The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Zara on June 08, 2011, 02:59:39 pm
-
Hi
I am about to get delivery of my first 2 weaners.
I have got nearly everything ready except a water trough. I have had a look on-line and have seen a number that require a mains water connection which I would like to avoid. Can someone advise where I might buy a water trough/bucket that would be suitable for a couple of pigs?
Many thanks
Zara
-
Hi Zara,
Instead of buying a water trough have you considered using a clay trough. An old sink can also be used, just cement up the hole. Look around and see if you have anyting that could do for the purpose you require. We used fireclay troughs for water for our pigs. :pig:
-
Whatever you get, you need to use something heavy - there's nothing like a piggy game of 'chuck it about'.
I've got metal trough but they constantly empty it by tipping it upside down. I'd say maybe try and get a stone trough (either bought or mould one yourself). Bed it in a couple of inches just to stop them from trying to 'nose' under it and skid it along.
lill: A clay sink is a really good idea - wish I'd thought of that (got the herbs in them now. Doh!)
:pig: :farmer:
-
Hilary occasionally sits in hers, so not a good idea to have anything too big. Also you need to be able to empty it and to wash it out. I normally use the recycled tyre troughs, which here are used by builders for mixing cement.
Re throwing the water trough even the very big one gets tossed on occasions. Or as before H sits in it. A while back when H visited a boar they accommodated her in a lovely paddock with a mains water trough. Hilary had a whale of a time, she made the biggest mud wallow ever, almost a swimming pool.
She has not been invited back since!
-
Back to the clay sinks - I'm now thinking of getting the herbs out of mine (as it's such a good idea to use them for piggie water), and using a plug so it can be washed out.
Ideas please folks for how to have a piggie proof plug?
:pig: ???
-
a solid piece of rubber bolted through the drain hole :farmer:
-
a solid piece of rubber bolted through the drain hole :farmer:
No matter how long you do this, you just keep on learning in this game.
Another straightforward and smart idea that I didn't think of. And I've got just the stuff to knock one up.
Thanks!
:dunce:
-
I've started using tyre drinkers (https://www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk/tyre-bowl-feeder-drinker-p-1276.html (https://www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk/tyre-bowl-feeder-drinker-p-1276.html) ) these are great ! Light and easy to empty and clean (always really difficult with the clay troughs) and impossible for the pigs to upend (well, so far ;))
Just to add even more options into the mix ;)
HTH
Karen :wave:
-
I've got one of those. Now gathering dust. "Heh heh heh" said the pigs. What fun.
-
I use the rubber carriers from tesco. they're round with two handles and fit snugly in an old car tyre. I bury the tyre and place the container in it. cheap and the pigs don't seem to be able to knock it over yet.
-
May sound obvious, but have you tried trade-it etc? I got both my water and feed troughs from there very good prices and cast iron so they cant roll them over! :)
-
In addition to the heavy duty recycled tyre water container I use bucket and tyre in with 2 of Hilary's offspring as despite the weight of the full container they still pick it up and chuck it as soon as its refilled. The bucket does seem to keep a little longer, although within a couple of hours that too is somewhere in the field. They are off next week ;D
-
I have built a rather nifty device that no pig has yet managed to destroy or kick over. Mine is sized for two normal black buckets. Bang 6 50x50 pegs deep into the ground, at least 300 mm, with about 400 mm above ground. Then attach horizontal strips of wood to the pegs all round to keep the rectangle in place, and two horizontal cross pieces in the middle to keep each bucket space separate. The trick is to put the top piece of wood about one incher higher than the top of your bucket, and the bottom piece should be wide enough and placed so they cant get their noses under the bucket. The size of each square bucket space is about one inch bigger than the widest diameter of the top of the bucket. Now you have a double bucket sized, opened top box fixed into the ground. I can just pick up each bucket and refill it, and they cannot empty them the usual way! It has saved a lot of time, and also a lot of mud as the water is not forever being tipped out.
-
Nipple drinker. Can't be tipped over or pushed into the electric fence and always supplies clean fresh water.
-
I bought a galvanised drinking trough from our farm suppliers a little while ago. It's about three feet long and the boys haven't chucked it around too much.
