2 Different Off-Grid Livestock Water Tank Heaters
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- čas přidán 27. 12. 2022
- The temps are below zero, meaning the farm's water tanks are freezing over. Alan shows two ways to keep our livestock tanks open without electricity. The first is a wood-burning tank heater. The second is a propane-burning tank heater. Alan gives a general run down of how both of the tank heaters work. These options can be cost-effective alternatives to electric options available in stores. However, the cold temps make it a bit harder for the wood tank heater to work as well, so Alan helps it out with some warm water that is heated by our outdoor wood boiler. Meanwhile, the cows are staying warm in the barn during the cold temps, so Alan gives the cows some hay.
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Alan Klejeski
PO Box 153
Sturgeon Lake, MN 55783
Trinity Dairy was established in 2006, in Minnesota. Alan and Jennifer farm with their 5 children; Jessica, Justin, Jordan, Joshua, and Jason. We milk a mix of 33 Jersey, Holstein, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, and Ayrshire cattle. We also enjoy sharing our family's love of Draft Horses and using them for logging and other farm work. Dairy Farming in Minnesota can be challenging, but it's a lifestyle we really enjoy. Subscribe today to watch our small family dairy farm and family grow while continuing to thank our Lord for the blessings we've been given.
Alan, I really liked your thoughts regarding the barn, and how it feels alive within with all the cows snug, and safe!! A lot of truth in your words!!
Best place in the winter
Your farm feelings are to be treasured walking into a warm dairy barn
I didn't think those wood-fired tank heaters even existed anymore. That's neat to see you're still using the old technology. It's not perfect, but it works. Stay safe and God bless.
Jessica looks happy with her horse.
Oh, yes very much so.
AMEN, AMEN. Your description of feelings connected to a stanchion barn filled with cows, is right on. I milked cows in the 70's. My surreal moment of connection to the beauty of cows in a stanchion barn - all the chores are done on a cold windy winter night, turn the lights off, and pause, listen to the wind howl and the sounds of content cows, munching on hay and the rattle of chains, protected inside from the cold outside. Thank you for all your work.
I always loved the smell and feel of a nice clean barn full of cows.
Good Video 👍. From Wisconsin Dairyland 🥛🧀
Wow, so enjoy your way of farming. I grew up on a farm back it the 1940s,50's and on till I left it in 1964 and moved on to the big city.
But I never forget my young years of up bringing in that time of life, Farming now is not the same in many ways, Thanks for your post.
About 50+ years ago, I recall seeing ads for heaters that burned corn cobs.
Back then some farmers picked cob corn then shelled it out with a sheller and used some of the cobs for the stock tank heater.
I agree with you about your barn the old barns that people fix up. I really liked this video!
I miss going in our old barn , cows calves ,cats dog it all smelled good.
The working barn....Amen! The smell and sound..LOVE IT. !!!
My Dad said, partly in jest, that when I built the free stall and went to milking in a six stall flat barn that I had ruined the farm! He had moved to town but came to the farm to help every day. He missed being able to go into the barn on cold days to push up feed, add straw bedding, just enjoy being with the cows etc.
Our cattle all had electric heated automatic waterers except for the dairy cows. They had a large redwood tank and a cob burner. There was a hydrant by the tank.
One of my grandfather's wise sayings was, "Water is the cheapest feed".
I didn't know these heaters existed and I farm in Wisconsin, neat!
I fully agree on youre barntalk but if you expand a little like i did then a freestal is the way to go because labour is the bottleneck when you are alone and have no help,thanks and greetings from a Dutch dairyfarmer
I absolutely share your opinions about the barn and love that fact that you are keeping in going. Thanks.
Those Heaters in the Water pure Genius Alan, I don't think I ever heard of a Farmer in Illinois used something like that to heat up the Cattle's water, Stay Safe and Warm up there
I'm in Northern IL and theirs thousands of those Trojan propane tank heaters laying around farms. We used to use them in 4x6 Big Husky hog water tanks, work great, but were never super efficent.
I like adding orchard grass to older alfalfa fields to get more life out of those fields. I too love orchard grass hay with a little alfalfa. Stay safe in the cold.
Just love your videos
Great small farm video
So great to see your barn still being used and yes its very peaceful God Bless
Might have to make a wood burner tank heater for our horses. Neat
I like your comment about how nice it is to be in a barn with your animals. I feel exactly the same way there's so much life in that barn and it's so comforting.
Also interesting to see your outdoor water heaters. Thanks for sharing. Really enjoy your videos !
Another very interesting video again thanks for sharing
Great video and I like the tie stall barn
Totally agree about the barn talk
Excellent video i enjoyed it!
