried 8 feet in the ground. We had very little snow, and the frost kept going deeper in the ground in the cold weather. All I could do was wait for spring to arrive and it finally thawed on June 23rd. So far this winter, no problems at all.

 

[JPS]

I have 2 cobett waterers,  both for over 15 years. No electricity to them. Installed them myself.  I will get some ice on them, if they don't have enough cattle on them, but have never frozen a water line or a valve.  Nebraska doesn't rival MB or SK for extended periods of cold, but we get down to negative 40 without windchill on occasion.