# Auto Cattle Waterer - HELP please



## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

We have finally gotten moved into our new place. I have a slight problem, my cattle waterer won't turn off. It fills and keeps right on filling... think small pond now.... :eyebulge: I can turn off the water to the outside, however that turns off all the outside water. I know NOTHING about waterers including how to get to the insides of the thing:ghost:. What I THINK is wrong is the float thing that should turn off the water is stuck, broken, etc. Any thoughts? I did try to google for a fix, however this is an old waterer and the instructions don't seem to apply. As we don' currently have any cattle, not having water isn't a problem, but I still need to get it fixed. Thanks for any thoughts.


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## txcatlady (Sep 26, 2013)

Adjust your float or bend the wire down slightly. This lowers your water level. Turn your water down some too. If you push the float up inside the housing the water should stop and that will tell you where you want your water level. It sometimes take a few tries to get it where you want it.


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## txcatlady (Sep 26, 2013)

If it is too old, the float may not be floating on top of the water. Check mechanics, float, pin, or turn float over as it may not be in correctly.


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## txcatlady (Sep 26, 2013)

Also, see if float is floating. If it has a crack the weight of the water inside float may be holding it down below surface of water. Plastic doesn't hold up to freezing and I use metal housing floats with a quick connect. When freezing is forecast, I pull quick connect and let water run slow into water trough.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

There are a lot of different models with different floats and lids so it is hard to guess. Almost always the lid (bowl) on top tips up on one end but there are different latches to keep that from happening. Usually there is an access panel where you can turn the heat on or off or do repairs.

Floats vary from basically a toilet valve to custom made valves but parts are all typically available at the local stores (they were almost always bought locally after all).


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## txcatlady (Sep 26, 2013)

My last post I promise. Make sure the trough is level. Check to see that the clips that hold it on trough have the automatic watererat the lowest level. Got to feed store and look at a new one. Good luck


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

What they said ...


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

First thing to do is to install a manual shut off valve in the line going to that waterer. Then you can always just shut it off to work on it. And yes it is not all that uncommon to have to work on them. Cows are good at wrecking everything they can reach.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

hiwall said:


> And yes it is not all that uncommon to have to work on them. Cows are good at wrecking everything they can reach.


hiwall, every time I read one of your posts about cattle I can't help but wonder what kind of animals you had experience with in the past

I just removed a waterer from a place that we put it in over 30 years ago, because the new one is twice as efficient. It is made of at most 1/16 aluminum and stainless steel and it's pretty much like new after more or less year round use by a herd of less than tame 1500lb(ish) cattle. I don't get how or why a cow would damage a fountain. This one went through a few valves in it's lifetime, and even a heating element, but it is still in good enough shape that I don't want to cut it up :dunno:


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

Tear it down and replace what isn't working right.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

> hiwall, every time I read one of your posts about cattle I can't help but wonder what kind of animals you had experience with in the past


Maybe all I ever had contact with was the ornery ones! When I moved 1500 miles to my current home those ornery cows followed me!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

hiwall said:


> Maybe all I ever had contact with was the ornery ones! When I moved 1500 miles to me current home those ornery cows followed me!


Lol, Most people consider the bulk of our cattle to be on the "wild" or ornery side. We expect them to take care of themselves for the most part so I don't want pets, I even make sure to have a few with horns. On the other hand we keep a few quiet and halterbroke for various reasons.

For years the bulk of our cross fencing was 2 wire barb with little hand pounded posts and often the "handling facilities" we used were not exactly what you would call "rugged". Still, over all the decades it would be hard to come up with more than a dozen or so things that got broke outside of a staple here and there and a plank/rail falling off. The vast majority would be on the day or two per year that the cattle actually get "worked with".

Wildlife (moose, deer, elk, bear, etc) do exponentially more damage to the fences (and grain piles, and bales, and buildings) than the cattle on my place.

