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Author Topic: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?  (Read 4619 times)

croker

  • Joined Aug 2014
Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« on: August 21, 2014, 12:08:39 pm »
I have just moved into a barn with some land having lived on estates all my life so sorry if this is a dumb question!

I have a soggy edge to my sloping field that I was thinking of putting a length of land drain in to try to collect enough water to feed a trough lower down the field but I do not know if this kind of water supply is bad for livestock or if it will just clog/silt up straight away? I know it would be ideal to have mains water to feed it but as I have no current plans for livestock but will have a digger on site next week I was wondering if there is any benefit to setting a trough up in this way for some possible benefit in the future while I have the digger on site?

Many thanks for your thoughts!

Ian

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2014, 01:17:35 pm »
I wouldn't chance it (and I'm certain the authorities would never approve) - you've no way of knowing what's in the water which may have came from further up, through the ground. Could be all manner of nasties leaching into it  :-\
Are you able to set up some rainwater harvesting instead? That way you know it's clean and safe for livestock  :thumbsup:
I've seen simple set up's with a tarpaulin strung up, sloping towards a water butt to catch and channel rain so it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive  ;) With the rain we've been getting lately the troughs are usually full when we go to fill them  ::)  :gloomy:

croker

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2014, 01:40:19 pm »
Thanks for your take on it.

As I said, I don't actually need a trough for anything (yet). It is purely because I am hiring a digger for another job at great expenese so I was just thinking of everything I may be able to do with it in the 24 hours I have it for that may be useful in the future. I did not know whether it was normal or not to feed troughs for some animals from ground water but your suggestion sounds like a much easier and cleaner solution anyway.

Thanks.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2014, 04:24:17 pm »
We have field troughs fed from the field drains and the stock prefer the water in them than that in the mains-fed water troughs.

I take Karen's point about contamination, but if you are feeding the trough from land drains laid by yourself through your own pasture, and there's nothing higher up feeding into it, then presumeably there'd be no source of contamination.

Rainwater harvesting is a good idea too, of course.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2014, 07:11:30 pm »
 No mains here or troughs not even for the houses so all water is burns big and small into which field drains run

croker

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2014, 06:03:03 pm »
Oh thats interesting, thanks Sally. I have just been pricing up land drains etc today and think I may was well lay the pipework while I have the digger.

henchard

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Carmarthenshire
    • Two Retirees Start a New Life in Wales
    • Facebook
Re: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2014, 07:17:40 pm »
Oh thats interesting, thanks Sally. I have just been pricing up land drains etc today and think I may was well lay the pipework while I have the digger.

Not just land drainage pipe you need, you'll need approx a tonne of clean stone (40mm or 20mm) for every 6/8 linear metres of drainage pipe plus geotextile membrane.

cloddopper

  • Joined Jun 2013
  • South Wales .Carmarthenshire. SA18
Re: Is it ok to feed a trough from a land-drain?
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2014, 10:26:06 pm »
You can buy 100 , 150mm & 200 mm perforated land drain by the 50 mtr roll with a  filter geotex type membrane already stitched over it .

 If you're trenching it do dig it deep enough . One way of keeping costs & time spent down if there is a lot of ground water with plenty of incline down to your troughs is just to dig one big hole 1.5 mtrs bigger than the coil when it's laid on its side , up the incline with a low down outlet trench and set a whole roll of drain tube  in it on top of a foot or so of stone & some geo tech . Connect to the lowed point of the drain tube with rigid or drain tube then gently fill up with clean 40 mm stone as mentioned to within a couple of feet of the natural surface , lay a geo tech cover over the hole and back fill with soil .
Strong belief , triggers the mind to find the way ... Dyslexia just makes it that bit more amusing & interesting

 

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