New solar watering system

[Grassfarmer]

I just completed a new solar powered watering station today, many thanks to RSL for his advice and technical expertise. Sadly it was quite a challenge for me as I'm a technological dummy
Started with an old car trailer I got for free, strapped on a plastic tank I had already then bought a small trough and the solar components and pump. It will allow us to better utilize some pastures that don't have good drinking options. It's easily movable and best of all it was cheap, probably 1/2 the price of a commercially available unit.
Pulling into place for a trial run.

Behind the posh plywood door - battery box and charge controller.

The other side - 2x80 watt panels

The back end - water trough with Gallagher high flow valve. It is a nice rugged trailer but I still managed to incorporate a little bale string in the design :lol:

The pump set up - a 5 gallon a minute sprayer pump in it's own protective toolbox. We reckon it should lift up to 20 feet and will hopefully be adequate for the single bull groups we run (anywhere from 30-50 head)

 

[coyote]

The system looks good, hope it works for you .
Could an animal get its leg caught in those squares beside the trough?
I know it would happen here and it won't be the dink stuck there with a broken leg.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Never thought of that - I guess they could as the squares will be around 4''x4''. It is up off the ground though at least 26 inches so unless something is trying to climb onto the trailer or was jumping on another animal close to the trailer and came down accidentally I don't think we should be too big a risk. Thanks for pointing it out though - would be easy enough to board them over too.

 

[Soapweed]

Never thought of that - I guess they could as the squares will be around 4''x4''. It is up off the ground though at least 26 inches so unless something is trying to climb onto the trailer or was jumping on another animal close to the trailer and came down accidentally I don't think we should be too big a risk. Thanks for pointing it out though - would be easy enough to board them over too.

Cattle will find a way to get their feet stuck in that, especially if they are drinking next to it. Even if the outfit was parked on the far side of a pasture, with the cattle drinking a mile away, some critter would go and insert a foot. Their leg would break as they tried to free it.

 

[Soapweed]

As a gentle reminder, cattle will find a way to die. This cow was impaled on a piece of protruding pipe, an old two-inch well, abandoned but sticking up out of the ground.

 

[per]

I have had some issues with cows licking the panels and making them dirty and less effective and on my trailer unit they could push it around a bit. Ended up using screw jacks on all four corners. Cleats on the pad of the jack will hold it in place or plant a couple of posts on one side and tie it to them. Looks l like it has great potential.

 

[ecofarmer]

It looks nice and I hope it works well for you.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Never thought of that - I guess they could as the squares will be around 4''x4''. It is up off the ground though at least 26 inches so unless something is trying to climb onto the trailer or was jumping on another animal close to the trailer and came down accidentally I don't think we should be too big a risk. Thanks for pointing it out though - would be easy enough to board them over too.

Cattle will find a way to get their feet stuck in that, especially if they are drinking next to it. Even if the outfit was parked on the far side of a pasture, with the cattle drinking a mile away, some critter would go and insert a foot. Their leg would break as they tried to free it.

Maybe, maybe not - maybe it's a black cow stupidity thing?? :wink: :lol: :lol: we used this trailer and tank for a while in the spring with a gas pump and never had any problems. However warning taken - will board it over just in case. We have a handful of black calves this year afterall.
Per, I ran a decoy polywire around the front and side with step in posts so they won't get to the panels or pump. My cows are well used to electric and we use decoy wires quite often successfully.

 

[Blkbuckaroo]

So how does it work?Have seen similar trailer solar pump units,good idea for remote pumping if you have a water source handy.

 

[Soapweed]

Never thought of that - I guess they could as the squares will be around 4''x4''. It is up off the ground though at least 26 inches so unless something is trying to climb onto the trailer or was jumping on another animal close to the trailer and came down accidentally I don't think we should be too big a risk. Thanks for pointing it out though - would be easy enough to board them over too.

Cattle will find a way to get their feet stuck in that, especially if they are drinking next to it. Even if the outfit was parked on the far side of a pasture, with the cattle drinking a mile away, some critter would go and insert a foot. Their leg would break as they tried to free it.

Maybe, maybe not - maybe it's a black cow stupidity thing?? :wink: :lol: :lol: we used this trailer and tank for a while in the spring with a gas pump and never had any problems. However warning taken - will board it over just in case. We have a handful of black calves this year afterall.
Per, I ran a decoy polywire around the front and side with step in posts so they won't get to the panels or pump. My cows are well used to electric and we use decoy wires quite often successfully.

Point taken. :wink:

Your invention looks like a good workable watering system. Hope it is very satisfactory for its intended purpose.

 

[Grassfarmer]

So how does it work?Have seen similar trailer solar pump units,good idea for remote pumping if you have a water source handy.

Quite simple - solar panels charge the two batteries, batteries power the pump which is controlled by an on/off float switch in the tank. Tank gravity feeds into the trough with a high flow valve.

It should work well for us because we have a river that runs through many of our pastures - problem is we don't want cows accessing the river and in most cases they can't because the soil is sandy and the edges steep so would just cave in.

 

[Anonymous]

Never thought of that - I guess they could as the squares will be around 4''x4''. It is up off the ground though at least 26 inches so unless something is trying to climb onto the trailer or was jumping on another animal close to the trailer and came down accidentally I don't think we should be too big a risk. Thanks for pointing it out though - would be easy enough to board them over too.

