# freeze proof hog water options



## ihuntgsps (Mar 10, 2008)

I have 5 hogs I am currently finishing. 2 are sold and will go to the butcher on December 8th. The other 3 will be processed at my home for myself and friends. They currently weigh between 220 and 240 lbs. 12/8 is the soonest any processor can get the pigs in to butcher.

The weather in Iowa gets very cold and I am curious what to do about keeping the water unfrozen.

Currently I have them drinking out of a galvanized water bowl that has a valve in the rear that they push to release water. The bowl is fed by a garden hose hooked to a hydrant.

I thought about using a heat tape along with a heat lamp to keep the system I have open and ice free for the next several weeks.

The downside would be the cost to buy the heat tape and wondering if the hogs would tear it up. They completely ignore the garden hose that runs through their indoor pen. Not concerned about the energy cost to run them.

The other idea is cutting down a plastic stock tank to a height that might work for pigs (10-12"?) and add a stock tank heater. 

I have an extra 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank and heater so cost would only be my time and small amount of energy cost.

I wonder if they would foul up a stock tank or have issues switching to the tank after being only on the bowl? 

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

I don't want to do anything that will stress them out and reduce their rate of gain.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

We're probably as cold as you. USDA Zone 3 down to -45Â°F.

We use earth heat and wind shrouds. Our waterers are _plastic_ 65 gallon barrels set into the ground. The water is running from springs. Warm in the winter, cool in the summer, about 45Â°F year round. As long as it is moving and not exposed to wind it is fluid.

Metal in our climate is an invitation to frost bite, freezing, etc.

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2012/12/27/winter-whey-water/

and

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2014/12/15/winter-waterer-shroud/

-Walter


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## cooper101 (Sep 13, 2010)

I've finished out 4 over the winter the last couple years. If they have all they want to drink twice a day, they're fine. And I've found 4 pigs drink less than a 5 gallon bucket twice a day. So, I put in 4-5 gallons in the morning in a trough, chop ice out at night and 4-5 more gallons in the evening. It's more than they want to drink. It's kind of a pain, but not a huge deal. 

I've never used a trough or tank that didn't get fouled. If they are able to get into it, they will. I'm surprised your hose survives. They get into the trough, but since I put in fresh twice a day, they get their drink, and it isn't long before I empty the ice and add fresh water again. I big tank will get fouled pretty quickly and then what do you do with 50 gallons of water in the winter?

As long as they HAVE water, it doesn't really bother them where it comes from.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

friend has a set up with 2 tires buried then spray foam the inside of the tires then fit a bucket in by cutting the foam to fit the bucket. 2 years ago when the east coast had the -12 days he put a two bucket system in the foamed ties in the bottom bucket he had a puck water heater with water then the drinking bucket sits in that. like a double boiler. the wire was hidden.

Mother earth news had this set up:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...vestock-water-from-freezing-zm0z15djzkin.aspx


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## ihuntgsps (Mar 10, 2008)

I appreciate the advice that has been offered. 

I decided that tonight I will disconnect the hose and just start using a rubber 15gallon feed pail. It should be strong enough to bust ice out of a couple times a day and hopefully the pigs will not flip it and foul it up before they drink their fill. 

Thinking about building a wooden structure to fit it into to prevent them flipping it.

It is going to be in the teens this weekend so should be a good test.


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

Get you some plywood and set the feed/water bucket upside down on it and trace around it, then saw out the tracing but leaving 1/2 of wood so the feed bowl sets through the plywood and held up by the lip. That's the top of the box, then finish the box and caulk around the lip to prevent water getting in. Put in a heating element in the box and bam you got ice free insulated water trough. 

Once you got the insulated box built sink some T posts around it and wire across the top to prevent hogs flipping it over or shoving it around.


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## Belifend (Oct 4, 2015)

My thought is to use a 45g barrel with a watering nipple in the bottom and put a floating electric pond de-icer in it. Hoping with this set up I only have to add water occasionally in the freezing temps.


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## area42 (Nov 11, 2015)

Belifend 
I tried the floating heater but had to end up buying a bucket heater to get it down closer to nipple! I'm in indiana and it can get down to -40 with wind chill! I also only fill my 55 gallon drums about half way so heater isn't on constantly $$$$$ trying to keep all the water warm! It's a 250 watt I believe and I haven't had any problems since. I've at times had to wrap with that bubble wrap isolation to keep direct wind off of drum but only had to do that once or twice last year!


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## ihuntgsps (Mar 10, 2008)

I ended up being lucky and have made due with a 15 gallon black rubber shallow bucket. It is very flexible and could dump the ice out easily 2x's a day and keep it full.

It didn't get a filthy as I imagined it would and the pigs didn't tear it up at all or drag it around. It was flipped occasionally.

The weather has been unseasonably warm so that helped a lot.
The remaining two pigs will go to freezer camp this weekend so it was a cheap temporary option.


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

Belifend said:


> My thought is to use a 45g barrel with a watering nipple in the bottom and put a floating electric pond de-icer in it. Hoping with this set up I only have to add water occasionally in the freezing temps.


We did this for the pigs over here. The hardest part was keeping the water out of the hose so it wouldn't freeze up. Luckily the pigs didn't go through 55 gallons of water too quickly. 

We use this also for the summer. Put a hose to it with a auto water that is suppose to go on a stock tank. 

One thing we did have to do is drive two t-posts next to the tank and wrap heavy chain around the barrel and the posts. Otherwise the pigs would lift it and knock it over (the barrel was sitting on 2 cinder blocks).


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## tazz (Jul 2, 2008)

highlands said:


> We use earth heat and wind shrouds. Our waterers are _plastic_ 65 gallon barrels set into the ground. The water is running from springs. Warm in the winter, cool in the summer, about 45Â°F year round. As long as it is moving and not exposed to wind it is fluid.
> -Walter


I have the springs and the slope to do this but have been wondering about how to keep the water in the sunken barrels clean? Does the natural flow of the water do it? Is the outlet near the bottom of the barrel or at the surface?


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

Go with a low inlet and higher outlet.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Tazz, I don't worry about it. The flow keeps it clean just fine.


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## edwardsonfarm (Feb 3, 2015)

Going along with this post, I was wondering if taking a sheep type stock tank and using that for water would be a good idea? My thought for winter would be to put a tank heater in it and cover the cord with pvc piping so the hogs could chew on it. Would this work? Also would they try getting into the tank in the winter? Would we have to block some of it so they couldn't get in it? All thoughts would be wonderful. Thank you


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

Put the cord in pvc as you mentioned then wrap it with electric fence wire.


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## Locuck (Jun 15, 2016)

I have seen a few YouTube videos about using manure as a heat source for some watering systems. In these they use pollypipe coiled around inside a big pile of compost material. 
I plan on building a compost bin around a 55 gallon plastic barrel with a nipple or two out to provide water for my pigs. Can I expect it to keep the water warm enough to keep the water nipple from freezing? 
Has anyone tried this? 
I live in the Texas panhandle our winters can be cold down to -10 at times, and water in our horse trough will freeze to around four inches thick sometimes. I would rather avoid having to break ice and this seams like it could work.


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## cmcpherson (Nov 15, 2010)

highlands said:


> http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2012/12/27/winter-whey-water/


How do you source your whey?


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