Goat Waterers: Fresh Water for Your Herd Around the Clock
Float valve waterers hold the level by themselves. From the robust cast iron bowl through to the heated version for the winter.
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Agrarzone Heated Float Drinker Thermo Plus 31 W
Sale price: €126.50 Regular price: €133.99 (5.59% saved)
Agrarzone Heated Float Drinker Thermo Plus with Pipe Heater 73 W
Regular price: €136.40
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Kerbl Float Bowl S522, 3 Litre Plastic Drinking Bowl
Sale price: €22.31 Regular price: €23.99 (7% saved)
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Kerbl Water Trough with Float Valve for Cattle & Horses
Sale price: €70.94 Regular price: €78.49 (9.62% saved)
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Kerbl Float Bowl S30 Plastic Drinking Trough, 5 Litres
Sale price: €53.94 Regular price: €63.49 (15.04% saved)
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Kerbl Float Drinking Bowl S1098 for Horses, Stainless Steel
Sale price: €42.58 Regular price: €44.99 (5.36% saved)
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Kerbl Float Bowl S190, 2 Litre, Grey Cast Iron, Stainless Steel Cover
Sale price: €51.72 Regular price: €54.99 (5.95% saved)
Kerbl Float Drinking Bowl S195, 3 Litre Grey Cast Iron Enamelled
Regular price: €115.04
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Kerbl Float Bowl SN190 Low Pressure Drinking Bowl with Valve
Sale price: €58.59 Regular price: €59.99 (2.33% saved)
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Kerbl Double Float Drinking Bowl S60 for Pasture Barrel Attachment
Sale price: €316.79 Regular price: €320.00 (1% saved)
Goat Waterers: Water Is the Most Important Feed
Goats drink every day, and how much they take in depends a great deal on how clean and how reachable the water is. Float valve waterers set the level themselves and only ever top up what has just been drunk. That keeps the water fresh and saves you the daily trip with a bucket.
Material and water supply
Bowls in cast iron such as the 2 litre S190 and the enamelled 3 litre S195 take knocks and horns well and are heavy enough not to be pushed around. Plastic bowls such as the 5 litre S30 or the 3 litre S522 are lighter, cheaper and quickly moved. The connection decides the supply: high pressure as on the 1.65 litre P-5 float valve bowl runs off the mains pipe, low pressure as on the SN190 with a float valve works from a raised barrel or tank. For two pens side by side there is the S60 twin float valve waterer for wall and pipe mounting as well as for fitting to a pasture barrel.
Winter and pasture
Frost is the commonest reason for an empty bowl. The heated Thermo Plus float valve waterer with 31 W keeps the water in the bowl liquid, and the version with 73 W pipe trace heating warms the supply line as well, which stops the ice forming in the pipe. Out on the grass the trough waterer with a float valve and the stainless steel waterer with a hinged lid are practical, because they rinse out easily and limit the amount of leaves and bedding that gets in. Check the float and the seat of the valve now and then, since limescale and dirt are what most often keep a bowl from filling properly.
Frequently asked questions
High pressure or low pressure?
If you have a pressurised water pipe at the shed, high pressure fits. If the water comes from a raised barrel or tank, you need a low pressure bowl. On a pasture without a mains connection, a raised container and a low pressure bowl are the usual combination.
Cast iron or plastic?
Cast iron and enamelled bowls are heavy and very robust. Plastic is lighter, cheaper and quicker to move to another spot.
How do I keep ice out of the bowl?
With a heated float valve waterer. If the line freezes as well, choose the version with pipe trace heating for the supply.
Waterers for goats: clean water without refilling
A goat that drinks badly eats badly too. That is why a fixed waterer pays off far more than any bucket. Float valve waterers hold the level themselves and only top up what has been drunk, so the water stays fresh. Two questions help with the choice: how does the water reach the shed, and how robust does the bowl have to be. High pressure fits a mains pipe, low pressure a raised barrel. Cast iron and enamelled bowls stand heavy and take a lot, plastic is lighter and quickly moved, stainless steel with a hinged lid is especially easy to keep clean. For the winter there is the heated Thermo Plus float valve waterer with 31 W and the version with 73 W pipe trace heating, which protects the supply line from frost as well. Twin bowls serve two pens from a single connection.