It is really interesting to see how different the experiences of two people can be, mind you I would melt in Arizona and you would not be happy with our winters

:dunno:


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> hiwall, every time I read one of your posts about cattle I can't help but wonder what kind of animals you had experience with in the past
> 
> I just removed a waterer from a place that we put it in over 30 years ago, because the new one is twice as efficient. It is made of at most 1/16 aluminum and stainless steel and it's pretty much like new after more or less year round use by a herd of less than tame 1500lb(ish) cattle. I don't get how or why a cow would damage a fountain. This one went through a few valves in it's lifetime, and even a heating element, but it is still in good enough shape that I don't want to cut it up :dunno:


Typical troughs here are 1000 gallon and have a simple cistern type value. On beef farms they last for years, on dairy farms they last for months, here where we put 5 little dexters in a small fields they last maybe two weeks before we need to be straightened or replaced. Best toy on the place hahaha. The bigger the paddocks and the bigger the herd on a farm I worked on the longer everything would last. Same with the pigs, a family group of pigs in a pastured field don't hurt a thing, put them in a 1/4 acre paddock, sort them by age and all hell breaks loose. Same with goats, horses, even chickens.

I blame most of this here on the hands off approach farmers have to their stock. I have the feeling you have had your blood lines a while ... wanna sell an embryo or two


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> Lol, Most people consider the bulk of our cattle to be on the "wild" or ornery side. We expect them to take care of themselves for the most part so I don't want pets, I even make sure to have a few with horns. On the other hand we keep a few quiet and halterbroke for various reasons.
> 
> For years the bulk of our cross fencing was 2 wire barb with little hand pounded posts and often the "handling facilities" we used were not exactly what you would call "rugged". Still, over all the decades it would be hard to come up with more than a dozen or so things that got broke outside of a staple here and there and a plank/rail falling off. The vast majority would be on the day or two per year that the cattle actually get "worked with".
> 
> ...


Kangaroos do more damage here than anything else, we need to plug holes weekly. They will run into a fence and snap wires like string. The small ones will push up from the bottom and break the lower strands creating a hole big enough to crawl through. It's gotten so bad that we only keep horses in the bush paddocks now. Sheep will walk through the holes no problem and anything a cow can get it's head through the rest will follow. 
A month ago we counted over 700 Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the neighbours paddock in about 25 minutes. Illegal to shoot them and even if you can get a permit to cull (almost impossible) you're not allowed to pick up the carcasses, insane! Our fences don't stand a chance. There's one section where the roo's move in the evening that is flattened to the dirt, we stand it back up, put in concrete posts. They snap the wire and flatten it again... We just leave it now, fenced out that bit and let them move through, not much else we can do without major $$$$.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

in keeping with the derailing process : Bored/ unsatisfied cattle wreck $hit , in nature a herd would move along to fresh grass as it ate its way along, in a just big enough fenced pasture the cattle get young fresh growth that doesn't work their rumen well, cattle NEED to have their pasture rotated, then they get growth that is mature enough to work their rumen and they do the natural thing, graze, lay down and digest, go for water and then bawl at their humans for a new paddock to repeat the cycle. And the bonus is way bigger calves than the neighbors.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

At least we can eat the moose on occasion, but they and elk are the worst on fences. Leaving specific crossing points for them on trails, with a plank or rail on top for instance, helps a lot but then every so often you see one get spooked and it doesn't even try to jump :gaah:

Keeping cattle "confined" certainly makes a huge difference, especially if they are not on a new pasture all the time. Barb wire fence in the corrals or in winter here is just asking for trouble. I think maybe the fact that we have trees in almost every pasture makes a difference as well, we have oilers or similar but they always seem to prefer a good old tree to scratch that itch.

We have sporadically used electric fencers pretty much since they came out years ago as well, not as "electric fence" but more of a training tool. We often put one on the barb wire (I know you are not supposed to but we have never had a problem), particularly with the replacement heifers or if we see them start to reach. It teaches them a bit of respect.

Yeah, with a few exceptions we haven't bought cows or heifers (except from each other ie; me buying them from dad/grandpa) for over 100 years, at least that is the case with my herd. Of course that means we almost always buy bulls. Of course we always seem to be selecting for something different :dunno:


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Wellrounded said:


> There's one section where the roo's move in the evening that is flattened to the dirt, we stand it back up, put in concrete posts. They snap the wire and flatten it again... We just leave it now, fenced out that bit and let them move through, not much else we can do without major $$$$.


Can you get used drill stem and sucker rod?

Back on topic:
All we ever used was these aluminum float valves, and never had any problems, even though the water was very high iron. $17 USD

You DEFINITELY have to protect them at all costs - - its not that the animal is ornery.... its just that when they lift their head up from a drink it'll hit the valve and knock it off the tank unless there's a big ol' iron pipe running across for them to hit their head on FIRST!!

http://www.southernstates.com/catalog/p-4921-miller-trough-o-matic-aluminum-float-valve.aspx


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