Key Considerations When Designing A Stock Watering System

There are many key factors when designing a stock watering system, and failure to consider any one of them could lead to the creation of an inadequate system that leaves your stock thirsty and you may be at risk of failing to comply with local laws and regulations. The good news is that your local Irrigear Independent Experts can assist in ensuring you get both the design and installation of your stock watering system right, so read on to learn about what needs to be considered, and then go have a chat with your local team for personalised advice.

Trough Size And Capacity

One of the biggest factors you'll need to keep in mind when configuring your stock watering is the size and capacity of your trough. This will depend heavily on both the type and amount of livestock that will be serviced by the trough, we well as the climate it will be placed within. Troughs operating in particularly dry and sunny areas need to be able to hold additional capacity to account for higher demand for water from stock, while those that are located in cooler environments will experience lesser impact from the conditions around them. Additionally, larger animals that are likely to push each other around in order to get a drink will need a larger trough that is able to accommodate more stock at one time, while those that are smaller and/or gentler with each other can get away with a trough of a lesser size.

Refill Rate

In addition to considering the capacity of your trough, you'll also need to look at the refill rate. Even the largest trough probably won't be able to keep up with a large number of stock on a hot day without fresh water flowing in appropriately, so you'll need to ensure this is possible. This part of your stock watering system will be dependent upon your pump and pipes and all the other supporting gear, so it's always a good idea to have your local Irrigear Independent Experts spec up some options for you. They have access to a broad range of pumping solutions, pipes, valves and fittings suitable for any water source and carry an extensive collection of quality brands, so you'll be sure to be able to get what you need.

Water Storage

Once you've managed to ensure that your stock have access to water from their trough at all times, you'll also need to consider where and how water will be stored for stock watering and trough filling purposes. Water is subject to friction as it passes through pipes and this affects pressure and flow. For this reason, tanks are a good idea whenever water must be transported for livestock, in order to ensure that adequate levels are maintained at all times. This is particularly important on properties of significant scale or whith hilly and uneven terrain, but must be considered regardless.

Water Quality

Depending on where you're sourcing the water for your stock from, various contaminants and imbalances may be present. This means that water testing will be required in order to ensure that the water you're presenting to your livestock is safe for them to drink. Your local Irrigear Independent Experts can provide water testing for a range of inclusions, and provide advice on how to treat your water if necessary. They also stock a range of agricultural filtration units, which can be highly beneficial for stock watering systems, as better nutrition equals stronger, happier animals.

Maintenance

Another major consideration when designing your stock watering system is the level of maintenance that it will require. While daily operation will take care of itself with little to no intervention on your part, your system will still require appropriate maintenance to perform at its best for as long as possible. Inclusions such as solar pumping can help to reduce maintenance requirements (and operating costs) over the long term. These things should be discussed with your local Irrigear Independent Experts so they can provide the best solution and products for your specific situation.

Stock Rotation

Once you've considered how you'll get water to your stock in their current or initially planned location, you'll also need to look at how you'll keep them watered when they're rotated throughout your property. A quality large scale stock watering system will be able to handle this with ease, but it needs to be properly configured in order to do so, and additional troughs will be required, as moving them around is generally time and resource intensive, making it an inefficient solution.

Peak Demand

Finally, when designing your stock watering system, it is important to ensure that it's able to handle the absolute maximum you'll require from it, and then a little more as a safety buffer. Not only does this help protect the health and wellbeing of your stock, but it also ensures that you're compliant with the applicable rules and regulations. In many cases, stock watering systems are bound by regulation to provide a minimum threshold of water that is sufficient for all livestock on the property, and you can potentially face penalties if found to be in breach of this. Plus, animals that go thirsty suffer, and nobody wants that.

While these are not the only things you'll need to think about when looking at how to keep your livestock from going thirsty, they are seven of the key considerations when designing a stock watering system. All other factors will be specific to your property and circumstances, so be sure to consider all locations and potential concerns before committing to a design. Your local Irrigear Independent Experts will be more than happy to assist you in finding the right products for your stock watering system and getting it configured correctly, and many even offer installation services for stock watering systems. So, pop down, have a chat, and get everything worked out nicely for you and your livestock today.