Even more important than food, providing your animals with fresh water is paramount to good health. Using a livestock waterer to keep your animals well hydrated is important for overall health and weight gains.

There are many different options to choose from and they all provide an economical method of providing that all important clean water source. Take a look at some of the designs below and ma

How a waterer works

Below is a generic diagram on how a cold weather waterer can be set up. Notice everything but the electrical supply is located below the frost line so it can be used in the cold weather months.

This is most important for the supply line that brings the water into the tank. A heat tube is used in the diagram below to insulate or heat the water supply line as it moves above the frost line and into the waterer.

A qualified electrician and plumber should be consulted for a proper and long-lasting installation.

Types of animal waterers

Livestock waterers can be divided into closed and open categories as well as animal specific. Open means the water source isn’t covered and is the most common design. The closed design is typically seen where freezing occurs or in hot and dirty environments. They provide a literal cover to the water below and help contain evaporation and keep the water clean.

Other popular styles include animal specific designs for horses and hogs and we take a look at some of them below.

Open Livestock Waterers

Any animal can use these open waterers. They’re traditionally used in outdoor pasture or pen settings in capacities of only one gallon all the way up to 60 gallons. They contain a float that keeps a preset level of water. As the float rises, it closes off the supply valve and stops filling the tank.

With the water carried underground to the tank, it’s usually a cool 50 degrees or so when it enters the waterer. Water is automatically replenished with cool water through the valve when animals drink.

In the winter, the underground supply is usually still near 50 degrees which is well above freezing and water heaters are used to keep it that way.

Pictures of Open Waterers

The construction material of choice is polyethylene. It allows the tanks to have smooth edges and prevent rusting or corrosion. It can also take a lot of abuse from animals without bending or denting and the smooth sloped bottoms make it easy to clean.

The single trough or double-sided design allows you to plan your pens or corrals. The double sided waterer can supply fresh water on both side of a fence-line eliminating the need for a second tank.

All of these come with a 5 year warranty and are an easy way to provide a source of fresh water year round.

Closed Top Waterers

This clever design has a lot of advantages over the open top waterers above. The covered source protects from debris like blowing dirt, leaves and even insects. Algae has a tough time accumulating as there isn’t a light source for growth.

The waterers below illustrate the types of closures for containing the water. The balls shown float in their holes and when depressed, provide access to the water below. They are available with built-in heaters for winter operation as well!

The center tank has flap covers that require lifting to access the inside.  Both of these designs are popular and very efficient.

They come in an ‘energy free’ design as well as a heated, which has a built in heater for cold winter operation.

The same strong polyethylene construction takes a beating and eliminates corrosion and rust. There are no sharp corners so cleaning is a simple as wiping the trough section down.

They also come with the 5-year manufacturer’s warranty against defects and will provide hassle free water to your animals much longer.

Hog Waterer

A more traditional looking waterer is the hog waterer. It’s made of 100% non-porous polyethylene so it will never rush, corrode or rot. Confinement pen and acids have no affect on the waterer at all.

There are not cracks or corners for sediment, dirt or bacteria to hide. A quick wipe down will allow easy access to all areas of the waterer.

This large poly tank holds 80 gallons at a time and uses a filling float to keep it full. It’ s a single float that keeps the central tank full. The tank itself has calibrations molded into it and the translucent material. This allows a quick glance to see how much water is in the tank.

It has two drinking areas, one on each side. The lip of each drinker is protected with a heavy-duty chew guard in case your hogs try to start chewing where they shouldn’t!

The trough is only 6″ tall so even your little pigs have easy access. It comes with a drain plug to make flushing and washing painless.

Visit Barn World today and select the proper livestock waterer to ensure your animals stay well-hydrated and see the proper weight gains and overall health they need.