Some Thoughts on Cattle Troughs

With colder winter temperatures ahead, cattle troughs need to be kept ice free. While this part of Texas rarely gets a long hard freeze, a day without water is hard on any animal. And no one wants to go out and chop ice one or more times a day.

A simple way to prevent water troughs from freezing is to is to add molasses to the water. Mixing a half cup of molasses with a gallon of hot water and pouring it in 50 gallons of water will stop ice forming down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Molasses will sink and not mix in cold water, so mix it with hot water before you add it to the trough. This simple method requires some preparation, but saves time spent opening a hole in the ice. So, one cup of molasses will treat a 100 gallon water trough.

Horses don’t like to drink cold water and sometimes become dehydrated in the winter. By adding molasses to the trough, horses will not only drink the water but will get some added calories they need to keep warm. The same formula above can be used for horses and other livestock.

For ranchers without multiple stock ponds or tanks, cattle troughs are a must. Many ranchers have learned that fencing off their ponds and relying on troughs is often healthier for the animals. Ponds can contain algae, bacteria and snakes that can cause an animal to avoid drinking unless it is extremely thirsty. When a pond is low from drought, the problems are worse. Animals can drown from getting stuck in the mud at the edge of the pond. Stagnant water has more harmful bacteria and condensed fecal matter.

Keeping a water trough clean is important. Just like a pond, the water trough can become a source of health problems. When a single animal becomes sick, disease can quickly spread to the herd from a dirty trough. To clean the water trough, I use a hard bristle scrub brush and lots of clean water to rinse. If algae or other problems exist before cleaning, I add a small amount of food-grade hydrogen peroxide to the water after scrubbing and before rinsing. Two to three tablespoons is usually enough. This kills harmful biofilms. Sunlight kills the rest once the trough is dry.

A trough can also be used to keep a herd healthy any time of the year. Holistic veterinarians often recommend adding a half to one gallon of apple cider vinegar (ACV) to 100 gallons of water. ACV helps animals to better digest hay, weeds, stemmy and-low quality grasses while helping to release nutrients from those feed stocks. ACV also helps prevent scours and bloating. It’s been shown to reduce parasites, fleas and ticks and is good for the skin and coat.

Just before I move cattle to the next pasture, I often add ACV to their trough when the water gets low. This prevents cattle from carrying too many parasites from one pasture to the next. A low water trough means all the animals will drink it up and I have less water to bail out before cleaning the trough. Older ranchers and holistic vets recommend keepingACVin the water throughout winter months to prevent cattle cough and winter- related diseases.

Water troughs come in concrete, metal and plastic. Concrete troughs are usually set in place and can be designed to be of any size. Metal and plastic troughs can be moved and are usually in sizes of 50-1000 gallons. The larger the trough, the more difficult it is to clean.

Metal troughs are usually galvanized steel. Plastic troughs come in white or black plastic. In my experience, white plastic troughs seem to remain clean for longer periods than black plastic or metal. You may experience something different.

I have seen animals tear up both metal and plastic, so you choose which one works for you. With a smaller trough (under a 100 gallons), cattle will step into it to cool their legs. Taller troughs rarely provide baths but may not be accessible to small cattle and calves when water levels are low.

Using automatic fillers helps keep the trough full, but sometimes animals will knock off the filler or learn to push the float valve, thus overfilling the trough. You would think they were kids.

David E. Will is a local rancher and consultant. He can be reached at 830-6299876 or by email at dwill207@satx.rr.com.