I remember well the days of breaking up ice in the stock tank, even though it was in the 50s. I agree with you about a barn being a living thing. There are senses that flow over you that you won't get from anything else. Thanks❤
You got to do as what ever works Alan it seems you got it down pat cows look happy and healthy I see you had a calf in the barn with you when feeding the milk cows
Yup, a little Jersey Angus heifer
Always neat to see how you manage water in the colder temps.
Great video! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 🐴🐄🐂🌽
That wood fired one is a good idea
Very good job and God bless yall and happy new year
I have never seen those kind of tank heaters, neat for off gridders!
I agree miss using my tie stall barn milking cows good idea with the tank heaters
You guys are awsome thanks for being here
Great ways to thaw the water. I bet that propane heater is a jolt to the wallet. I hope your daughter enjoys her horse.
I love what you do because we have to do the same. When you farm in the Northwoods you manage often with axe in hand. You have some neat stuff. I know that it works for you it will work for everyone. We are fortunate to have an artesian well for one of our tanks it trickles all winter. We ditch it out so the overflow goes into the marsh. A barn with cows and horses definitely is a living breathing home. It's an intimate place. Especially when your cows have names.
Your talking about the warmth and life of a barn has real meaning at Christmas time! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas to you and your family 🎄🙏
Merry Christmas!
We love the tiestall barn, our cows stayed in for 4 days during the cold spell,I like being able to take our heavy coats off in the tiestall barn, thanks for the great video
Our neighbor out here in Pa has almost the exact barn as you have just a bit bigger and I just love being in it with the milk cows. It is a great part of history that is slowly going away. Stay warm.
That talk that you shared about the barn is so true. I remember before my parents immigrated to Canada, my dad had a tie stall barn, and he would wait on a square bale and braid twine into rope. Too bad the Barn and house got tore down. The milking parlor is a totally different experience, but even then, there's something magical about a barn and poplar, too.
The ole 1256 at 22 20 is looking done for the year snow covered , Looks great TD regards from the buckeye state !
Thanks for the video hope ya Had a Merry Christmas an Happy New Year for you an your family.
Merry Christmas and happy new year!!
Wishing you and family a Very Happy New Year and a very informative video. Thanks for sharing about the barn that was actually very intresting to know. I am from the the city so thank you,
Really enjoyed the video. I didn't know they made such heaters. I still like the convenience of the electric ones. I completely agree with you about the life in the barn. Every time we empty the turkey barn here it feels a bit sad. I don't have a barn like yours but wish I did.
Great video thanks for taking us around and showing your watering methods. You have to do what works best for your operation. Liked your speech about barns couldn’t agree more. I always get sad when I see one in disrepair or torn down. Happy new year.
great small farm i have a small farm were i had 48 cows for 50 years loved farmeing .
Great job Boss. You guys are True Americans like those who molded this country. Found out from OutDoors with the Morgans that certain Cherry woods burn slower than pine. God Bless. 👍🙏
thank you
Love your waters very cool did you make em very cool great idea and yes agreeded we have restored a couple old barns still in use I love old barns beautiful barn and beautiful cows
The wood burning one is homemade, but I didn't make it, I bought from someone. The propane one is factory built.
I agree about a tie stall barn, the neighbors had a parlor and free stall the free stall always seemed cold and damp and dirtier than a nice bright warm clean tie stall barn.Good to see Jessica got a horse.
We put in Cobett waterers this fall, worked really well during the cold snap, they require no electricity. Might be an option.
Tks for sharing. Happy new year. We has a fire type heater. We kept the baler twine from square bales with wood and corn cobs. Worked good.. I understand the feeling of the old barns. I dont remember how many times I fall asleep on a bale of hay and felt better after a hour napp then I did after sleeping in a bed..
I think I'll cobble something like that together. I made a windbreak on the west and north side of my outside tank and that really helped. Happy New Year Alan, and family.
I couldn't have said it any better Alan
Additional buckets of hot water does help. I've been doing it for 10 winters now.
Cold weather definitely has its challenges. Glad to see it warming up a little...20 degrees seems like a heat wave compared to below zero with gusty winds.
I used to bolt a piece of plywood on top of the water trough, so 2/3 of the trough was covered. I know what you are saying about being in the tie stall barns in the winter, I felt the same. They say that you don’t have to be crazy to be a dairy farmer, but it sure helps !
I run open tanks, knock out the ice with a hammer, and then scoop out the chunks with a fork. We have a coal boiler here and I plumbed a spigot outside of the house, fill a tote with hot water from it and dump that in our tanks once a day if its zero or ever two days if its warmer during the day. We keep goldfish in our tanks, and they have been going for years, so nothing freezes up real hard with that method. I always wondered how the wood heaters worked but never was around one. We don't have power close to where our tanks are, so my options are limited.
