Livestock Tank Heater Test Results
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- Over the past 3 weeks we have been doing our own tests of livestock tank heaters on the ranch. The results are now in as we we test timers, regular heaters and bubblers. As well as breaking ice by hand and what to do with the ice afterwards.
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Our Wyoming Life
PO Box 667
Gillette WY 82717
Join us on our journey as we leave a life in corporate america to come back to Wyoming and help on the family ranch.
Our Wyoming Life features our Wyoming ranch and our ranch family. Giving you a look into the workings of ranching from raising cattle to raising and harvesting crops. Erin will join you weekly out of the garden, showing you how she helps provide for our family through growing produce and selling at local farmers markets, and Mike will take you along as he tends to the animals and land of ranch, from calving to fencing to planting and harvesting hay.
Thanks for the results Mike! You and Erin have a great week!
I have been waiting for the video with baited breath. I just found this channel and have been absolutely blown away by all the content. I love watching all of the Wyoming life videos and I am excited to see the spring content.
Thanks Dave, I am excited for spring too. You have no idea :) - Mike
Very cool experiment! Nice to know! Thanks Mike!!
Thank you and thanks for watching - Mike
Thanks for the great channel Mike. Been watching for a few months seeing the day to day workings and struggles of ranching. I am pulling for you and your family...….
Thank you very much - Mike
That's a great experiment! Please keep up the good content!
Thank you James, really appreciate it! - Mike
You're scientific method and thorough explanation on this topic just won you another subscriber. This is exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks!
I really want to encourage you to do more of these types of projects/studies. This is so helpful to us novices!!!! It also makes for great ideas for the next show when you sit there wondering what to do for the next show! :)
I think this page is really cool becuase I live in Gillette Wyoming and I raise 4-h steers and sheep
Awesome, thank for watching - Mike
@@OurWyomingLife thanks for the video and info. Have you ever given thought to the idea of covering most of the top your stock tanks with plywood and 2-3" foam board?
I have a much smaller herd than yours, 4 cows. but still have to deal with getting them water and keeping it open. for my herd of 4 cows, i have a 75 gallon Rubbermaid tank and i only ever fill it to 3/4 in the winter and have a sinking tank heater. 2/3 of the top of my tank is covered with plywood in order to cut down on any "mishaps" (ie, cow accidentally poops in the tank) the opening is more than enough for 1 cow at a time to get her head to water even as it gets low. I also have a small shelter over and around the tank. the sinking heater on a timer, OFF 2 hours, ON 35ish minutes schedule day and night. on the very very cold days/nights, a relatively thin bit of ice will form before the heater thaws it completely, but the cows can easily break through it. I have always looked at keeping stock water tanks in the winter not necessarily completely free of ice, but a little ice that is easy enough for my animals to break through (1/4" or so) is fine, just not 4-6" to have to chop out a lot of time. North Central Minnesota in the Red River Valley, so it gets crazy cold here -45F at least a few times every winter, most of the time -15ish at night during winter.
This was a great test. Thank you for putting this together
FANTASTIC VIDEO & thorough experiment!!!☺️🙌🏼🙌🏼👏🏻💪🏼
Thanks Mike I think your video series are great.I eagerly look forward to the next one. Take care.
I will definitely be watching this weeks live stream!! Yall and the Flakes are just about the only 2 channels I watch all the time!!
Awesome, thanks Chris - Mike
love the videos brings back the good memories of being on the farm
Thank you for sharing. The info is still helping 4 years later.:)
Tanks Mike …… enjoyed the experiment.....I always had to sleep on the floor holding my daughter,s hand thru her crib bars whenever we had a lighting/thunderstorm to stop her from crying and get her back to sleep
Tank you very much sir! Those are fun days, and worth every minute - Mike
Glad you helped us figure it out. I know I've used salt bottles for 5 years. They sure weren't working this year. Thanks for the vid and all your time invested.
Thanks for the hard work you did testing ways to keep water available during winter months. Im gonna go with the floating heater on my water troughs.
Nice update. It is always good to keep an open mind about doing things differently than how you've always done them. At only 53 I was hit with a bout of sciatica that lasted... 5 years and counting. Unfortunately, I hadn't considered making things easier to do and access yet, because I am not THAT old. I had built one raised bed in my garden, only because the soil was so lousy, I couldn't get plants to flourish. Unfortunately, I only built it 12 inches high, and hadn't yet filled it. Now I have a few more raised beds to make gardening easier. My husband bought me a 2 wheeled wheel barrow so I can more things easier. Without changing how I did things, I wouldn't have a garden.
