Livestock Tank Heater Test Results

[@davewilson2641]

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.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks Dave, I am excited for spring too. You have no idea :) - Mike

[@aaronsuchor4876]

I think this page is really cool becuase I live in Gillette Wyoming and I raise 4-h steers and sheep

[@OurWyomingLife]

Awesome, thank for watching - Mike

[@schmidthappensranch6415]

@@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.

[@tjedmabca]

Thank you for sharing. The info is still helping 4 years later.:)

[@petermavus4131]

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

[@OurWyomingLife]

Tank you very much sir! Those are fun days, and worth every minute - Mike

[@rdean1647]

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.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks for the great ideas Ronald -Mike

[@dieseldummy4250]

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.

[@Jamaicandoctor]

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"

[@tomandjerry54321]

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.

[@OurWyomingLife]

The on air talent? My name is mike lol

[@StuckInNy]

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!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much - MIke

[@bajamerica]

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.

[@Bubbletruckwindowcleaning]

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..

[@Mr.Beastforpresident]

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 KZbin Ranch, it sure beats all the farming games.

[@braddarnell6910]

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 .😉

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Brad - Mike

[@HiddenMeadowFarm]

BBBRRRRR !! I always look forward to seeing your videos. Great experiment. Tim

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you sir -Mike

[@mwmwmwmwmmdw]

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

[@OurWyomingLife]

Good point, thank you very much - Mike

[@rickcampbell4920]

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.

[@fire48pw]

Good Episode. 2 Thumbs up.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much - Mike

[@tammysarrazin7078]

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

[@JamesTRyder]

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!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks James! - Mike

[@waltbe]

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!

[@texputter7928]

Thanks for the vid. much appreciated!

[@JamesCooperCrackers2Caviar]

That's a great experiment! Please keep up the good content!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you James, really appreciate it! - Mike

[@jennaleann1874]

Very cool experiment! Nice to know! Thanks Mike!!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you and thanks for watching - Mike

[@alialmahanawi8409]

Thanks Mike for sharing such interesting experience , may God bless you and your efforts 🙏

[@jaysen2200]

Much love from southern Alberta

[@jasoncrocker9332]

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 🥶

[@tonyburelle6633]

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"

[@OurWyomingLife]

haha, thanks - Mike

[@tomrobertson3236]

I think insulation is the next step. Cows would be a problem on the outside . Maybe rigid insulation on the inside? I see the real problem as adding heat Or slowing the loss of heat Normally I see the ground as a heat loss but not in your case The ground under the tank is warmer than the air! Lol Another prevent heat loss is wind breaks. Your winds strip heat away too You now have my 2 cents . I'll bill you

[@OurWyomingLife]

hahah, can I write a check? you make total sense. This testing can almost go on forever. Thanks Tom - Mike

[@brianlengel]

I’ve found that placing new stock tanks that are 1-2’ smaller than the old one, directly inside the old one significantly reduces the ice thickness. Double insulation, and air void that cold air doesn’t drop into easily.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Great idea, thank you - Mike

[@369ranch]

Great video thank you. We have our livestock in remote areas with no power. Wondering if the heater could be powered long enough by several deep cycle batteries in parallel charged by our 70 watt solar panel.

[@joesprowl7584]

Did you try this method? I’m currently researching a solar solution to powering my stock tank floating heater. Interested finding out what worked. - Joe

[@tangent369]

@@joesprowl7584 we didn’t. The math never worked out for keeping enough batteries charged. I wonder though if a salt battery system might work, definitely would not be portable.

[@chadhazekamp6952]

A silage fork works great for removing ice

[@OurWyomingLife]

They do, I broke mine, need a new handle :) - Mike

[@fionajane56]

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😂😂😂

[@OurWyomingLife]

oh fun, mud is never fun. Thanks Fiona - Mike

[@alittlebitofeverything1673]

Cool Video keep it up

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you Austin - Mike

[@sarahaugustine4185]

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!

[@OurWyomingLife]

I actually have a video all about that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5yZlJKgjs-Ab7M Thanks - Mike

[@texlanrabbits]

wonderful about rodeo inc watch it all the time.... good partner... you people make it interesting

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks Ross. -Mike

[@davideastman7083]

Love watching Rodeo Video also. Hello Miss Amy and Reedo

[@OurWyomingLife]

Awesome thanks - Mike

[@janienafsinger4605]

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.

[@ICOWBOYIM]

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.......🤠

[@bucmeister7713]

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.

[@everettarthur6525]

LOve the channel. Can you try putting a piece of plexi glass over just Half of the water tank to see if the Sun through the glass would melt the ice during the day?

