[ben70b]

I have several water tanks that I use to water pigs during decent weather, last year I shipped my fat feeders in early December before it got really nasty out so the only livestock I had was chickens in the most hash winter I have seen. I'm going to buy half a dozen pigs to feed here in a week or two and I am curious to what you guys use to supply water to your hogs in extreme winter weather.

 

[danniulrich05]

We only had two feeders last winter but I just brought them water twice a day. I use the big rubber feed tubs that hold a little more than five gallons and five gallon water cans. Just bang the ice out of the tub and fill it up with warm water. I also soak their feed in warm water so they get some water there too.
I'm working on an insulated 20 gal waterer for my two sows. I'm wrapping a trough in insulation and building a wooden box around it with a clear plastic lid leaving just enough open water for a snout.

 

[disturbedinwv]

I don't know how far your water source is from the pigs, or how cold it gets but maybe you could try heat tape on hose and use a water nipple instead of a tank of water. One nipple is supposedly good for a dozen or so pigs (I think).

 

[wally]

Water them twice a day with all the water they will drink. I never used warm water but if you feel it helps then use it

 

[danniulrich05]

I used warm water because it is twenty minutes from my house to our farm. We use my in laws land and they don't have any outside water in the winter so I have to bring it with me.

 

[gerold]

I have outside water faucet next to my house. When shut off the water drains back inside the under ground supply line.
I have water hose (under ground) from faucet to 55 gal. barrel which is setup above a pan below it just inside the fence. faucet install in bottom of the barrel lets the water drip down into pan below. Fill the water barrel full each morning and at night if its going to freeze just open the valve and let all the water drain out into pan below. Next morning just dump out any ice and refill. When shutting off the faucet by the house all the water from the hose drains back into main water line.

 

[highlands]

Keeping fresh liquid water in front of them is important and in the winter difficult. We use flowing water from springs to barrel waterers set in the ground for ground heat with shrouds around them to create microclimates. USDA Zone 3 down to -25°F regularly, sometimes to -45°F (ugh). We prey for global warming.

 

[karenp]

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/gravity-flow-barrel-waterer-blue

I plan on buying this, putting in a 55 gal barrel and putting in a stock tank heater. It's suppose to work. I'll let you know in the spring.

 

[Everett57]

if i was buy my own place , and wanted to water livestock during the winter , i thought about this while working on this guy 3 farms, i thought if you could dig a trench 5 feet deep lay in some 1 inch and half plastic pipe , fill with antifreeze solution , then covered it all up , leaving the pipe ends expose above the ground, then a elbow , then a straight pipe down to threw the stock tank up the other side , up the other side with a anther elbow then to a receipting pump and basically you just made one big loop full of antifreeze that at below ground temp at 50 degrees will never freeze that stock tank , it might have a crust on top it but it wont be solid as long as you got juice pumping that liquid thru it :hrm:

 

[highlands]

It's a good idea and it does work but I would skip the antifreeze as it isn't necessary and can be quite toxic. There are safer versions but I still would not want to use them without a double barrier. That gets complicated. I've found the ground loop just doesn't freeze so no need for the antifreeze or even saline.

-Walter

 

[Everett57]

i rember on grandpa farm , in MN , he had a stock tank with a woodstove in it, i dont know how that works , but it did, i havent seen one since tho

 

[Ziptie]

We used a 55 gallon plastic barrel with two nipple drinkers on the bottom. Then a pond heater in it. Good for summer and winter. Might even be better if I stacked some hay bales around it so the heater wouldn't work so hard.