You are right, a stalls in a bank barn for cows are great, stay warm in the winter and are cooler IMO in the summer. I go in pole sheds everyone has went to now, and its not the same, free stalls seem cold and drafty and they are heating the parlor, definitely not the same feel.
As kids we would sit in the barn and shut of the lights and listen to the cows eat and sometimes fall a sleep
I purchased a sheet of foam insulation and bent it around the water tank. I couldn't believe how well that worked to keep the tank warm along with a heater.
Hi from Northern Ireland, love the videos. Just joined so apologise for being a bit forward. I would weld some scrap flat steel fins onto that wood heater to increase the surface area. Don’t make them too thick. Keep at it. More power to your elbow.
Great video. I especially liked the barn chat. Farming is hard to put in words, but very tangible none the less. Perhaps you could do a video describing your market niche and how you are able to compete successfully against the BTO dairies. Thx!
We have a woodfired tank heater similar to yours that I built out of some scrap pipe and steel I got from a salvage/scrapyard. It’s a little bit shorter and bigger around. Works really well except sometimes I have a hard time getting it started. I didn’t put an air intake on it like you have yours. Been thinking about adding that as I believe that would make it easier to start. We keep it in a 500 gallon tank out in the field for winter grazing. If I keep it stocked up it will keep about 50% of the ice thawed even on the coldest days. We are in SW Iowa.
Hello from a SW Iowa farmer. When I watered cows with a tank, I covered most of the tank with 3/4 in plywood. Left just enough for 2 cows at a time to drink. If you do that, be sure to leave a few inches of space around the wood heater or you may wind up with lots of fire.
I used to have a cast iron wood fired tank heater. Same basic design as your wood tank heater. Sure was a nice piece. Wish I had kept it
I still have one, don't use it anymore.
Interesting. I've never seen tank heaters like those. The propane one seems to have been built out of regular water heater parts right down to the thermocouple. You should be able to source those at any good plumbing supply. As for the wood burner, another section of flue and a tighter fitting wood door would make it much more efficient and allow it to burn longer. Much like an airtight stove for your home. It is a great concept, I believe shorter and bigger around is a good idea as you could load larger pieces of wood. Very cool, thank you for sharing.
Best regards from Indiana.
I think every livestock Farmer in the United States at least the continent has been fighting weather this last week to 10 days. We are expecting 60° temperatures by the weekend in our area right now we are at 40 through the days and into the low 30s at night but we had Sub zero and big wind over the weekend. We had water bowl issues and now myself and a friend of mine are both hunting for valves found some today after about an hour on the phone. So Alan I feel for you I understand where you're at with the parts for this years. I was just talking to my mineral man today who had spent some time in Minnesota last summer and he said the farms are beautiful and people are nice and he said but I don't know about their weather he said man alive he said they have weather like we had over this past weekend every winter most of the winter he don't think I could handle that. I don't think I could either wish you the best stay safe!
Yes, farmers all over got nailed, I've seen pictures from New York of snow so deep it buried calf huts!
@@trinitydairy yeah I watched farming fixing and fabricating pretty close. My type of daring was more like what you're in. And we are now in beef, but intrigues me watching an operation that size, when you consider they've grown to accommodate family members that wanted to come home and farm I think it's all pretty neat but I cannot imagine the scope of the problems that you would have to deal with when you get the weather streamlight that in an operation that big. I kind of like my small operation and it's problems enough when things get rough like that. I guess we can just be thankful to good Lord brought us through it. Sometimes I think back on things like that after they've happened and I realize that it's times like that to do strengthen us.
One of our neighbors back in eastern MN had a tank heater that used diesel fuel. A blacksmith had made it out of well casing. It had a small fuel tank with an adjustable valve that dripped diesel fuel on a small fire that was burning of the bottom of casing that was submerged.
I use to have a barn full of race horses and never had chip the ice out of their water pails. Never had a heater and kept the barn warm. I am from southern Manitoba which is colder than your place but not much. Like you wood fired water heater.
I had to keep mine in the barn too. And I live in Arkansas
brings back memories of hog raiseing days water freezes trouble i finally went to freeze proof ritchie,s that worked you probaly need a new capillary tube for that lp heater also if you have a 500 or 1000 gal propane tank you can get a liquid withdrawl line for it you can nurse those 100 lb tanks cant get them full but save a lot of money merry christmas stay warm
Amazing what an inch or two flat rubber laid over the tank will do. Small piece of it with hinges so the cattle can lift it to get water. Keeps the winter and show out and warm in.
