Mobile drinker

[Poorbuthappy]

How come the kiwitech micro isn't suitable for sheep?

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

It's already clear that having a mobile water trough has merit in being able to control where the animal impact occurs:

 

[Agrispeed]

It's already clear that having a mobile water trough has merit in being able to control where the animal impact occurs:

A massive advantage

How big are your tanks?

6000l running off a borehole, with a mains backup, which is quite small, but our main pipe is 600m+ of 63mm which holds a surprising amount of water. there is 180' from highest to lowest point on the farm.

I am planning on putting in a ring main off a new tank dedicated to cattle this summer, with used tractor tyre troughs and a water connection in each paddock, which is probably the next cheapest option, but significantly more than 4 portable troughs!

How come the kiwitech micro isn't suitable for sheep?

They might work, but i believe kiwi tech don't recommend it as you have to push down the flap to get water to flow. It works fine on smallish calves though so you could try?

The big one is fine though and I prefer the way they work and the tee connection on them.

 

[unlacedgecko]

How come the kiwitech micro isn't suitable for sheep?

Why do you want to use a micro trough for sheep?

 

[Pan mixer]

Was touring round various fields today and came across another 2 of my mobile troughs, none of this mains or borehole rubbish here.

Yes, I know that it leaking but it was going back to the yard for a power washing.
Note the green paint, it stops much of the greening of the water but we left a strip of clear so that we could see how full it is.

This one used to be a sprayer like the top one but the tank shattered on that other one and was replaced by an IBC

 

[Agrispeed]

We tried an IBC based trailer, but it fell over on its first use. 3000l with a high centre of gravity and hills don't work together - back to the drawing board!

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Why do you want to use a micro trough for sheep?

For mobility.
Intend rotating cows and sheep in 1 mob this year and sub dividing fields will require moveable water.


IBC is ok for sheep or a few cows but 2 mobs of 25 - 30 cows can clear an IBC per day each without the sheep.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Was touring round various fields today and came across another 2 of my mobile troughs, none of this mains or borehole rubbish here.

View attachment 788842

Yes, I know that it leaking but it was going back to the yard for a power washing.
Note the green paint, it stops much of the greening of the water but we left a strip of clear so that we could see how full it is.

View attachment 788844

This one used to be a sprayer like the top one but the tank shattered on that other one and was replaced by an IBC

I see the remains of a Lely GA sprayer I believe but you've turned the tank 90 degrees....

 

[exmoor dave]

For mobility.
Intend rotating cows and sheep in 1 mob this year and sub dividing fields will require moveable water.


IBC is ok for sheep or a few cows but 2 mobs of 25 - 30 cows can clear an IBC per day each without the sheep.

Love the idea of the micros and the 100lt tub but both look horrendously vulnerable to badgers,
The 100lt tub in particular looks the perfect size for a badger bath


I like the look of the trough @Kiwi Pete has in some of his picture's, the taller black plastic one in the shape of a giant bobbin that the pipe can be wrapped around

 

[Andyt880]

I need to water sheep in a paddock system but I have no mains supply. Currently filling an ibc from a well on the piece of land in question and shifting it around with them but it is a lot of hassle and time as they are moving ever 4 or 5 days.
I like the look of the kiwi tech system but know very little about it. I can set up a tank at the highest point ( which happens to be beside the well). From the tank there would be approx 7 or 8m of a fall over approx 150m distance to the furthest watering point needed. Would this create enough pressure to operate the kiwi tech R100?

 

[Andyt880]

Has anyone any experience of the hydrant tee fitting from kiwi tech? Wondering what sort of pipe plugs into it? I’m thinking if I even had an ordinary 12 gallon ball valve drinker with a length of pipe on it I could use the hydrant tee fittings and just plug it in where needed.

 

[exmoor dave]

Has anyone any experience of the hydrant tee fitting from kiwi tech? Wondering what sort of pipe plugs into it? I’m thinking if I even had an ordinary 12 gallon ball valve drinker with a length of pipe on it I could use the hydrant tee fittings and just plug it in where needed.

