[Paul and Caroline]

This weeks cold weather has seen our water supply cut off because of freezing (this morning). Defrosting is not an option for us so we are going to have to wait it out. My question is how much of a sheeps water needs is met by grazing (grass). Fortunately we do not have a single flake of snow and the grass is plentiful..... normally although we leave water tubs out we see very little consumption direct from those tubs and we usually have to refresh almost full tubs rather than leave it to get dirty.

Can I leave it to the grass to supply their water (hopefully only for a day or so) until the thaw sets in?

[mab]

most of the time they get most of their moisture needs from the grass, but in very cold dry weather they seem to get thirsty - so I would try and have something to offer them. Is there a running stream somewhere you could dip water out of perhaps?

[SallyintNorth]

If the ground is frozen they won’t be able to get much from the grass, so I’d be feeding hay or haylage. And they must have water if they’re eating hay.

[Marches Farmer]

Old feed buckets, washed out milk containers full of warm water and a kettle of hot water, at least twice a day.  Providing clean water for stock is not an option, it's a necessity.

[Womble]

Ours knocked both of their water buckets over sometime yesterday morning. They were all very thirsty indeed, by the time I refilled them in the afternoon.

I guess if they're on hay, it must be a bit like trying to eat Jacobs crackers without a drink!

[Foobar]

Are they in-lamb?  If so, then you need to be putting water out daily.  If not, you can get away with less often.

[Anke]

Well I have over a foot of snow, so that's where they will get their water from...

[stufe35]

Can I leave it to the grass to supply their water (hopefully only for a day or so) until the thaw sets in?

I don't know where you are, but temperatures are not forecast to get back above zero until Saturday lunch time, so waiting isn't really an option, an alternative water source is needed now.

[Paul and Caroline]

Old feed buckets, washed out milk containers full of warm water and a kettle of hot water, at least twice a day.  Providing clean water for stock is not an option, it's a necessity.

I do take your point however mine was that I have no water - at all - on my smallholding - so to the Supermarket it is to buy them out of their 5 litre containers!

[Twotwo]

This morning I filled 3 5 gallon containers using the bath tap.
My in lamb ewes where very grateful but OH did his back in getting them out of the bath ! bless

[bj_cardiff]

I think ewes get a lot of moisture from the water on the surface of grass, dew or rain. Sometimes when I've put water out for sheep its been weeks and they haven't touched it. When its dry like this I think they need water

[Marches Farmer]

Fearing do a huge bag that fits into a wheelbarrow and can be filled from a hose. 

[stufe35]

Surely  you know someone where you can go and fill up from their outside tap, or a stream or river.

In the meantime do you know where the freezing issue is occurring ?  You need to get it resolved with extra lagging or whatever.  It really hasn't been that cold, your supply to your house should not be frozen in these conditions. 

Lagging / burying a pipe to the correct depth only has to be done once.  You are going to be carting lots of water over the years if the current temperatures which have only been just below zero have frozen you up. This is going to cost you lots of time and money.

[Dans]

Our sheep have been drinking a fair amount of water since they upped their hay intake. We're going to have to carry buckets to and from the house for the next few days though as the taps on the land have frozen but thankfully we still have running water inside the house!

If your house hasn't got a water supply at the moment then I'd second the suggestion of going to a neighbour/friend for some water.

Dans

[Foobar]

If you leave a tap running (just a little bit) in your house (once your water supply unfreezes), it will prevent it from re-freezing.  Running water freezes at much lower temperatures than static water.  And then buy some more pipe lagging!!