Plastic Drinking Bowl: Light, Hygienic and Quick to Clean

Plastic Drinking Bowl: Easy to Handle, Easy to Look After

Plastic bowls are the practical alternative to a heavy cast bowl. They weigh a fraction as much, one person can fit them and they lift off again in seconds. Because the material neither rusts nor holds limescale, cleaning is a matter of minutes. That makes them the first choice for small livestock, poultry and young stock, and anywhere a drinker is cleaned often or moved around during the year.

Hygiene without the effort

With poultry and small livestock in particular, water quality decides the health of the whole group. Plastic has a smooth, pore-free surface where biofilm gets far less of a hold than on rough metal, and it copes with the usual cleaning agents. Many bowls come out of the bracket without tools, so the daily check costs you no time at all. Replacement valves and seals to suit each model are listed under accessories, so a worn part never means buying a whole new bowl.

Where plastic reaches its limits

With adult horned cattle and in pens with high animal pressure, cast iron is the better answer, because plastic can crack under a well-aimed kick. Outdoors you also need to think about frost: an empty plastic bowl survives sub-zero temperatures, a full one can split. For outdoor use it therefore makes sense to combine the bowl with trace heating or to go straight for a heated version.

Frequently asked questions

Is plastic suitable for cattle?
For calves and young stock, yes. With adult cattle and high animal pressure a cast bowl lasts considerably longer and works out cheaper in the long run.

How should I clean the bowl?
Scrubbing it out once a week with a brush and warm water is normally enough. With poultry a daily visual check pays off, because bedding and feed get into the water quickly.

Will the bowl survive the winter?
Empty, yes; full, not reliably. Protect the supply pipe with trace heating or pick a heated drinker for outdoor positions that stay in use all winter.