Cattle will find a way to get their feet stuck in that, especially if they are drinking next to it. Even if the outfit was parked on the far side of a pasture, with the cattle drinking a mile away, some critter would go and insert a foot. Their leg would break as they tried to free it.

Maybe, maybe not - maybe it's a black cow stupidity thing?? :wink: :lol: :lol: we used this trailer and tank for a while in the spring with a gas pump and never had any problems. However warning taken - will board it over just in case. We have a handful of black calves this year afterall.
Per, I ran a decoy polywire around the front and side with step in posts so they won't get to the panels or pump. My cows are well used to electric and we use decoy wires quite often successfully.

If a guy could go to the junk yard and find a couple of chunks of that old woven metal landing mat and weld over the top- that would keep anything from getting caught in it- and still leave holes for the dirt and junk to fall thru....

Yesterday I went to check cows and bulls- and parked in a low spot to unload my Japanese Quarter horse...After I made a circle I came back and found about 25 cows and calves around the pickup- and a snoopy old bull that apparently walked up the ramps and was standing in the middle of the pickup flatbed....

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Cattle will find a way to get their feet stuck in that, especially if they are drinking next to it. Even if the outfit was parked on the far side of a pasture, with the cattle drinking a mile away, some critter would go and insert a foot. Their leg would break as they tried to free it.

Maybe, maybe not - maybe it's a black cow stupidity thing?? :wink: :lol: :lol: we used this trailer and tank for a while in the spring with a gas pump and never had any problems. However warning taken - will board it over just in case. We have a handful of black calves this year afterall.
Per, I ran a decoy polywire around the front and side with step in posts so they won't get to the panels or pump. My cows are well used to electric and we use decoy wires quite often successfully.

If a guy could go to the junk yard and find a couple of chunks of that old woven metal landing mat and weld over the top- that would keep anything from getting caught in it- and still leave holes for the dirt and junk to fall thru....

Yesterday I went to check cows and bulls- and parked in a low spot to unload my Japanese Quarter horse...After I made a circle I came back and found about 25 cows and calves around the pickup- and a snoopy old bull that apparently walked up the ramps and was standing in the middle of the pickup flatbed....

But OT your forgot he was a dumb black animal. Reds seem to be much smarter. :wink:


So we're told. :roll:

 

[kolanuraven]

Cattle will find a way to get their feet stuck in that, especially if they are drinking next to it. Even if the outfit was parked on the far side of a pasture, with the cattle drinking a mile away, some critter would go and insert a foot. Their leg would break as they tried to free it.

Maybe, maybe not - maybe it's a black cow stupidity thing?? :wink: :lol: :lol: we used this trailer and tank for a while in the spring with a gas pump and never had any problems. However warning taken - will board it over just in case. We have a handful of black calves this year afterall.
Per, I ran a decoy polywire around the front and side with step in posts so they won't get to the panels or pump. My cows are well used to electric and we use decoy wires quite often successfully.

If a guy could go to the junk yard and find a couple of chunks of that old woven metal landing mat and weld over the top- that would keep anything from getting caught in it- and still leave holes for the dirt and junk to fall thru....

Yesterday I went to check cows and bulls- and parked in a low spot to unload my Japanese Quarter horse...After I made a circle I came back and found about 25 cows and calves around the pickup- and a snoopy old bull that apparently walked up the ramps and was standing in the middle of the pickup flatbed....

We have a little EZ Go golf cart used for running errands.

I had it down in the creek pasture one day with the yrlg heifers. I also had a can of ' cake' or range cubes sitting on the seat.

After I left out, they got nosey and upon my return I found the heifer, Beauty Mae ,STUCK in the golf cart. Her head was poking out one side...her azz on the other.

Luckily she was tame and halter broke and having quiet a delicious snack.

I was able to back her up without the colossal train wreck that was looming in the next few mintues when the ' cookies' ran out!!!


Cows are worse than mice/rats. If they can get their head in.....they're in all the way no matter what nor where!!!

 

[Justin]

Cattle will find a way to get their feet stuck in that, especially if they are drinking next to it. Even if the outfit was parked on the far side of a pasture, with the cattle drinking a mile away, some critter would go and insert a foot. Their leg would break as they tried to free it.

Maybe, maybe not - maybe it's a black cow stupidity thing?? :wink: :lol: :lol: we used this trailer and tank for a while in the spring with a gas pump and never had any problems. However warning taken - will board it over just in case. We have a handful of black calves this year afterall.
Per, I ran a decoy polywire around the front and side with step in posts so they won't get to the panels or pump. My cows are well used to electric and we use decoy wires quite often successfully.

If a guy could go to the junk yard and find a couple of chunks of that old woven metal landing mat and weld over the top- that would keep anything from getting caught in it- and still leave holes for the dirt and junk to fall thru....

Yesterday I went to check cows and bulls- and parked in a low spot to unload my Japanese Quarter horse...After I made a circle I came back and found about 25 cows and calves around the pickup- and a snoopy old bull that apparently walked up the ramps and was standing in the middle of the pickup flatbed....

where was your camera? that would have been a neat picture

 

[RSL]

GF - looks good. Glad my very limited assistance was of some help. I was in SK last week talking to producers about how to build some of these very same things. Mostly basics of the math and wiring skills needed.