Very good point. Thank you -Mike
That was good to know, why are your hay bales so loose in the center ,does the baler stop at 60" or can you make them tighter and still be 60",how much do the bales weigh,your cows look good coming out of winter, no holler belly. Why nothing about the mud ?a gravity problem lol
Thanks Mike for sharing such interesting experience , may God bless you and your efforts 🙏
The issue I see with large round tanks is that most of the surface area is not used by the cows to drink but is where most of the heat is radiated out and lost. A cover at night would help or perhaps a permanent floating cover that leaves only enough room for the cows to drink. That plus insulating the sides and bottom would help too.
Thanks for the great ideas Ronald -Mike
I enjoy the flake videos to Reed and Amy are great people and good as gold to me to.
They part of my old life now I am in and out of the hospital now with the cancer and they all ways pray for me too.
Thanks Mike you all ways do your best for the family and the ranch too.
Thank you very much sir. You are in our prayers. - Mike & Erin
I enjoy each video. But I think this is one of my favorites. I have two small children that also played that game last night. But to get to the watering tanks, that was a great experiment to show how different climates change the way we do things. My wife and I moved from the East Coast to Colorado and noticed many changes that ranchers and farmers do differently from Pennsylvania to Colorado. Thanks for the videos
You are very welcome, thanks for watching - Mike
Loved this experiment Mike.
There is chicken feeders in which a chicken have to step on a small platform before it will open up and provide feed this way it will keep the Wild animals out of the chicken feed , maybe the same situation could be applied with livestock water tank in which a closed environment tank will open a window as a cow steps on a platform , or maybe a spring-loaded platform in which one a cow steps on some sort of mechanism would come down and break the ice , or a mechanism in which a cow will step on a spring-loaded platform opening a slider valve similar to what you see on an RV waste water tank drain releasing water for the livestock ,
thank you for being there for what you doing may God be with you for what you're doing to provide food for a country pushed over the edge .
Love watching Rodeo Video also. Hello Miss Amy and Reedo
Awesome thanks - Mike
Interestingly, i recently read an article on this topic, but they tested black balls that float on the water in the stock tanks (they are weighted so they don't blow away). They found they both helped prevent evaporation in the summer, and lower heating costs in the winter. The down side was they they are still fairly expensive.
BBBRRRRR !! I always look forward to seeing your videos. Great experiment. Tim
Thank you sir -Mike
Thanks again Mike
Thank you Kyle - Mike
Hi Mike, pretty cool the Flakes are stopping by! I watch their channel and met Reed at NFR this last December and chatted a bit, like your family, they are good people!
Take care, Rick from Las Vegas and Pavillion WY.
My personal experience on the "Rubbermaid" style tanks.
A concrete blanket wrapped around the tank walls and tied neatly with rope, is by far the most effective way to help keep open water.
The blankets insulate the tank and are designed to you the sun to heat the back side of the blanket.
Ive had open water below 10°F when the sun shines, and in tank heaters run less when it doesnt.
Another wonderful video. I look forward to hearing from Amy and Reed on your channel. I enjoy their channel as well. Good Day,God Bless!
Thank you very much - MIke
It's nice n' comfortable down in the old groove, especially for us who've seen the sun go 'round the earth a fair number of times. But if we jut hunkered down and stayed there, we'd still be breakin' rocks with other rocks for our tools. Thanks fore the experiment, Mike. Looking forward to spending Valentine's Day with OWL!
Insulate the tanks overnight and cover the tanks also with an insulated covering, the sides need to be covered with heaped up dirt or an few cm thick or any other insulator you can find. Then if you can cover the tank and leave holes in the covering for the cows to drink you lose less heat from the top that way.
Have you considered Solar on the house, if you get a federal tax credit and have sunlight you can pay back in around 8 years. Then after that the farm is pretty much on free electricity.
Big startup install cost but long term worth it. I am in Sunny Syracuse NY and we are getting probably less sun than you are in Wyoming. Our solar works great!.
Good luck bro !!! sweet video. Looking forward to being woken up tonight by my 3 year old with the old " I need to use your bathroom in your room, or I need some of mommas water"
Fantastic video, you are very good at this.
Great video !!! Thanks for sharing Mike
Than you for watching Billy -Mike
Great experiment.
Thank you - Mike
Great video!
I'm not a farmer nor do I work on a Ranch but somehow I feel the need to watch to know what's going on at my Realistic CZcams Ranch, it sure beats all the farming games.
This was an excellent test. I was lucky to have a huge perennial spring that ran hard enough to water most of the cattle. Its drawback was the ice that formed below the overflow☹
The thermal waterers work well if there is a high volume of cattle drinking from them but they will freeze if not used enough in extreme weather.
