Drinkers for sheep house?

[blackieman83]

Looking at drinker bowls for a sheep house, what's peoples thoughts on the small JFC nose fill type?

 

[blackieman83]

 

[blackieman83]

These are another option

Available with 2 different valves

Which of the 2 would be better?

Would a pressure reducing valve be required for these?

 

[blackieman83]

Another option here

Any opinions or experiences of any of the above are welcome, should have said would be approximately 20-25 sheep to a pen.

 

[e3120]

These are another option

Available with 2 different valves

Which of the 2 would be better?

Would a pressure reducing valve be required for these?

I have the second style in some calf pens. Very fussy things that don't like the fine dirt we get from a borehole. Guaranteed to be running over the first time they're used after a break or frost. At least all the weaknesses of the trad brass ballcock on your bottom post are known and we have infinite supplies of 'just in case' ones to cannibalise on a Sunday morning.

 

[Av Gorritt]

Was it "Gator " perhaps who had a full run of 6" soil pipe down his shed with drinking holes cut at intervals along it . A header tank at one end and a blanking plug at the other to drain and flush ? I thought that looked good simple system , with not a lot to go wrong .

 

[ISCO]

These are another option

Available with 2 different valves

Which of the 2 would be better?

Would a pressure reducing valve be required for these?

We have some of these with top float valve . We have them on header tank and work well. Think you.need to reduce pressure somehow.

 

[ISCO]

Another option here

Any opinions or experiences of any of the above are welcome, should have said would be approximately 20-25 sheep to a pen.

Have some of these as well. Work on.mains. Had a different float valve and took a bit of setting to stop them over flowing.

 

[ISCO]

Was it "Gator " perhaps who had a full run of 6" soil pipe down his shed with drinking holes cut at intervals along it . A header tank at one end and a blanking plug at the other to drain and flush ? I thought that looked good simple system , with not a lot to go wrong .

Yes it was @Gator who has this system for small pens. He gave me advice and we have this now. Works very well off header tank.

 

[Macsky]

Uncle of mine installed these in a lambing shed after relying on 6” pipe with holes cut out for nearly 30 years, there was a bit of anxiety about whether or not the ewes would figure it out ok but it was no bother at all, has saved all the usual leaks and wet bedding.
Did take a we bit of installation tho if I recall, pressure regulators on the supply or something, quite good pressure on the mains there.

 

[Macsky]

Uncle of mine installed these in a lambing shed after relying on 6” pipe with holes cut out for nearly 30 years, there was a bit of anxiety about whether or not the ewes would figure it out ok but it was no bother at all, has saved all the usual leaks and wet bedding.
Did take a we bit of installation tho if I recall, pressure regulators on the supply or something, quite good pressure on the mains there.

20-25 in a pen in a 14 bay shed

 

[FIL46]

I have the second style work fine, and if you get frozen pipes they hold a good bit of water if you have to fill it with a drum rather than the smaller type one sip and its gone

 

[David.]

Got the blue ones here, and 50 dry sheep will comfortably live off one of them, all through the frost the pipes never froze due to them fairly constantly drinking. Tanks fill up and then pipes freeze almost instantly.
Be aware blue ones are available high/low pressure, low pressure will overflow on mains unless you fit a pressure reducing valve in the mains supply to the sheds.

 

[blackieman83]

Thanks for replies so far, im thinking 20mm piping I remember reading on here that plasson fittings were good anybody got a link to a supplier?

 

[hally]

Another option here

Any opinions or experiences of any of the above are welcome, should have said would be approximately 20-25 sheep to a pen.

We have all three, the bottom one is by far the best

 

[Bill dog]

These are another option

Available with 2 different valves

Which of the 2 would be better?

Would a pressure reducing valve be required for these?

No need for a reducing valve on the bottom float at least. I have both in the stables, and I’m sure the instructions for the bottom one said they were good up to 6 bar !

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Was it "Gator " perhaps who had a full run of 6" soil pipe down his shed with drinking holes cut at intervals along it . A header tank at one end and a blanking plug at the other to drain and flush ? I thought that looked good simple system , with not a lot to go wrong .

I was just thinking the same! No way for them to in the water, and clean out with the chimney-brush. Smart

 

[Bury the Trash]

These are another option

Available with 2 different valves

Which of the 2 would be better?

Would a pressure reducing valve be required for these?

Those blue ones easy to clean with a wipe of youre hand.
Best on clean straight from mains water as they can be fickle There's aplastic choice of flow regulating insert comes with the white float set up.for high pressure and lower pressure system.
Not sure that the other float would have enough depth under it to be effective in a high pressure situation.

Got them and these https://www.moleonline.com/general-galvanised-water-trough-14l-1142899 are quite good working with an ordinary ball valve in them not quite so easy to clean but I use an ice cream container to scrape out to save undoing the plug.but they work very reliably, better than p,lastic ones we find.

Plasson or philmac fittings .

 

[vinnie123]

Thanks for replies so far, im thinking 20mm piping I remember reading on here that plasson fittings were good anybody got a link to a supplier?

Unidelta are just the same at a fraction of the price , used thousands without trouble

 

[MickyMook]

Here’s mine for mixed pens- a soil pipe with holes cut to just above the halfway mark. A small float valve from an old drinker put in a stop end with another top cut for maintenance. My hurdles held it firmly in place more by coincidence than design - and I used some cable tie just to be sure. It took some fiddling with propping up hurdles to ensure a good level but that only took an hour. Make sure it’s above arse height and that the valve end is well away from tampering ewes.
Don’t see why this couldn’t work for mixed pens too if it’s held well enough. Ewe will scratch there backside on it though so it needs to be well fastened.