Alot of guys on here have cows, so I thought Id ask this question. Over the years we have had cows that cant figure out how to drink out of a automatic water bowl, (push the paddle or button). Usally after awhile they figure it out. Since Nov 3rd I cant get a yearling steer to learn to drink. I have to stand there with a stick for 5 minutes and push the paddle down so he well drink. Now this is getting a little old. So other than waiting,,,,,, anyone have any tips, tricks or storys about the topic? JayinNY
- Thread starter JayinNY
- Start date
Don't know any real tricks. We had cows in a stanchion barn all my life up til seven years ago. It takes some of them a while,but never had one that didn't figure it out when they got thirsty enough. Generally another one would leave water in the bowl and the stupid one would get so thirsty and aggressive that she would burry her head in the bowl and push it down accidentally sooner or later. They usually scare themselves when the water jets out,but they figure it out.
What kind of bowl is it anyway? We had the best luck with the old cast iron Starlines. Those paddles kinda hung from the side. The newer Jamesway bowls had the paddle more at the bottom so it wasn't so easy for them to accidentally push it. They had to be more aggressive about getting their noses to the bottom to push those. Sometimes the pin would get worn and there wouldn't be much clearance between the paddle and the bottom of the bowl.
What kind of bowl is it anyway? We had the best luck with the old cast iron Starlines. Those paddles kinda hung from the side. The newer Jamesway bowls had the paddle more at the bottom so it wasn't so easy for them to accidentally push it. They had to be more aggressive about getting their noses to the bottom to push those. Sometimes the pin would get worn and there wouldn't be much clearance between the paddle and the bottom of the bowl.
Paul Shuler
Member
Sounds like he has trained you and didn"t take him long. Just funnin with you. Critters do strang things. I have a dog that dumps her food out of the bowl and eats it off the ground.
James Howell
Well-known Member
My dad had a garden out in the pasture that was fenced-off to keep the cows out.
He had run pvc pipe from the water well to the garden and had a water faucet about 1ft. above ground for a garden hose.
Several times he went to the garden and the water was running from the water faucet.
One day while he was in the garden, a cow walked up the the water faucet and "rubbed" it with her nose until the faucet was open.
She got her a long drink and walked away.
He finally had to put a chain clip on the water faucet to keep it closed.
He had run pvc pipe from the water well to the garden and had a water faucet about 1ft. above ground for a garden hose.
Several times he went to the garden and the water was running from the water faucet.
One day while he was in the garden, a cow walked up the the water faucet and "rubbed" it with her nose until the faucet was open.
She got her a long drink and walked away.
He finally had to put a chain clip on the water faucet to keep it closed.
I will tell you a funny story. Many years ago an old Hereford X cow we had gave birth to a big bull calf and for a start he seemed to be having a lot of trouble finding the teat for the first time ,instinctively he was aiming too high, the cows udder was a bit low for him. So,to get the colostrum into him, Dad milked a drop into a bucket and then I then tried to feed him, you know , usual trick dip 2 fingers in the milk then get him to suck them and gradually lower his head into the bucket. Well no way was he going to put his head down, he kept lifting it up and he nearly knocked the bucket out of my hand twice. I was sitting there on the manger with the bucket between my knees and I said "OK fella, be like that, it looks as if I am going to have to bottle feed you for a start!" Well he just looked at me, walked up me, stuck his head down into the bucket and then slurped it all up in 1 gulp... I have never seen a new born calf do that before or since.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
rub some molasses around the bowl and on the paddle..... he will soon figure it out.
old popper
Well-known Member
My old yellow Lab does the same thing. One food dish in her doghouse she tips over, and one food dish in the garage she doesn't tip. Same dog food. I can't explain it.
I never had too much trouble with calves learning to drink out of a bowl waterer. I had a funny/costly thing happen with the first Mir frost free waterer I had. It had the ball in it that the cows had to push down to get a drink. When you put "new" cows in it had a screw that would push the ball off center so that they would learn that there was water in it. I had one out in a pasture field. The old cows had been on it for months. I got a new bull. I never even gave the waterer a thought. He saw the cows drinking but must not have been able to figure out to push down the ball. He did figure out that if he butted it real hard it would slop water out and he would then drink it. The waterer only lasted through a few waterings being butted by a three thousand pound bull. He totally destroyed that waterer. I found it out by seeing some of the calves rolling the ball around in the pasture. That ball is still in that pasture and the calves still play with it. That has been fifteen years ago or more.
Fullthrottle
Member
I have a "frostfree" faucet next to the pigpen. One that has large handle you pull up. Use it for washing down etc. Couple summers ago it got left on about a half dozen times, I thought. One evening was sittn on the tailgate of the pickup enjoying a cool drink when the cows came in to water. I watched em all come in except about a half dozen calves. Walked around the barn just in time to see one of the calves put her nose in the handle push it up till the water came on then share her drinking fountain with her freinds. Had to wire the handle down,if she would have just turned it off when she was done!!
Jay- the pic you posted looks similar to the Klinzing water cups we've got in our barn. Ours just have larger spoons. Never had too many troubles with them learning, but some do take longer than others. We've got 2 or 3 plastic cups in the barn by the young'uns only because the Klinzing ones are so expensive. Seems they can learn easier going from the plastic to metal instead of the other way around.
Donovan from Wisconsin
Donovan from Wisconsin
olgentdc
Well-known Member
Try the molassess trick ,, COWS ARE THE DUMBEST ANIMALS I KNOW ,,,my cows will see me coming with a bucket of feed ,, rather than go 150 ft up and around thru the gate to get too the feed , they will stand there and moo thier fool heads off because they cant get thru the fence to get to the feed... this is routine ,,. never seems to be the same STUPID ones left behind , its almost like they take turns being stupid ,, CATS only Learn after experiencing PAIN.. one Close call with a Wheel and they Keep thier distance .... My dog is Amazing with Her judge of visitors Character ,, she will pee on someones shoes if they are callers who are likely to pay with a bad check for hay ect.
Old Timer in Ohio
Member
We've got a "chiapom" (cross between Chihuahua
and Pomeranian), and hes got us trained. When we are out driving, and he wants a drink all he has to do is look at his "water cup" and we pick it up and hold it while he drinks. But when it comes to training him,to play "fetch", he refuses to go get the toy and return it to me,
I have to go get it!
Bob
God Bless
and Pomeranian), and hes got us trained. When we are out driving, and he wants a drink all he has to do is look at his "water cup" and we pick it up and hold it while he drinks. But when it comes to training him,to play "fetch", he refuses to go get the toy and return it to me,
I have to go get it!
Bob
God Bless
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Worth a look. Check that your ground rod is not too close to the pipes. I water the outside horses with tank wagons with drinker bowls on them. Have one small place that I back the tank up to from the outside with just the bowl sticking thru. Was windy one day when one was drinking and the fence band got against the tank. Took a couple days before he'd drink out of a tank again.
Dave
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