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very nice idea, thank you - Mike

[@rgsiiiya]

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.

[@SledgeHammer43]

Aeration only work up where you are and further north in deep ponds.

[@civilwarbuff4555]

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...….

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much - Mike

[@ramiroramirez7137]

Me gusta tu coleccion de placas de automoviles

[@dbruns9340]

Good test I always wondered what it cost to run tank heaters wonder if they make a solar one that works

[@OurWyomingLife]

I did look into a solar deal, quite expensive. Need a 10 foot by 10 foot panel, marine batteries and battery heaters. Thanks - Mike

[@farmerdre1]

Love your content and everything you guys do. You guys motivated me to start my channel!!!

[@andreigradinariu2]

You got great content!!

[@andreigradinariu2]

Love the tomatoes!!

[@jamesobryan3258]

It’s probably cheaper to leave the water running constantly. Reduce the flow rate so you overflow the least water you can. By the time you pay for a new heater every year and the cost to operate it, running the water continuously at a low flow rate is probably cheaper.

[@georgesmith6511]

I asked this question in the first video as well but why don’t the cows eat snow like the deer and other wildlife do when the ponds and creeks all freeze?

[@madmonte4738]

Asked my cows the same question they still haven't answered

[@marcparham38]

What about puttng 4 inches of insulation board on the bottom of the metal feed tank then put a 2nd metal tank in the first and using Great Stuff to insulate within the 4" gap. Cows would not be able to get at the insultation to eat it or cover it with something if that is a concern. With 4 " of insulation the heater should be much more efficient at keeping at 50 F. Refilling once a day in morning is a great idea and let the cows drink it down during the day almost nothing to freeze and heat up that way.

[@donsimon6741]

have you tried combining both the sinking heater and the bubbler? and cost analysis of the combination. it could have been a complete test of all theories based on the resources you already had for the test.

[@hotrodroxie]

FANTASTIC VIDEO & thorough experiment!!!☺️🙌🏼🙌🏼👏🏻💪🏼

[@jefffunkhouser2773]

I use a fish tank air compressor it's works gd down to 0 F u will get a thin lay of ice below 0 F , i put the line at the bottom of the tank i have a 500 gallons tank

[@SFD-Horses]

This was a great test. Thank you for putting this together

[@motorcyclemitzi8022]

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 .

[@TylerBunchanumbers]

One of my favorite videos. You attacked it squarely and fairly. Do more experiment videos and you'll soon rule the world. Lol

[@stu7604]

The best tank “heater” I have found is a t-post and pitch fork.

[@murraycampbell1085]

very informative for people wanting lay out the cost of farming. every little bit adds up in this narrow profit/loss business. was the cost of pumping the water on a daily basis calculated into the overall cost of the water for heating? another idea, that that i have not tried, is to dig holes in the soil under the stock tank prior to freezing and place the tank over the hole for a "geothermal" heater. anyhow, my 2 cents on the great videos.

[@redcossack245]

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! :)

[@tedkahler9738]

I really think that having water comming in and out of the tank would change your experiment greatly

[@OurWyomingLife]

It probably would, but there was no way to test that right now. Thanks - Mike

[@cowboycody8094]

1.2k likes and no thumbs down that is awesome.

[@freznelite]

What were the total KWH readings for each test unit per 24 hour period? Shouldn't that be closer to $0.10 per kWh, not $1 / kWh?

[@brianjonker510]

Jess if you are reading this....Thanks again.

[@OurWyomingLife]

I think she does. Thanks for being so considerate Brian ! - Mike

[@billconch3514]

Have you thought of insulating the external walls of each tank?

[@dankeeton9599]

Just a thought what if you took two ranks and fill one with 6 " or so with hay then sat the other tank inside the one with hay then stuffed hay all around the sides of the two tanks then filled it with water compressing the two together making and insulated tank would this work or at least help?

[@BarbMuleLover]

you should try insulating one of the tanks!

[@PatricesProjects]

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.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very good point. Thank you -Mike

[@allencanady2557]

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

[@markmortensen4341]

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‼️

[@OurWyomingLife]

Agreed, thank you Mark. By the way check you email :) - Mike

[@realdeejayscotte]

I have an idea to keep the top layer liquidized for a relatively low cost and would love to test it out. message me if you are interested. I live in southwest Idaho and will make the drive if you like to test it with me.

[@sandraknight6802]

I use sinking deicer connected on protector but not that kind u used

[@HerdingSchool]

Have you tired Solar? We live off the grid and don't have power to our barn. Any help would be appreciated

[@CC-xk6cp]

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...

