Types and requirements for drinkers for goats, instructions for making your own hands
Goats need access to water at any time of the day. If the water is dirty, animals may refuse to drink or become sick. From a lack of fluid, milk yield decreases, pets lose their appetite, kids and cat females are especially sensitive to it. Therefore, the equipment in the goat house of a drinker for goats is a prerequisite for the correct maintenance of the livestock and its health.
Primary requirements
Drinkers should not be placed next to feeders. Residues of compound feed, hay or vegetables pollute the water, which can become a source of infection. The following factors should be considered when choosing a container:
- animals should be comfortable to approach her;
- the drinker must be secured so that it is difficult to turn it over;
- the container should be easy to clean;
- a durable container for water is selected.
Equip it depending on the number of animals and their age. For kids, containers are fixed lower than for adult animals so that they can easily reach the water. It is changed daily.
Types of drinkers
Water tanks in the goat's house can be floor-standing or mounted, conventional or automatic. Industrial automatic drinkers require water supply to the barn. Pet product manufacturers offer inexpensive plastic options. The advantages of such drinkers are budgetary cost, they are easy to clean.
The disadvantage is that they quickly break down due to insufficient strength of the products.
Metal drinkers are durable and durable, but will rust with use. Rust can poison animals. They should be coated with metal paint before use. Cast iron containers are durable, difficult to turn over, easy to clean, and not subject to corrosion.
If the owner has only one animal, a bucket or basin is often used for water. They need to be fixed, because goats are mobile, restless creatures and often turn containers over. It is better not to put such options on the floor of the goat's house, animals splash water, the room will be damp and dirty. Goats climb into a basin or a trough with their feet, they can get wet, then they easily catch colds in late autumn and winter. The plastic container cracks, chips can injure the animal.
For a basin or bucket, you can weld from fittings or put together a stand from a tree into which the container will be installed. In addition, a pallet made of iron or plastic is required to protect the floor from moisture. The easiest way to secure the bucket is to tie the handle with a rope to a nail or a special ring driven into the wall. The rope can be replaced with a chain. It is convenient to fit a basin or bucket into an old car tire. Hinged containers are attached to the door or to the wall.For adult goats - at a height of 0.5 meters, for kids - 0.2-0.25 meters.
For a large farm, you should purchase or make your own containers with automatic filling. They provide animals with clean water, and many industrial models have the function of heating the liquid. This saves the animals from colds in winter. Experienced farmers praise nipple drinkers, goats quickly get used to them, they can drink on their own, however, water supply to the goat's house is necessary.
Materials and tools
Drinking containers are usually made of metal or plastic. To make a metal drinker, you need a grinder, a welding machine. To make a plastic version, a soldering iron for plastic pipes and special scissors are useful (you can do with a hacksaw for metal). Drinkers must be airtight.
How to do it yourself
Drinkers can be made from leftover plastic or metal pipes of a suitable diameter. To prevent rust, metal containers are painted. The easiest option is to cut the pipe across, weld on the sides and fix it to the wall or door.
If there are a lot of animals, and there is room and a large container for water (a tank or a barrel) in the goat's house, it is more convenient to make an automatic drinker. They have a complex structure. They may additionally require, for example, a float shut-off device and hoses.
For little kids, you can purchase a drinking bowl with nipples for milk and water. A separate container is installed for the goats. The goat is watered separately from the goats. The goat drinks from 3 to 5 liters of liquid per day. Regardless of the material from which the drinker is made, it must be clean and comfortable for the animals and the owner. It must be rinsed to remove feed residues. High-quality care and home improvement for animals will ensure good milk yield, pet health and cleanliness in the goat's house.
