"Watering of Livestock is Prohibited"

[ladycat]

This is the letter a local town sent out yesterday to residents in response to the severe water shortage:

http://kauz.images.worldnow.com/images/511370_g.jpg

That part about watering livestock caused a HUGE uproar, as you can imagine. Multiple residents contacted a local news station when city officials refused to answer some serious questions. So the news station sent a crew there today. It was HOURS before the reporter could finally get an official to speak (which official remained off camera and insisted on anonymity). The official said it would be ok if residents hand water livestock.

Well, hand watering is better than no watering, but that's one of those little spread out farming towns. There are people there with large numbers of goats, horses, and other livestock.

Hand watering is impractical for some. They've been using galvanized tanks with hoses and floats attached. For people who work, and maybe can only fill a tank once or twice a day by hand, those tanks will empty rapidly between fillings when there are, say, 30 cows drinking water in this heat.

I don't see how hand watering is going to save water?

[julieq]

We only have two horses and eight miniature goats and there is absolutely NO way we'd obey. We couldn't physically haul enough water to them each day either as I can't handle the heat and DH has osteoporosis of his spine. I can see not watering lawns, washing cars, etc., that makes sense.

And I fully agree that using a bucket to fill the same stock tank as you'd normally fill with a hose is just insane.

I think they ought to cut off the water supply to the county court house and see how long they survive not being able to flush the toidie!

[earthkitty]

Don't most people with livestock have their own wells?

If not, I can't imagine paying the water bill.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by earthkitty

Don't most people with livestock have their own wells?

If not, I can't imagine paying the water bill.

People outside the city limits usually have their own wells, but many of those in the city limits are on city water.

Like I said, this is a farming town, way spread out. There are clusters of housing, but much of it (inside the city limits), is open pasture.

[Alice In TX/MO]

The population was 782 at the 2000 census

[gone-a-milkin]

I am glad you linked to the document, because I would have a hard time believing it otherwise.

I would serious hope that nobody would comply with this and actually let their animals die of thirst.

[tom j]

Were the heck is PETA when you need them
PETA !!! PETA !!! Were are you

[Pops2]

Originally Posted by tom j

Were the heck is PETA when you need them
PETA !!! PETA !!! Were are you

who do you think wrote the letter?

[Minelson]

"Watering of Livestock is Prohibited"

oops!! Don't tell anyone!

[Catalytic]

Originally Posted by earthkitty

Don't most people with livestock have their own wells?

If not, I can't imagine paying the water bill.

We have a well, but it isn't connected to the houses, they are on city water. About 3-4 of the 25+ spigots in my yard are on city water and we try to use one of those for the critters, as our well has never been tested. Our water bill, for around 70 chickens, 6 pigs, 4 goats, 6 cats, a few other house critters, and 10 people is under $20 a month from the city. I'm pretty sure the electricity the well uses every month for the gardens and lawn is more than my entire water bill LOL.

[LoneStrChic23]

Geez! I understand the drought & water shortage issues, we are dealing with it here as well but to deny animals water?!? That falls under animal cruelty/neglect.... so to follow one rule you break another? Pure stupidity.

As to the water well comment.... I have 9 goats & 24 chickens here, I go through a co-op for water.... lots of folks here do. My water bill has averaged $100 since spring.

We have a well we've been repairing, but its just not there yet, so until its finished, critters get co-op water just like we do.

[Harry Chickpea]

That restriction is so illegal that it can safely be ignored. Abusing animals is usually a felony, and withholding water and/or food qualifies. A CYA letter to the mayor might read - "Dear Mayor, I feel reasonably certain you do not want me to follow your water restrictions and thus engage in a felony under state law by refusing to water my livestock. If you are in disagreement with this, please send a certified letter to me at this address so that my attorney may review it."


CLUELESS!!! TOTALLY CLUELESS. Probably suffering from heat stroke.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

The population was 782 at the 2000 census

Go to google maps, zoom in close, then drag the image around so you can see many wide open spaces in between clusters of houses.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=google...ed=0CBUQ8gEwAA

ETA: Make sure you have the Earth view, not the map view, so you can see the photographic details. Also note- it's not currently that green. It's brown!

I've never lived there, but I've been ALL over that town hundreds of times.