[@OurWyomingLife]

I'm hoping that ground hog was right :) Thank you very much - Mike

[@CC-xk6cp]

@@OurWyomingLife Lol lol me too! Hope you two get some good sleep tonight. It's hard starting the day on empty!!!

[@georgesmith6511]

Also what about propane tank heaters and covering all of the tanks except for a drink hole

[@NVMDSTEvil]

or "flap" doors that the cows can push down on gently to open and drink from them you dont need a hole at all, or just small hole(s) while the cows learn to push on the flaps

[@josephneff8293]

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

[@OurWyomingLife]

You are very welcome, thanks for watching - Mike

[@jwrath7]

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!

[@RRRIBEYE]

Hey Mike...Just curious if one couldn't get like a heat tape - like people use on water lines to mobile homes to prevent them from freezing in winter - and strap around the outside of that tank and then wrap with some insulation and a covering - not so thick as to prevent the cows from reaching the water in the tank - but something like that completely surrounding the tank?

[@OurWyomingLife]

That would be interesting to try. Thank you very much - Mike

[@Rickiesgurl]

Been -63 here in Canada... It ain't fun

[@OurWyomingLife]

brrr, nope it isnt :) - Mike

[@ethantrout1627]

Love your video's an d the stock tank

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you Ethan! - Mike

[@welch3319]

I have a floating heater ... i got it for a little fish pond at home . It says not to use an extension cord but it's the only way i can get it to the pond. Do you think it would be ok?

[@bobbychaney8372]

sinking heaters come in a variety of watts maybe the one you had was too small?

[@randymaylowski2485]

Thanks for the video Mike but as a framer it gets tiring of breaking ice every day, we did use a water pump or whatever they call it, had bottom of the tank but it got clogged alot when cattle came to drank, they spite it back out when the water's cold so of course stuff came out of the animals months got suck to the pump, sure the pump did work somewhat good but until it kept getting clogged so stop using one, so I been breaking ice ever since which can't complain to much, cuz it does have me exercises...lol

[@OurWyomingLife]

It does get you moving, but it is no fun. Thanks Randy - Mike

[@randymaylowski2485]

Our Wyoming Life yer welcome Mike thanks for replying back to me. Have a great evening.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very welcome

[@getfly634]

Why don’t you put them tanks inside a greenhouse and covering the outside of the tanks to keep it warm im sure the water wont freeze

[@OurWyomingLife]

And let the cows in the greenhouse? that sounds dangerous lol Thanks - Mike

[@Tremorwoodworks]

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.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very cool, thank you - Mike

[@wranther]

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...

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very interesting idea, thank you Bob - Mike

[@markgroth4380]

Did the bubbler fail to keep open water, or fail to bubble?

[@OurWyomingLife]

It was bubbling away, just didnt move enough water Thanks Mark - Mike

[@LukVanhauwaert]

Wondered how farmers in the the middle-age solved this problem? I live in Silezia. Also very cold winters here. Well the farmers living a few hundreds year ago, spotted a big boulder of rock, (erratic boulder) on there land. They choose a boulder that was most buried in the ground and only emerged some few percent above terrain level. In that above part they cisled a trough. not very deep, some 15 cm. Since the big stone was sometimes 3 meters deep in the ground and thus well under the freesebarrier it was most of its part,( no matter how cold in the air), heated by the ground temperature that is allways a stable 7 Celsius degrees above freezing temperature. This is groundtemperature at a dept about 80 cm. The water thus was prevented from freezing in the trough by the always relative warm rock. By absence of boulders on your terrain you could dig a deep hole minimum 3 metres and pour in concrete, thus copy an erratic boulder. The benefit is also in summer. Because the boulder, then also always only 7 Celsius degrees, is cold compared with the air. Moisture in the air condense on the stone day and night and the trough fills itself with pure fresh condensed water. I observed this because not far from my home in the middle of nowhere is such trough preserved. the above part is only carved some 15 cm and the trough carved is also shallow deep but winter and summer, rain or no rain, hot or freesing, and although nobody ever care for this stone, the trough is allways full with liquid water.

[@kennethpipkin759]

Old video... have you "discovered" the "freeze miser"? Made in the "gud" ol U.S.A. Might be effective. Not a sponsor of the product (definitely support U.S.A.!). Check it out (if you haven't already).

[@garypollard9770]

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!

[@OurWyomingLife]

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

[@garrettvillwok3693]

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.