Here in Kentucky its floating tank heaters but we only use them maybe two days then it warms up. However after this week of 4 inches of rain and the ensuing MUD BOG ...cold frozen conditions suddenly dont seem that bad....go figure😂😂😂
oh fun, mud is never fun. Thanks Fiona - Mike
Love your content and everything you guys do. You guys motivated me to start my channel!!!
You got great content!!
Love the tomatoes!!
I love watching you guys and I love watching Reed Flake & his wife Amy on 'Rodeo Video' - I am looking forward to you guys teaming up this Thursday @ 7:00 PM! I'm sure it'll be great! Hi From NYC!
Thanks James! - Mike
This was extremely helpful thankyou
Thank you for these test videos. I raise livestock in Indiana and always wondered what my stock heaters cost me. I now only use the heaters when it gets signal digits.
Awesome I love the Rodeo Video channel. You guys are polar opposites on the way you keep cattle. Can't wait
we are, almost a thousand miles will do that. Thanks - Mike
Thanks for the vid. much appreciated!
Great video man Keep it up!!!
Thank you so much Mike....I love Amy and Reed
Awesome thank you Jody - Mike
Yes I know him I watch him time to time. Can't wait to Thursday see your next video. Stay warm out there and keep up the hard work and hope get some good rest .😉
Thank you very much Brad - Mike
My father is 68 and a lifelong rancher. When he was a young man, him and his uncle built a covered tank that does a really good job of not freezing over so bad. And this is in the panhandle of Nebraska. It is nestled behind trees of the creek bottom to the west and North sides to break the worst winter wind. The cover is a box that covers the north half of the tank. It is built with old heavy lumber, covered in barn metal, and insulated with feed sacks. It is the only tank on the ranch that doesn't freeze over inches thick. I think if there was a solar powered heater on the inside with a backup battery it would probably stay completely clear of ice.
Hi Mike - Just an idea but maybe worth trying this winter. It's known physics, that water freezes on a bridge faster than the rest of the road, but not so underneath. What if you constructed a "roof" over a tank, high enough to give cattle access to drink, but low enough to hold the heat a little longer at night / create a temp differential? Or put a 3-4" mat of thick polyethylene / bubble wrap over the tank at night (like a hot tub cover/ floating thermal blanket). Maybe also float some heat absorbing black material on top or halfway down to raise the temp during the day. Passive, and worth a try? (like passive solar swimming pool heater)
Another idea might be to drain the water into a sunken tank at night to absorb geothermal and pump back up in the morning, or recycle the water between the two on a solar pump. That could provide up to a 20 degree differential.
Best option right there you listed..The bridge stops all the cold air from just falling on the vat of water..The bridge also stops the small crystal seeds from falling in the water to create more crystals..
That floating tank heater is what a I use but I don't have the temperatures extremes that you do❗️ I didn't think the others would work very good as they just didn't have the heart needed to keep the water from freezing. Thanks again for sharing your video‼️
Agreed, thank you Mark. By the way check you email :) - Mike
Keep up the good work, or should I say the hard work! LOL love your channel
Good video mike
Thank you - Mike
one way that we used to keep our water thawed was we took a 4" thick piece of styrofoam and covered in fiberglass like a surfboard but we left 3 "drinking holes" in the foam we then used a submerged heater and spray foamed the tanks on the outside for insulation . if you can control the loss of heat to the cold air then heaters dont have to work as hard or as often. we could have done with just 2 drinking holes as we rarely saw 3 using at any one time .
This is a very well scripted, edited and produced video. The camera loves the on-air talent. Good work on providing practical advice in a way that's also entertaining and keeps the viewers interest.
The on air talent? My name is mike lol
Thank You.
Good Episode. 2 Thumbs up.
Thank you very much - Mike
We have broken and removed ice. We get a pail - (maybe a five-gallon bucket for you ) drill a bunch of big holes in the bottom and sides and use it to bail the ice junks and leave the water. Thanks for sharing the experiment.
That is an awesome idea, thank you - Mike
At least it's nice and warm chasing kids around in the house. You could be out checking calves which probably won't be much longer! Lol love the videos keep them coming!
Good video. Been waiting to see how this experiment would come out. With all the different comments from the different parts of the country what would and wouldn’t work. Of course some of these would work in different areas and some wouldn’t just depending on where you live. With the Wyoming temps as they are in winter just going to have to have the heat. Just too cold. Love Reed and Amy Flakes channel on here too. 2 of my favorite channels together should be a good one!
