Our work to be in control of the water on our land continues to go well as last weekend, Andy Putford finished fitting a land drain and automatic drinker in the bottom 3-acre field. We have essentially taken advantage of the old well there, itself sited on a natural spring, and rather than have water leaking out over the top and flooding the land, now have one pipe feeding a water trough for the animals and a second taking the excess water right down the field to the ditch. It was a good week’s work for Andy and we were grateful the weather stayed reasonably settled so he could work without things getting too muddy.
The animals were not allowed in the field whilst the work has being going on (JCBs and livestock not necessarily being a good combination) but with the cows now in, we have been able to see how brilliantly it is all working. The whole system works on siphoning and gravity and as the trough has a ballcock, water refills to a set level as the cows drink, with any excess travelling down the land drain rather than overflowing the trough.
Andy has also put scalpings round the trough to help prevent poaching: an idea we may need to adopt for other troughs around the holding!!