"Stream Box" Pipes Water To Cattle Tanks

Stream Box Pipes Water To Cattle Tanks LIVESTOCK Beef A water collection box designed for shallow streams has piped spring water to a tank for Steve Carey’s cattle for 15 years It works great for him and keeps the U S Forest Service happy

    “The main benefit is that it gets the cattle off the creek bottoms ” Carey says In Boulder Mont that’s important because ranchers are required to count cattle tracks in creeks as the Forest Service encourages ranchers to keep livestock out of the water

    Carey’s father Tom came up with the design and now Carey makes and sells the 14-gauge steel units to customers who need water for livestock or want to pipe water to their cabins

    The 34 by 6-in front end acts like a small dam It’s submerged and held in place by the sides of the creek or with rocks Water flows over it and through a 10 by 24-in screen into a box underneath that flows into a 1 1/4-in pipe connected to a waterline going to a tank downstream

    As water flows into the galvanized screen’s 1/4-in holes leaves and other debris flow over the top and head downstream

    Since they started using the units Carey says his cattle typically only go in the creek to cross it to get to the water tank

    “The cattle are used to drinking out of a tank at the ranch and seem to prefer it ” he says

    While intended for livestock some customers use the collection box to pipe water from creeks and springs to their cabins he adds

    Carey says the best locations are in hilly or mountainous areas with good gravity flow And he adds it should be checked at least once a month

    He sells the 35-lb collection boxes for $130 plus about $40 for shipping and handling

    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Steve Carey 2235 Hwy 69 Boulder Mont 59632 ph 406 498-2922; scranch@gmx us

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