The town I live in has a smaller population, but it also is spread out over a wide area with pastures, barns, and livestock all over. Although I live in the city limits, I only have 2 near neighbors.

[Waiting Falcon]

There was a drought one summer in /around Joplin with water rationing. The trucked water to the livestock to try and save them. I watched cow stagger through the sale barn because of no water. The one (once fancy Simmental) herd had been without water for 2 weeks! People were really mad about that because the owner let them get in that condition.
The DVM said later that the cattle that went through that drought and lack of water were going to be showing health problems for the next year to 18 months.
We bought a calf and could never get her totally rehydrated or get her to eating enough, I think all her digestion juices , etc, were basically shot.
Drought is a sad time when the water goes, the weeds livestock would never or should never eat are consumed.
For those of you that live in an area where the wells are going dry, rethink your water use! Wash dishes in a pan and carry it out to the plants . Your bath water should go outside to the plants likewise. No more deep soaks, take very limited showers, water the garden , wash your hand over a pan and throw the water out, let the flowers go.
With the long high heat wave in Texas and the fires, the ground is being sapped of water.
Now is past time to be thinking of what the land owes you , it is what you owe the land.

[kirkmcquest]

Sometimes you have to ignore the rules to do what's right. Sometimes laws are made by guys with one thing in mind who haven't considered the unintended consequences.

" If the law supposes that - then the law is an ass"- Charles Dickens

[julieq]

Originally Posted by Minelson

"Watering of Livestock is Prohibited"

oops!! Don't tell anyone!

Love it! I've sprayed ours by hand in years past, but hadn't thought about using a sprinkler. This year we put up a box fan in their run in. They love that and it also keeps the flies away.

[Belfrybat]

The ranchers around here are having to sell off livestock early due to the drought and lack of hay/ water and this is causing a great deal of financial hurt. Plus those who raise hay to sell are going under. Although I certainly don't advocate not watering livestock -- that would be cruelty -- if a person has too many to water by bucket, then sell or give away the extra. Sorry to sound so harsh, but this area of Texas is in the worst single year drought since 1917. Why should folks inside the city limits be able to water livestock kept mainly as pets when the ranchers who depend on their livestock for their livelihood can't? And if the livestock is income producing, why should someone on city water be favoured over other folks losing their livelihood?

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by Belfrybat

Although I certainly don't advocate not watering livestock -- that would be cruelty -- if a person has too many to water by bucket, then sell or give away the extra. Sorry to sound so harsh, but this area of Texas is in the worst single year drought since 1917. Why should folks inside the city limits be able to water livestock kept mainly as pets when the ranchers who depend on their livestock for their livelihood can't?

The livestock owned by many of these people in the city limits are providing their living or a large part of their living.

I said above I have 2 near neighbors. One of those neighbors has horses and calves. The calves they feed out until they're big enough to go to the sale barn (from there they go on to feed lots). The horse part of the business has something to do with Quarter horse events. They don't do QH events, but they provide stud service and not sure what else, but it's their living.

I don't think ya'll are understanding how the farming towns here are spread out. There are towns in this area with dairy farms, grain and hay crops, hog farms, fruit orchards, you name it. These are things people make all or part of their living from.

[OkieDavid]

Ok, someone has to speak for the opposing viewpoint. The town has a severe water shortage. I would rather restrict potable water useage for humans. Animal/livestock owners can haul non-potable water from neighboring creeks/streams/ponds for their livestock. I'd rather the livestock drink non-potable water than to run the system dry and EVERYONE has to drink non-potable? Let the bashing begin, I have tough skin....

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by OkieDavid

Ok, someone has to speak for the opposing viewpoint. The town has a severe water shortage. I would rather restrict potable water useage for humans. Animal/livestock owners can haul non-potable water from neighboring creeks/streams/ponds for their livestock. I'd rather the livestock drink non-potable water than to run the system dry and EVERYONE has to drink non-potable? Let the bashing begin, I have tough skin....

There are no creeks and streams around here, and the ponds (tanks), are on private land and dried up.

That's why the livestock auctions are so full that they are turning people away.

This is one of our local livestock auctions: http://www.newschannel6now.com/story...drought-cattle