With winter approaching quickly, it’s time to start considering how you plan to keep your animals’ water supply from freezing this winter. Dehydration can be a serious problem in the winter. Hay has less water than grass, which significantly decreases your animals’ total water consumption. Here are a few ways you can keep a clear water source this winter.
Insulated Buckets
Insulated buckets are a good option, though they can be a bit pricey. They can cost anywhere from $75 and higher for just one 5-gallon bucket. They also don’t need electricity, so you’ll be saving on the electric bill.
Electric Bucket Warmer
Again, this can be a bit of a pricier option, with each individual warmer costing more than $80. Then you also have to pay the electricity for each one. They will also stop working in the event of a power outage.
Horse Toys
If you only have a thin layer of ice to worry about, you can place a half-inflated horse ball in a trough. As the ball moves around, it will dislodge ice, and your horse will quickly learn that moving the ball will grant it access to water.
A Cooler
An insulated cooler can be used as a trough if you remove the lid. You will have to prime it with hot water to warm the insulation, and then it should keep the water warm enough to avoid freezing.
Automatic Watering Units
These units generally require large numbers of animals using them to prevent freezing. Some units are available with built in heating components or other ways to keep the water from freezing.
The Bar-Bar-A is an automatic watering unit that doesn’t require any animals drinking from it to keep it from freezing. The mechanical, non-electrical automatic waterer drains the water back into the ground when the animal is done drinking, leaving an empty bowl. The water remains warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and doesn’t leave standing water around to cultivate bacteria.
Contact The Horse Drinker to ensure that your horse will have access to clean, warm water all winter, without you having to worry about it freezing and leaving your horse dehydrated.
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