# Watering systems



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I would like to see your watering systems. I'm having such a problem. I just have two 5 gallon buckets are my two girls in their pen cause we don't have a fancy set up. But I'm constantly seeing bird poop, dead flies, feathers and occasionally dead mice in their water. I rinse out the buckets very well morning and night and bleach every couple of days. I have an owl, pie pans, rat traps, rat poison, fly strips, fly spray. Anything you can think of to stop this but nothing works! Help please


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## DesertRose (Apr 12, 2013)

For me, doing this for 40+ years,I think getting and keeping the water clean and safe is the hardest.

You sound like you are doing your best so don't worry too much about this. I know raisers who only clean their troughs or buckets once a week. One I know does it once every six months. His reasoning is he has a drip of clean water coming in once every few seconds!!!
At one point he was adding a few goldfish to the tank every time he cleaned it. I guess they were suppose to keep the tank growth down. But, something always "fished" the fish out right away!

You may want to look at the water nipples. It only takes a short time for the goats to learn how to drink off of them. BUT, if I had young stock I would still put out a bucket until I knew for sure all had learned to work the nipples.

I have several of my yearlings that love to drink right off the hose when I water. I always let them and one who screams like crazy to let me know the water trough has a bug in it! LOL!


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

By watering system what do you mean? I use the small flat back buckets in some fields but in the biggest two I have an automatic trough. The automatic troughs are an absolute god sent, because everyone always get fresh clean water and they waste less water. But it isn't easy to have them installed. After years of fighting with huge water troughs and stuff though I don't miss them. It was worth the price since it's one less thing to mess with.

With the small buckets I get bugs in them too sometimes but I just have to change the water everyday. I have heard people talking about placing goldfish in the buckets to keep them clean.. Not sure if that helps though


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I have seen and heard of goldfish. But I think those black looking sucker fish would do a better job. I'm not sure. But in my pasture I have a white plastic barrel cut in half and a black trough. Those are harder to keep clean of course but the boys care less about clean water than the girls do


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

wildegoats23 said:


> I would like to see your watering systems. I'm having such a problem. I just have two 5 gallon buckets are my two girls in their pen cause we don't have a fancy set up. But I'm constantly seeing bird poop, dead flies, feathers and occasionally dead mice in their water. I rinse out the buckets very well morning and night and bleach every couple of days. I have an owl, pie pans, rat traps, rat poison, fly strips, fly spray. Anything you can think of to stop this but nothing works! Help please


My first thought is to try a galvanized water tank. They come in a multitude of sizes and have a rolled rim that is very effective for keeping mice out. Second thought is to attach an outward flaring, maybe 3" wide stiff collar - such as conveyor belt, heavy duty plastic, or maybe even heavy window screen - to the tops of the water buckets using small screws. That would keep the mice out, and prevent birds from perching on the rim of the bucket and pooping in it. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about the dead flies, though, except dip them out.

My watering 'system' consists of galvanized tanks that I fill with a hose and automatic waterers. So far, I've never found dead mice or bird poop in them. I do get quite a few flies, and the occasional feather though. I also use water buckets during kidding and when I am raising bottle babies. I've never found dead mice in the kidding water buckets, but I have found a number of them in the bottle babies water buckets. I just dump the bucket, wash it out, and refill.


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## GoatsLive (Jul 1, 2012)

I use a plastic, automatic, dog water bowl. It's connected to the water line with a short length of an RV (potable) water hose. The unit sits on a block for stability and the rear of it is wire tied to the fence. This gives me a solid, worry free water system for less than $20

The bowl gets a wipe out every morning to keep algae from growing, and any leaves that might drop into it are easily splashed out.


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## KatieP (Feb 24, 2017)

ciwheeles said:


> By watering system what do you mean? I use the small flat back buckets in some fields but in the biggest two I have an automatic trough. The automatic troughs are an absolute god sent, because everyone always get fresh clean water and they waste less water. But it isn't easy to have them installed. After years of fighting with huge water troughs and stuff though I don't miss them. It was worth the price since it's one less thing to mess with.
> 
> With the small buckets I get bugs in them too sometimes but I just have to change the water everyday. I have heard people talking about placing goldfish in the buckets to keep them clean.. Not sure if that helps though


Would you mind sharing what kind of automatic trough you have? Getting 3 NDs in the Spring - trying to figure out the water situation!  Thanks!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

This thread is over 3 years old. I don't think any of these members are active anymore.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I use a 1/2 barrel and hook one of these on it. I still have to clean it out periodically. Really the only way is to move it into another location if possible. 
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=9bfd27e9-9306-4570-af1d-2a7ba1285f9a&search=stock%20tank%20valve&ccd=IGO043&CAWELAID=120295250000038681&CAPCID=109561425855&cadevice=c&agid=32511946335&catci=kwd-28229747432&gclid=CKrb7bPEx9ICFQKSfgodW74IgQ#tab-review


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