The Grange advance., 1874-01-28
Watering Cattle in Winter.


Next to warm shelter and good feed,
the proper watering Of cattle should be
attended to. No farm animals will do
we'll if only watered once day. It is
true that animals which are driven to
some frozen pond and watered through
holes cut in the ice will seldom in cold
weather drink more than once day, for
the simple reason that they must be suf-
fering from thirst to be induced to drink
at all !; but this does not, by any means,
prove the economy Of this system Of wa
tering, but rather the reverse. 10 prove
it, let the stock-owner himself get down
and drink this thoroughly-chilled water.
The evidence Of danger to the system
will be apparent.
If there are but few animals to be
watered, it is but little labor to do the
work, since the water for a dozen or
twenty cattle can be pumped in about
the time the cattle will drink it. fla
large herd be kept, simple windmill,
pumping into an underground cistern
placed upon an eminence and connect
ing by means of underground pipes with
the trough in the yard at less eleva-
ton, will suffice to supply any number
Of cattle and other stock. The outlay,
other than the first expense, will be. but
small. If this be impracticable, a tank
may be built Of sufficient elevation, and
enclosed SO that it shall be practically
frost proof, when it will work day and
night. Winter and Summer, when the
wind blows, (and when does it not in
the West p and will repay its cost, every
year, where considerable herd is to be
waterei.
For years, we had such mill that
furnished water from fifty feet well,
which supplied the house, 500 to 600
swine, twelve horses and ten COWS, be-
sides furnishing water for the green
house and hot beds of over 600 sashes,
which latter alone, in the Spring, used
to require the work Of one man with a
hose to water. We simply state this to
show the amount Of water good sized
mill will pump.
The great advantage Of this system
Of watering is that the water may be
carried in common iron gas-pipes where
ever you want, and the water is never
thoroughly chilled, so as to distress
stock in drinking. Consequently they
take it just when they want it and usu-
ally in small quantities at time.
They are thereby saved the ague chill
that usually occurs after the periodical
filing up under the system as practiced
by too many of our farmers. There is
no noubt that, with proper watering
and warm shelter in winter, all farm
animals would come out from twenty
five to fifty per cent. better than they
now do. We have proved this PROPOSE
tion to our perfect satisfaction by expe-
rience in fattening cattle. The propo-
sition will hold good with other stock.
1t will pay to give farm stock, first,
warm shelter, second, plenty of good
forage, and third, but not least, water
to drink at will-certainly twice day,
and then never chilled to the freezing
point
Our correspondent, &C. w. IT," Of
Delaware, Ioa., sends us valuable hint
with respect to the watering Of cattle in
Winter. He says -" Many farmers
water their stock from wells, and, in
the Winter time, they experience con-
siderable difficulty, by the accumulati IN
of ice around the trough. Many times
cattle, even though very dry, will go
away without drinking, rather than
venture on such slippery place to get
water. have very simple and cheap
remedy take an armful or two of straw,
scatter it over the ice and sprinkle, over
it some water, which soon freezes fast
and the remedy is complete.''
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