I totally agree. I think if anybody takes any message from it, it should be to try. Experiment and see what works for you. Thank you sir -Mike
Cool experiment! For us insulating the tanks with the tank heaters works best. Also where the animals can't react in the tub if you also cover that with insulation it really does help retain heat.
another consideration about re-using the ice that you skim off the tank, is that by melting it in your shop you cause the heating system in the shop to work harder since that ice melting will cool off the area more than normal
Good point, thank you very much - Mike
Much love from southern Alberta
One of my favorite videos. You attacked it squarely and fairly. Do more experiment videos and you'll soon rule the world. Lol
Nice video down to earth God bless bro
What we have found to be effective in the cold Wisconsin winter, is to insulate the tank by building a box around it and lining it with 2” pink styrofoam insulation. Then cover the tank with 3/4” exterior grade plywood floating on top of another 2” pink styrofoam insulation panel, leaving just a single hole for the cattle to drink from. Using this method the tank heater rarely comes on AND you can leave the water line open to the float.
My wife and I have met Reed & Amy (and the kids/grandkids) a couple of times and we're looking forward to the Thursday video.
Very cool, thank you - Mike
This is what makes the internet/CZcams/ Wyoming Life invaluable. Where else can you get this info…. I don’t have the resources to do this experiment. Thank you for your time and effort!!!
Love your video's an d the stock tank
Thank you Ethan! - Mike
Very nicely done - thoughtful, even while a hundred other things tug at you. Too bad you can't bury the tanks a little, or insulate. Thank you!
Very informative. I'm glad you are trying out the suggestions. I was intrigued by the timer on the heater. I wonder if it burns out all heaters.
Never raised cattle but I used to use floating trough heaters to keep a hole for venting waste gases in Koi ponds. They never failed me unless I lost power. I never used them, but I hear they have solar powered trough heaters now too.
Hi again! You don't know if you don't try! Valuable experiment Mike. Only thing about the floaters is there's always somebody who loves to play and then destroy! Lol Think your decision was a good in the meantime decision even if there's a bit more work. Think we all just need an early spring! Hoping the predictions were right!! Thx for the results. Keep warm over there...
I'm hoping that ground hog was right :) Thank you very much - Mike
@@OurWyomingLife Lol lol me too! Hope you two get some good sleep tonight. It's hard starting the day on empty!!!
We found just giving the horses the water they need works best .
it’s just easier trying to keep water from freezing in A Canadian winter 🥶
X Already watch the read flake and Amy rodeo video every week just like a watch you guys you guys and them are my two favorite ones
As far as keeping tanks open during our cold nebraska winters. A friend of mine uses a steel tank built up on a dirt circle and starts a small fire underneath every couple of days. When the fire is not burning the coals from the wood fire is enough to keep the water open. Maybe you have time to cut wood and maybe not. But if so it would be a cost effective way to keep the animals water supply open.
we use a sinking heater in the horse/donkey trough. The goats get a heated bucket for the day . I think you have to weigh time vs.$$ . Time chopping ice could be used elsewhere. For us, the cost to run heaters is a lot less than a horse with colic. Can't risk not catching a frozen water supply.
Good choice on the Flakes. We watch them (and you) religiously.
Cool Video keep it up
Thank you Austin - Mike
If looking for guests, I suggest The Peterson Farm Boys. But I’m partial to Kansas farm kids. Have a great day and thank you for the videos.
I have had good luck with a wane utility pump like you had at the end. I installed it in the tank and used 2" PVC. I had a 3' pipe with a tee at the end. then used a 4" pieces each way with a 90 deg turned up to push water up. All it did was circulate water. It worked great.
How does it do on power? worth trying, thanks - Mike
@@OurWyomingLife
Look at the amps on the motor you use and then use ohms law you can figure your wattage and compere it to what you currently are using. I had the pump off the bottom a few inches to help keep loose hay and other stuff out of the intake. Good luck.
Hi Mike, intresting video. I use a thermistaticly heated S.S. tank heater made by Canarm / Farmtech. It has worked perfectly for 8 years, year round (at temps down to -24F, just two weeks ago). I monitor it daily though. Who would know more about cold then the Canadians I thought.......🤠
Have you ever measured the power usage over a month for example to know the true costs? My understanding of this experiment was to see if there was a more economical way to keep the water open with less power usage than was historically the case.
I find myself wondering if a geothermal approach while more costly up front might end up being effective. Bury a closed loop of black poly pipe, use a small pump to continually circulate when temps get to a predetermined point of need thereby using the thermal mass of mother earth to warm the water. Also wonder if having the tanks shielded from the wind might would impede the process of freezing since. However doing that negates using the sun to help when it is out. Lots to consider for sure.
