How to Make a Portable Watering System for Rotational Grazing

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One of the biggest challenges for producers that rotationally graze any type of livestock is providing them with fresh water.

We have a herd of meat goats that we rotationally graze in paddocks with a perimeter fence as well as in solar-powered, portable, electric netting. We used to be limited to putting them in areas that had reasonably close access to a water hydrant.

Carrying buckets by hand or putting 5 gallon pails in the back of a pick-up just wasn’t cutting it anymore and the cost of a permanent watering system for rotational grazing was out of our budget.

This easy-to-make, four-wheeler-carried watering barrel has solved our issues for now and has really expanded our options for utilizing our land to its greatest potential. I don’t know why we didn’t make it sooner!

Materials Needed for Making a Portable Watering System for Rotational Grazing

• 15-gallon plastic drum (or similar container)
• ¾ inch hose bibb
• Teflon plumbing tape
• ¾ inch spade drill bit
• Power drill
• 4-foot (or longer) section of garden hose with ¾ inch male threaded end
• Ratchet straps
• Four-wheeler (or other vehicle)

Directions for Making a Portable Watering System for Rotational Grazing

1. Attach the spade drill bit to the power drill and make a hole in the plastic drum at the desired location of the water spigot (it should be near of the bottom of the barrel for gravity flow)
2. Wrap the inlet end of the hose bibb with Telfon tape
3. Screw the wrapped inlet end of the hose bibb into the hole in the plastic drum until the threads are completely covered
4. If your barrel isn’t vented (see caps in picture), use the drill to bore ventilation holes in the top of the barrel
5. Attach the section of garden hose to the outlet end of the hose bibb
6. Use ratchet straps to secure the barrel to the vehicle you are going to use to haul water
7. Rinse the barrel
8. Fill the barrel and water your animals

Tips for Use

• Keep the water trough or bucket on the fence line, but on the lowest part of the field or paddock. When you go to water, back the four-wheeler up to the fence and use the hose to gravity fill
• Make sure the barrel is venting, if the water is coming out very slowly it may be because the water level in the barrel is low or because it is creating a vacuum

Sam

Mother, farmer, author, and teacher by trade… She loves tending to things and watching them grow!