For sure the clanking of the head gates of your barn takes me back cause our head gates are long gone the barns are all open stall now the growl of the vac pump and the pulsing of milkers the noise right when you flip on the vacuum it’s actually therapeutic in a way there ya go start a channel one of them AMSR or relaxing sounds of the “Ol Barn” the clanking of the dumping station and the old chain and paddle barn cleaners with the doves cooing ever so often sounds we grew up with don’t forget grandpa or dad cusin in the back ground cause you’re not holding the flash light right or the big barrel chested laugh that your uncle could fill the barn with I could go on and on thanks my brother for making me think back be safe
BigJon
Love hearing stories like that! Thanks for watching!
I have heard of putting brick around the tank heater to hold heat and have less water to heat with the brick displacing the water. Also we had a piece of slate that was used for siding that were 2X4 feet and covered the tank where the cows did not drink from.
Very fascinating video! I would love to see a video of how the wood fired one is built. (When it thaws out in the spring. 😜) Try covering your waterer with plywood, if your cows are like mine they'll probably eat the styrofoam) 😁
Your idea for a rebuild of the wood tank heater to place more of the firebox in the water should work well. Speaking of heaters - each dairy cow puts out more than 1000 watts of heat!
I use to cover tank with a opening big enough for the animals to drink
Years ago dad had a wood fired tank heater for the hogs
Sometimes if you just sandpaper the thermal coupler, it'll work- that's the piece of metal you put down the tube
Surround the tank with foam insulation is a big help in cild weather.
i agree about the barn when i built mine made sure had upper story for hay that way everything ya need is self contained not like these one story barns i ran a 12/3 under ground wire to an outlet box on a plank to my water tanks just plug the heater in in winter small floater till it gets twords zero them use a bigger one dont have the problem of cords
We used to have a Cow Boy cast iron tank heater. It burned lump coal. It would keep the old horse tanks open.
Worked on my uncle's farm in the early 80s we only let the girls out for breeding and they seemed to be happy
I know what you’re talking about the barn I grew up on a dairy farm we milked 33 cows an it was nice in the winter
have ya ever tryed to cover most of the top of the tank with a piece of plywood just leave room for the cattle to get their noses in it saves alot of heat
I did, once when I had the electric heater in there. I should try it again.
I have 17 in a barn that holds 19. Bad part is I can't get any creamery that wants my milk. So I feed calves with some of the milk and the rest goes on the manure speader when i clean barn everyday. I miss the milk truck coming.have a happy new year
So sorry to hear that, it's a sad thing, when, not many years ago, a person could make a living on 17 cows, now they won't even pick it up! Happy New year! And God bless!
That's sad news. 😢 My Dad got 22 guernsey cows that way in 1978. An old nice farmers was still using milk cans in a cooler and the creamery wouldn't pick his up anymore unless he got a milk tank. He was about 80 years old. He didn't want to retire yet but sadly he was left with little choice. Dad bought his buckets and vacuum pump too. We all felt bad and we vowed to take care of his cows with the same love and affection he did. At least a third of our herd now came from those animals.
With that blue heater you got, with the temperature thingy on the side tube, with ours it takes vegetable oil there, and it's the exact same so I wonder if you put that in there if it will work then.
Never seen such a thing
I looked up the Trojan website. Their propane water heater is called a 66B. The last price on it was $1362 and according to the website is no longer available. For that kind of money plus the high cost of propane I think I will try my hand at building a homemade wood burner.
I misread the Trojan website, the 66B is not discontinued, they are out of stock but internal parts are still available.
Just found your channel today and it's nice to see some Jersey in your bunch! What does Trinity stand for in your name?
I'm glad you found us! Trinity as in the Blessed Trinity.
👍👍
There’s nothing more lonely to me than an empty dairy barn
Your on to something need to recirculate off wood Boiler just another zone😊
Look into a Cobett waterer. No heat or electricity needed. Very popular here in the midwest.
I've been looking at Cobett waterers. Do you personally use them? I just want to know how much ice actually accumulates on top when the herd beds down on a cold night.
@@wreckandraceify I have a Cobett waterer. It's the gravity fed/under the pond type. Here in SW Iowa, I have to chop 1/2 to 1 inch ice out of it every morning if it gets down to the teens. Last week, minus 20, it was 2-3 inches of ice.
@@dougford5259 thank you. How many animals are drinking out of that? I imagine more drinking traffic the less ice builds up.
@@wreckandraceify 30-40 head. Yes, more animals means less ice up.
@@dougford5259 thank you. I've been using Mira Founts forever, and they work fine, but if they do freeze they are just a huge pain to get the valve thawed.
Just was talking to my brother.... He says another snow storm coming up in your neck of the woods. Got your snowmobiles all ready to go for another round of fun??
Yeah, 4-8 inches. There's a vintage ride near us on the 7th we're hoping to make!
@@trinitydairy Awesome 👍!!
Your fire heater we use char coal it works for a week