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nebraska | I put in a Ritchie energy free two hole waterer in 1992. Still using it. Best if you have a windbreak to block the North/Northwest winter winds. Never had problems as long as the cows were eating hay. They would come often to drink and kept the waterer working. Problems did come when cows were out on corn stalks. They behaved like cows do when on pasture. They would stay out in the field a long time then come in to drink all at once. Some times when really cold and windy the water valve connected to the float would freeze shut. Had to carry boiling water to it and pour on the valve. When I put it in, I buried 10 gauge underground wire just in case. Did not hook up a heater till 2 years ago. Best thing I ever did. Before the waterer we had a tank. Breaking ice with a ax was a daily chore. We had a barrel anchored in the middle of the tank. We would burn wood in it to melt the ice when it got real bad. After many years of that, A few trips a winter to thaw the valve seemed easy compared to how we did it before. Now I plug in the 500 watt heater I have in the water when single didgit temps come along with lots of wind. Never had to touch it since. For a waterer to still be in use 25 years later is why I like Ritchie. | |
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Which automatic cattle waterer?