*I think* (but don't own any myself) that 25mm blue pipe just push fits straight into the hydrant,

 

[Andyt880]

*I think* (but don't own any myself) that 25mm blue pipe just push fits straight into the hydrant,

Ok. That sounds good. It would mean I could run a pipe round the paddocks and just use an ordinary drinker and plug it in where I need it.
I can’t really justify the kiwi tech R100 drinker at nearly £200 when an ordinary 12 gallon field drinker would do the same at £45

 

[Agrispeed]

Ok. That sounds good. It would mean I could run a pipe round the paddocks and just use an ordinary drinker and plug it in where I need it.
I can’t really justify the kiwi tech R100 drinker at nearly £200 when an ordinary 12 gallon field drinker would do the same at £45

The kiwitech one is a hell of a lot better, trust me. I used to use a JFC quick fill trough (the ones with the yellow top) and that was ok with calves, so presumably sheep, but you had to put it half under a fence or they would move it. I would also be careful about the inlet and put an elbow on it, down to ground level, as I found the animals would step on the pipe and slowly break the threads off the ball valve fitting.

The kiwitech troughs are built like tanks. You can pull them full by the pipe, and I drag mine on cow tracks (admittedly empty) and apart from making a bit of a racket they don't suffer.

I'm not a massive fan of the kiwitech fittings. They don't seem to work very well with MDPE and really need LDPE is which is more difficult to get hold of. Smooth pipe will also slip out of the fitting over time, even the ones on troughs can be an arse to get put together right first time, although once they are in properly they are ok. I would use the hozelock quick attach fittings instead, which seem to be used a lot in the states.

 

[Andyt880]

The kiwitech one is a hell of a lot better, trust me. I used to use a JFC quick fill trough (the ones with the yellow top) and that was ok with calves, so presumably sheep, but you had to put it half under a fence or they would move it. I would also be careful about the inlet and put an elbow on it, down to ground level, as I found the animals would step on the pipe and slowly break the threads off the ball valve fitting.

The kiwitech troughs are built like tanks. You can pull them full by the pipe, and I drag mine on cow tracks (admittedly empty) and apart from making a bit of a racket they don't suffer.

I'm not a massive fan of the kiwitech fittings. They don't seem to work very well with MDPE and really need LDPE is which is more difficult to get hold of. Smooth pipe will also slip out of the fitting over time, even the ones on troughs can be an arse to get put together right first time, although once they are in properly they are ok. I would use the hozelock quick attach fittings instead, which seem to be used a lot in the states.

Thanks for the advice @Agrispeed. I am sheep only here so there won’t be cattle near it. I haven't written off the kiwi tech drinker, just trying to justify it to myself.
What is LDPE pipe? I see I can purchase the kiwi tech ‘trough lead’ separately. I assume it is the correct pipe for the tee fittings. I could maybe fit it to a drinker.
I will look into the quick attach fittings more, I need something that I can just move the drinker and plug it in.
I currently use a volume washer hose from my ibc to the drinker so that it can lie along the ground in any shape and is fairly flexible

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Love the idea of the micros and the 100lt tub but both look horrendously vulnerable to badgers,
The 100lt tub in particular looks the perfect size for a badger bath


I like the look of the trough @Kiwi Pete has in some of his picture's, the taller black plastic one in the shape of a giant bobbin that the pipe can be wrapped around

Yeah, it's pretty good TBH.
Made by Wilson Plastics in NZ, it cost me $25 secondhand and is just low enough for lambs (if you set the float reasonably high)
Generally for cattle I only have it about half full, and then my minions can shift it easily

 

[Bill dog]

Thanks for the advice @Agrispeed. I am sheep only here so there won’t be cattle near it. I haven't written off the kiwi tech drinker, just trying to justify it to myself.
What is LDPE pipe? I see I can purchase the kiwi tech ‘trough lead’ separately. I assume it is the correct pipe for the tee fittings. I could maybe fit it to a drinker.
I will look into the quick attach fittings more, I need something that I can just move the drinker and plug it in.
I currently use a volume washer hose from my ibc to the drinker so that it can lie along the ground in any shape and is fairly flexible

LDPE is the black water pipe , not the more modern blue stuff. It’s thicker than the blue and will prob take a bit more abuse !

 

[Kiwi Pete]

LDPE is the black water pipe , not the more modern blue stuff. It’s thicker than the blue and will prob take a bit more abuse !

Slightly thicker wall is the issue with those kiwitech fittings I think, have just got a consignment of them and they seem pretty good with the correct pipe

 

[exmoor dave]

View attachment 789282 View attachment 789284
Yeah, it's pretty good TBH.
Made by Wilson Plastics in NZ, it cost me $25 secondhand and is just low enough for lambs (if you set the float reasonably high)
Generally for cattle I only have it about half full, and then my minions can shift it easily

Looks just the job!

 

[Sparkymark]

Would an old slurry tanker not be able to be converted into a mobile drinker? It would need refilled less often than an ibc.