[@wbball15]

Great experiment.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you - Mike

[@JesusKathrynMiller]

✝️😇🕊️🤍🐑👽🧄🔭🎇🌏🪐🌠🌎🪐🌠🌍🪐🌠🦅🇺🇸🍀HolyPsalm91 Jesus and KathrynMiller say Thankyou for sharing ✝️🤍✝️🤍✝️🦅🇺🇸🍀🍀🍀

[@noahschmartz2354]

wow great ratio 1700/6 in the likes/dislikes.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you Noah! -Mike

[@dombergen8196]

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.

[@OurWyomingLife]

That is an awesome idea, thank you - Mike

[@bonniesternberg4401]

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.

[@jaunteraudi817]

Hmmm.....so heating those big water bowls costs 3 $ a day? In a 3 month winter it will be about 270 dollars + labor for walking and cheking water level, fixing frozen pipes, choping ice, I would say thats not equal for that kind of a job, by going every day, few times a day on cheking water levels and assume that all cows had drank enaugh water, because each cow can drink more than a 120 liters per 24 h. But it depends on some things, like food, lactating or not..... But lets say, you have 150 cows, so you should have stocked 18 000 liters per day, or 4750 galons to satisfy cows needs. And if water ends at night, there will be some problems with those cows, witch are in a demand of fresh water in a 24h period. I used to do the same, with bowls and heaters in my small farm, but that was to exausting through all winter, every day over and over - frozen valves, frozen bowls. So i bought two thermal Ritche automatic waterers for about 600 $ each, and no problems wat so ever for 3 years. If you set it up correctly and you have enaugh cows, they will drink water all the time , even during the night time, and waterflow stops only for a few hours, in 24 h period, there are no heating necessary. So one time 600 $ + 200 $ setting up those things, and thats it. But take a note, place has to be chosen smart, not in a way of strong winds, and it would be a good thing to add some electricity cables to the waterer, it my come in handy if waterer freezes up during some extreem conditions. But as a maintenance - only clean them out from time to time, and clean the place arround those waterers, so more time for cheking cows, more time for family, more time for fixing tracotrs and ballers for next season and more time for youtoob videos :D But hoy mate, there is an idea for your next season experiment. Set up one automatic waterer, film the process, film it during a winter time and that would be a nice comparison to a open bowl ;) Tink about it Mike ;)

[@biggysground]

Decaying compost puts out lots of heat. Build a box around the water tank and fill it with compost then cover the compost. I've seen a building with 4 feet of compost packed against the walls and it was warm inside... and I'm sure you have plenty of compost...Just sayin.

[@purplebunny7728]

Many years ago I saw an insulated container of some kind maybe 50 gal? The water stayed thawed all the time and the insulation saved on the electric for the heater. Of course that was 50 or 100 gal. And the tank had a super heavy metal exterior. It was insulated and square. Maybe there is a way to insulate tanks that the cows don't tear apart. As we all know they will test every "improvement". Very interesting to me, 2 or 3 dollars a day is hugely expensive. The refilling the tank in the morning would seem to work the best. 24 hour access to water is probably more for us than them. Did you try using a game cam. That would show night time usage? It would be very interesting to see what the consumption levels are at different temps. Do they drink more frequently in warmer temps or just larger amounts? In hot weather we kind of know, but what time of day? And what about the amounts drank in colder temps? What about in really nasty weather? Which cows drink the most? When its a howling blizzard do they drink more gallons when they do get to the tank? What about a covered tank with openings similar to the hay racks? But if they aren't drinking at night in low temps that saves on electricity. Good luck. I hope you see this. What if you set that plastic tank down into an insulated container of some sort. Maybe partly covered like a hot tub. And how to keep the beasties from mangling your cover. Thanks for sharing your day or rather days. B

[@lodiprideprimitives]

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.

[@ameyers67]

Insulate the perimeter of the tanks and install something dark in the center of the tank just on top of the water leaving space around the perimeter for access, thereby limiting the surface area exposed to the cold air. This would greatly limit the amount of electricity needed to keep that perimeter of the tanks thawed, and wouldn't cost a lot.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Awesome idea, thanks Alden - Mike

[@bigcliffadventures]

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.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much sir. You are in our prayers. - Mike & Erin

[@aCycloneSteve]

What I wondered is if you put multiple heaters in one tank would they warm the water faster and would that save money. I don't think so but physics is always a bit odd. Maybe it would.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Ya never know, worth a try, i do have ice to melt - Mike

[@darrentretinik]

With how much wind you have it would be nice if you could use a windmill with paddles to keep the water swirling around the tank. It would also be free after initial building costs.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Not a bad idea, thank you - Mike

[@dairygoatsvt]

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.