Watering livestock can pose dangers and health issues to them.
When drinking stagnant, standing water, livestock are susceptible to West Nile and Zika virus because the water can attract mosquitoes carrying the viruses.
Algae collecting in the stagnant water is another problem, bringing bacteria that can be toxic.
Automatic waterers that use electricity can kill animals or cause dangerous dehydration. With water a proficient conductor of electricity, animals can be electrocuted when attempting to drink. Or, after experiencing non-fatal electrical shocks, animals avoid drinking from that waterer altogether, which can lead to dehydration and even further health problems.
The Bar-Bar-A Horse & Livestock Drinker (www.horsedrinker.com) removes the worries of standing water and electricity, using neither, and is easy for the animals to use while being low maintenance for the caretaker. It also saves a significant amount on the electric bill.
“We are firm in our belief that animals, water, and electricity do not mix,” says David Anderson, president and CEO of Bar-Bar-A and a proponent for horse and livestock safe keeping. “We have seen many times where an electric automatic waterer has been the sad reason in either killing an animal or making them sick because of dehydration.
“We developed a livestock drinker with which there is no worry about shocking or killing your animals, and the water temperature is right, regardless of season, so animals drink more and are healthier.”
The Bar-Bar-A Horse and Livestock Drinker can handle up to 25 head of livestock. Anderson says animals can learn to drink from it quickly; horses usually in less than an hour. The animal’s nose brushes against the paddle, triggering the supply valve to open, and filling the water bowl. After the animal finishes drinking, the remaining water drains back into the ground, leaving an empty bowl and eliminating standing water to freeze in the winter, get hot in the summer, and grow algae or mosquito eggs. Thus, a potential breeding ground for disease is eliminated, and there is no weekly cleaning associated with the product.
This automatic waterer uses water that is located under the earth’s surface, regulating the temperature to the season and ensuring that the water is always at a temperature that will be appealing to animals. The valve is below frostline to prevent freezing, and for severe climates, the drinker comes with an insulator, which keeps freezing air from reaching the supply line and valve.
To see how the The Bar-Bar-A Horse & Livestock Drinker works and is different from other automatic waterers, please the website for a video demonstration (www.horsedrinker.com/how-to/automatic-waterers-work) and product details.