I water 5 sheep in Utah. Thanks for the work you did on this experiment! I think we may be spending
.25 per day.
another you tube family made a casing for the waterers with a box around the tube and using foam you use in the walls for insulation and it made the water not freeze as much 8/10 times it wasnt frozen now this was for smaller watering tanks as he only has goats and chickens and pigs but i wonder if you could do it with a bigger tank ????? this little experience was cool to watch and see the results hugssssss from Ontario Canada
Thumbs up from Lovell !
This is what I have been waiting for!!!!
Awesome, thanks Justin - Mike
What was the daily watt usage on the floater that worked?
And no problem Mike. Thank you for everything you and your wife do. I've changed a lot since I started watching you and Reed both. Excited for the live stream!
Depending on the day 25-35 KwH
Omgosh I love Reed and Amy flake. Faithful viewer of theirs also 😁
Me too lol
Me three 😁
I was a little surprised at the ineffectiveness of the other heaters, but I can't begin to know what sustained cold like that is, living in Connecticut, still an interesting experiment, I'll try to watch Thursday so I can hear you and Erin say " Flake out"
haha, thanks - Mike
Hi Mike great videos we run a 400 head cow-calf operation in North Eastern South Dakota so we also deal with some cold weather from time to time last week 37 below with wind chill factors 60 belowwhat are fortunate enough that are water tanks are fed by an artesian well the water flows in and overflows down to a lake so it keeps our tanks open. One benefit of living on a hill.
That's for sure. I'd like that situation. Thank you very much -Mike
Must have a good bit of flow.
@@brianjonker510 little better than 20 gals per minute.
@@davidnelson410 I realize thats not enough for a center pivot but here in NY that'd be a great well. It would handle the cows and a couple acres of drip tape in the high tunnels.
Great video. I have been wondering, have you tested rolling out hay bales vs bale feeders? Rolling out a bale seems wasteful to me. Thanks for your content. It is always interesting and never dull!
I actually have a video all about that. czcams.com/video/mk6c_jYjM9Q/video.html Thanks - Mike
The screw in ones that go in the bottom in the drain plug are the only way I’ve gotten through 30 years of stock tanks here in alaska. They briefly showed that in a picture. The only one IMO
Heaters gonna heat!!!! Hahahaha nailed it!!
hahaha thanks Ryan - Mike
You know Mike, you have a couple mighty fine guests cued up there with Mr. Not A Truck Driver No He Is No Trucker and Ms. Amy! Perhaps if your time allows Thursday, ask Ms. Amy what the secret is behind that rich frosting prepared by Chef Addie? Could be a competition between Chef Addie and the Farm to Market Leader Erin!. -Bob...
Very interesting idea, thank you Bob - Mike
I would be interested in a geothermal buried recirulating system. The water from the ground would be a hypothetical 58 degrees, I dunno for a fact in cold places like yours though. A few hundred feet of buried coil tubing and a possible dip into the water table from a well driller and you would be set, the pump would be low volume and run off thermometers in the tanks. You could also use to to warm a barn or home
If you only break a hole big enough for a cows nose in the ice it stays open much longer and the ice to break doesn’t get anywhere near as thick. Breaking the entire tank eventually ends up with 1’ thick ice when you’re near 0°.
So i've got another test for you. A water agitator. Basically makes the water in the tank rotate (would need to test rotation method as moving water does not freeze, but a large rotating mass of water may still freeze, so 2 rotators may be needed to create "churning" currents). Even if it didnt work it may help use smaller heaters
Enjoyed your info in the water tanks. I wondered if you have explored solar options? I have remote tanks so have previously done the break the ice and haul water options.
Cool I watch his videos two
Awesome thanks - Mike
Successful with just using a pond/water garden pump 800-950 GPH with attached filter. Aim the outflow up for a bubbling affect above water surface. This keeps water and aeration moving therefore no freeze. My 9000 gallon pond doesn’t freeze over up here at 7000 elevation Utah. You can purchase online or at homedepot.
A little recommendation when you are scooping ice out is to use a pitch fork because you will pick up the ice without having to drain the water
Makes sense, I usually use one but my handle broke and everytime I am in town I keep forgetting lol Thanks Seth - Mike
Good test I always wondered what it cost to run tank heaters wonder if they make a solar one that works
I did look into a solar deal, quite expensive. Need a 10 foot by 10 foot panel, marine batteries and battery heaters. Thanks - Mike