On our 700 acres we use a variety of water sources, including ponds and tire watering tanks. We protect water quality through limited access to ponds. Tire watering tanks are a great way to reuse tires, and work well in paddocks.
Cattle need access to clean water – as much as 30 gallons per head per day (for a lactating beef cow in hot weather).
Cattle graze more efficiently when they have water close by. The farther they have to walk to water, the less time they can spend grazing. Once the distance to water passes 800 feet, grazing efficiency falls off sharply:
Source: Green, M. Layout and design of grazing systems.
So, a good rotational grazing system keeps water within 800 feet of cattle in all paddocks.
Access to water can be improved by careful layout of paddocks and installing watering pumps, lines, and tanks.
The Kerr Ranch uses gravity flow watering and water tanks made from old tractor tires.
Watch these videos to learn how to prepare and install them.
Organic Before Organic Was Cool: Oklahoma Rancher Raises Profits on Pasture
Ranch Management Practices to Improve Water Quality
This Oklahoma Producer Grant project fact sheet describes several practices – including permanent sod, limited-access watering points, and buffer strips – to improve water quality in ponds.
Livestock Watering Systems, Riparian Areas, and Pond Maintenance
Watering Systems for Serious Graziers
This Missouri NRCS publication covers in detail all aspects of water supply for livestock under rotational grazing management.
Watering Systems for Cattle Ponds
This University of Arkansas Extension publication describes two methods of using ponds for watering livestock while limiting direct access: floating fences, and drawing water from ponds.
Alternative Livestock Watering Systems
This University of Tennessee Extension publication discusses the benefits of excluding livestock from streams, and the resultant need to develop alternative means of watering livestock.
Grazing Management Basics
This presentation covers grazing systems and their benefits, grazing terms and calculations, pasture design, and grazing strategies.
Watering Systems
New Use for Old Tires
This fact sheet explains why the Kerr Center livestock program uses old tires from heavy equipment as watering tanks, and describes the process of preparing and installing them.
Protecting Water Quality While Healing Erosion Caused by Livestock Trails
This Oklahoma Producer Grant project fact sheet includes a farm/ranch profile, project objectives, project description (water line, watering points, results), and tips/lessons learned.
