transporting water

[Kyle]

How many gallons of water can I expect a team of haflingers to be able to cart around on a trailer for an hour or so each day? There is one good hill going down to the back fields but most of the fields are pretty level. We rotationally graze and do not have water to all of our fields yet. We currently use an old flat bed truck with a tall 70 gallon tank to deliver water to our cows, pigs, horses, chickens & ducks. I have 100 gallon troughs for the cows and nipple waterers hooked up to old well tanks and 55 gallon plastic barrels for the pigs and poultry. We deliver water twice a day. This worked fine for the first year since almost all the supplies were already on the farm, but we are ready for an upgrade. We do intend to install frost free hydrants and hopefully waterers to most of the pastures, but it probably won’t be til fall because our friends back hoe is down. I want to use the horses to do most of the water delivery, and ideally only do it once a day at most. I’m thinking of getting IBC totes (275 gallons built on a metal pallet with metal cage) and hooking one to the pig nipple water and another one on a float to the cow trough. Then putting a third on the trailer for delivery. Any one here tried this or something like it?

[tsigmon]

Brakes on your water hauler? My team of Haflingers pull better than they hold back a load. Start out light and work up to what you think they can handle. I don’t like to have maximun load every time I hook them up . For me more light loads (instead of one maximum load) pay off in reduced problems. If you you are using a wagon you can haul more water than with a sled. Remember water weighs about 8 1/4 lbs / gal. If using a wagon I would probably start with 80 gallons to see what happened.

[Kyle]

I do have mechanical brakes on my pioneer forecart. I have not yet purchased the trailer I will haul the water with behind the forecart, but was not planning on having brakes on it too.

[tsigmon]

I’m not a big fan of fore carts so take my respondse with a grain or two of salt. I have had problems in the past with getting them to balance to suit me. Enough tongue weight from the trailer to make the brakes work well, the pole of the cart rides up too high. Get the pole balanced right and there is a real good chance you won’t have enough weight on the wheels to brake effectively. Also with a trailer, if you turn too sharp the tongue can hit a tire and cause you to flip. For me a wagon is a better choice.

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