I also have a washing up bowl set inside an old 12" tyre that they seem to have gotten bored of trying to chuck around, too.
Guess which one was cheaper.
-
I had seen these for sale today and they look like little baths I am going to try one and see what there like when i get more piggys
http://www.moore-concrete.com/agricultural/product/4/53/ (http://www.moore-concrete.com/agricultural/product/4/53/)
-
We use one of the trug type thingies made from recycled tyre rubber wedged into an old tyre to give it weight. No tipping over has occured yet, unlike the galvanised trough which is upside down every time I look.
-
Its very frustrating, obviously dont want pigs to be without water, but when have just refilled and they tip it again, for a wallow, when they have perfectly good wallows only a short distance away .....
-
I use cheap builder's buckets tied to the fence but am seriously considering one of the above suggestions instead.
-
Hi,
We use 2 1/2 Litre auto drinkers on a post or wall and have never had a problem with them being damaged / moved - as long as you use ridiculous size fasteners to attach them.
We found that all the "Mischief" of playing with buckets and upending bowls was happening when refilling after they had run out.
With a constant supply of water it prevents crowding around as you fill and as they are sited about 6" off the ground then the pigs don't get their noses under them to root in the ground.
And as they are "Bowl" shaped they are easy to clean out with a few scoops of your hand.
We have sold a lot of these, probably well into the 100's for lots of uses, from pigs and sheep to dogs and chickens, even sold them to parks for dog drinking areas - they are virtually indestructible.
Thanks
-
Love the idea, but think Hilary would consider them a challenge.
-
I'd like to see Hilary get in one!
-
Love the idea, but think Hilary would consider them a challenge.
I think it must be time she was converted to sausages if she is that badly behaved ;D
-
Hilary sausages, well I cant say I am not tempted, but I dont think it will ever happen. The difference between a very small smallholder now, as opposed to the 60 plus we used to run a few years back. I will hope to outlive her :D
-
Love the idea, but think Hilary would consider them a challenge.
I think it must be time she was converted to sausages if she is that badly behaved ;D
From the hilarious stories Hilarysmum posts on here I thought maybe Hilary would make sure her sausages were as badly behaved as she has always been...?
-
Hi,
We bought a Trough and two IBC containers (£25.00) from our local farmer as have no running water down the field-unless we use the hose pipe!.We raised ours upon wheels and pallets given to us and bought a low pressure ballcock.£10.00 The whole thing is gravity fed and works like a dream! total cost around £60.00! the picture shows just the two tanks,but it now has guttering with filter from the roof of the pig feed shed and we can always top it up with a hose if it becomes low.
-
If it's too heavy for them to tip-over, then they'll paddle in it & make it dirty - then I have to struggle to tip it up & clean it ::)
-
lol! That's pigs for you :)
-
In my view (and Im sure others will differ) is that a pig tips up a trough that is on the ground for the simple reason to root for worms / roots etc in the moist soil underneath.
Therefore removing the problem by not having the trough on the ground solves the problem...Simples ! Thats why I use the 2.5 or 3 litre drinking bowls mounted with ridiculous size bolts to a post or wall - and not had a problem yet.
Of course I have never had to deal with the infamous Hillary the Sow of Satan by all accounts...... :bunny:
-
Therefore removing the problem by not having the trough on the ground solves the problem...Simples ! Thats why I use the 2.5 or 3 litre drinking bowls mounted with ridiculous size bolts to a post or wall - and not had a problem yet.
Spoilsport ;) ;D
-
.
.
Spoilsport
Oh Im so so sorry - I forgot that there were people who enjoyed filling a trough then watching the pigs toss it about, having to retrieve it, re-fill it and watching the whole thing again etc etc.
To those of you who enjoy this sport I apologise for attempting to spoil the fun..... :bunny:
-
SfS, which type of wall drinking bowls? Those that auto fill (hidden rear ballcock) or those that fill when the lever is pressed? I have quite a few of the latter - just wondering if the pigs will use them?
:pig:
-
Hi,
We use the type with the hidden (behind a steel plate) ballcock.
The ones with the lever (nudge fill) may be OK, but I think it would be a temptation to chew (for the pig).
Thanks