# Suggestions for keeping poop out of water trough



## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

After the incident yesterday with the kitten drowning in my husband's lime water (he was starting the tanning process for some hides and stupidly left the lid off the 30 gallon trash can while working with the hides instead of shutting it like he should have), I have decided to change up my animal watering situation down at the barn. Currently have 5 goats, so don't need a huge volume of water available. I had been watering the girls in two 5 gallon buckets. I want to go to something shallower so that the remaining kitten doesn't fall into one of those buckets (with longer hair, that would be a bad thing too). 

I may end up with a trough type waterer that isn't too deep. Any thoughts on how to keep it in such a way as to avoid goat poop falling into it? I do have pallets available, so I could put it up on some of those. Just looking for other ideas to see if there is one that is better than that for keeping them from constantly soiling their water.


----------



## Goat_in_Himmel (Jun 24, 2013)

I would rig the trough so that it was at goat bum level--much higher, and I don't think they would be able to drink from it--yet at such a height they would have to back right up to the trough, to foul the water, instead of casually landing a few berries in the bucket while passing. You could make it adjustable, and fiddle with it over the days, as you see how well it works for them. Or maybe as high as a feeder, where they have to set their front hooves on a rail, to be able to reach to drink? Would that work?


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

we use shallow buckets due to kids falling into deeper water ....we have an auto water set up...this keeps water fresh as the goats can pretty much empty the bucket in one setting...we have not had any poop problem...another idea is a horse water fountain...

google...Tough Guy 1.5 Gallon Heavy Duty Waterer


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I raise mine up and put blocks around for them to stand on to drink. Works great. It is still high enough they dont crawl in it, but if they did it is only about 8 inches high, so no worries. I water about 10 goats with it, fill it every day, usually only down about half way.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I think where the water is placed may play a part in if they poop in it. In all but 1 pen I have their water way off by it's self. It's not where I feed and it's not where they sleep or hang out. My 'mama pen' is kinda smaller right now and the water is close to where I feed which is also where they sleep and that sucker seem to always need to be dumped. All the troughs are poop level lol but that seems to be the only issue one I have.


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have mine set next to the barn, in a corner, where the fence meets the barn. I have a pallet attached to the fence to that it blocks the goats from getting their rear ends near the trough. It is sort of angled so the opening for them to access the water is just big enough for a goats body. They can easily access the water and then back out.

The trough I use is 20 gallons and it is shallow enough so that the kids won't drown if they fell in. To keep birds and other critters safe, I have a clean board floating in it so they can climb aboard and either be rescued or jump out from there.


----------



## Buckleberry Woods Farm (Dec 20, 2013)

I have hooks on posts in my pens and shelters on which I hang buckets that are raised up high enough that they can't poop in them but can still drink. The kids can't drown in the water either.


----------



## chowar2 (Aug 6, 2014)

Lovinglife has a similar solution to what I am going to suggest. We raise beef cattle and just assembled a small goat herd, 10 does, 5 doelings, and Bucky. For the cows we put the waterer on a platform that extends about 3 ft out from the waterer. They can easily stand on it with their front legs to drink. They can stand with their back legs on it but their front legs will be on the ground. Cows won't poop with their rears up in the air. I don't know if goats are that way, but it's worth a try.

We use a fairly small tank for our goats so I rinse it frequently.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

My goats can and do poop with their back ends in the air. I think they do it just to hear the tiny pops as the poops hit the wooden spool or milk stand.


----------



## chowar2 (Aug 6, 2014)

Thanks Lotsagoats! I will file that in the memory bank!


----------



## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

This picture is kind of dark so don't know if you can see it or not, but what I do is put the watering tank behind the keyholes. Since they can only get their heads thru no manure in the water.


----------

