A water trough is a large, open container designed to hold drinking water for livestock, primarily cattle, horses, and sheep. This structure is foundational agricultural infrastructure, ensuring animals have a reliable source of hydration. Troughs became widespread to manage herd health and grazing distribution, preventing animals from relying on less sanitary natural sources like ponds and streams. Historically, troughs were also placed in urban centers and along travel routes to provide water for working animals before the rise of the automobile.
Defining the Water Trough
The function of a water trough is to provide a communal water point that can be continuously replenished to meet the high demand of a herd. Troughs are designed with substantial capacity and a shape that accommodates multiple animals drinking simultaneously. The physical size must correlate directly to the size and number of animals served, ensuring easy reach without excessive crowding.
Modern troughs often integrate mechanisms for automatic refilling, which maintains a constant water level and minimizes manual labor. The most common system uses a simple float valve, similar to a toilet tank mechanism, where a floating ball rises to shut off the inlet pipe. Other systems utilize a gravity feed, drawing water from a higher-elevation storage tank to ensure steady pressure and flow into the trough basin. This consistent supply is important because animals often drink in short, intense periods, requiring the system to handle peak demand.
Common Materials and Construction
The material chosen for a water trough influences its longevity, portability, and insulation properties. Galvanized steel is a traditional, highly durable material known for withstanding aggressive wear from large livestock. While robust, steel troughs are susceptible to rust if the protective zinc coating is compromised, and they offer little thermal insulation.
Heavy-duty plastic, typically polyethylene, offers a lightweight, rust-proof alternative that is easier to relocate between grazing areas. Polyethylene is non-porous and resistant to damage, though extreme cold can make some plastics brittle. For permanent, high-traffic installations, concrete is frequently used to construct large, fixed troughs that resist being moved or damaged by animals. While extremely stable, concrete is porous and challenging to clean thoroughly, sometimes allowing algae or bacteria to adhere to the surface.
Variations by Use
Trough designs are specialized, with dimensions tailored to the specific species and environment. Large-capacity troughs, often holding 500 gallons or more, are designed for cattle and horses, featuring a height typically between 0.5 and 0.7 meters for comfortable drinking. Smaller livestock, such as sheep or poultry, require lower and shallower troughs to prevent accidental drowning and allow easy access.
In colder climates, specialized heated troughs prevent the water surface from freezing, ensuring year-round access. These systems may use thermostatically controlled electric heating elements embedded in the walls or bottom, or they may be insulated and partially buried to draw heat from the earth. Some designs feature a sealed lid with drinking holes, which reduces the water surface area exposed to freezing temperatures. Highly portable polyethylene troughs are frequently used in rotational grazing systems, allowing farmers to move the water source easily as livestock are shifted to new pastures.
Essential Maintenance and Water Quality
Maintaining water quality is paramount to animal health, as contaminated water can reduce intake, impacting growth and milk production. Routine cleaning is necessary to remove sediment, decaying organic matter, and algae that thrive in warm, sunlit water. Algae, particularly blue-green varieties, can produce toxins harmful to livestock, making frequent scrubbing with a stiff-bristled brush necessary, often weekly during warm months.
Disinfection is performed by draining the trough and scrubbing it with a mild bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water), followed by a thorough rinsing. To prevent algae growth between cleanings, farmers often place the trough in a shaded area or add approved algaecides, such as copper sulfate. Float valves and plumbing connections should be checked regularly for proper function to ensure the trough maintains a consistent water level.