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Feb 12th, 2024
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 Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: oldrancher]
#8173133
02/17/21 02:18 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 10,496
Halfadozen
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 10,496 |
put a brine mix in a couple of gallon water jugs and throw in the trough. Surprisingly it will keep most of the ice from forming. Tell me more about this. Do you fill up the jugs with the brine mix and let them float or do you pour it into the water troughs. I have 500 gallon water troughs all over the ranch and anything I can do to help eliminate problems I am willing to learn new tricks. This cold spell has been brutal. I found one trough with a broken float and water running everywhere. It sure was cold shedding all the coats and stripping down to a t-shirt to fix the problem. Oh well. It's all part of ranching. I carry pick axes, axes and use a pitchfork to shovel out the loose ice. Warmer weather cannot come soon enough. Put about 1/2 cup of salt into a gallon water jug - fill jug a little over 3/4 full and screw on cap. Shake it up well and place in trough. The area around the jug will not freeze.
Freedom is a fragile thing ...Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again.
-- Ronald Reagan
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: glens]
#8173247
02/17/21 04:01 PM
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 24,359
dkershen
Rev Dave
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Rev Dave
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 24,359 |
Have a couple Longhorns here from the old ranch and have electric within 150 foot of the 600 gallon Galvanized livestock tank from the barn. If you have one of these, and have access to electric, "De Icer's" is will keep um clear. No matter how cold it gets around here. Got down to 5 degrees here last night and with the rolling black outs kept tanks free fom ice. ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2021/02/full-7703-281724-de_icer.jpg) I got 9 of those running via a spider web of electric cords. Don't want to think about life without them.
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.www.NewHopeEquine.com - Health and Healing through Horses.
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: billyhunt]
#8173256
02/17/21 04:07 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,294
oldoak2000
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,294 |
I had to use a pick-axe.
Neoprene fishing gloves - toasty warm fingers even wet - cheap & worth their weight in gold in times like these!
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: billyhunt]
#8173278
02/17/21 04:31 PM
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 8,111
J.P. Greeson
the janitor
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the janitor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 8,111 |
I'm about to make one of my twice a day treks to the chicken coup to change the water. Running a little late today. I'm sure the hens will be bitching at me.
“Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will.” – Theodore Roosevelt ![[Linked Image]](https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/userpics/2019/09/full-13-25328-gco.jpg)
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: bill oxner]
#8173283
02/17/21 04:33 PM
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 19,134
TCM3
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 19,134 |
Have a couple Longhorns here from the old ranch and have electric within 150 foot of the 600 gallon Galvanized livestock tank from the barn. If you have one of these, and have access to electric, "De Icer's" is will keep um clear. No matter how cold it gets around here. Got down to 5 degrees here last night and with the rolling black outs kept tanks free fom ice. You can take that to the bank. Oops, tank.  
Do not forget to entertain strangers, For by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels
Hebrews 13:2
(R-TX)
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: billyhunt]
#8173492
02/17/21 06:43 PM
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 141
BJACK21
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 141 |
Roaded my tractor to cow pasture and busted the ice with the loader- worked great but next day it wouldn't start so back to the axe
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: billyhunt]
#8173591
02/17/21 07:43 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,225
Rustler
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,225 |
Before pond/tank freeze up.
55 gallon barrel top cut out, holes drilled or cut in upper 2/3 for airflow.
2 cinder blocks in bottom set on flat sides.
Set in tank/pond shallow end (easy access point ) on as flat ground as possible in about 12” ~ 18” deep water.
Stack wood in bottom carefully so the air gap in bottom made by the cinder blocks on flat sides isn’t filled or blocked. Fill barrel with wood any wood.
After tank/pond freezes up - 1/4 to 1/2 bottle charcoal lighter fluid, light it.
As the wood burns it will thaw a fairly large area, the coals will keep drinking area open for a good while.
Usually refill & light once per day, depending on weather can be every other day. This will work up to 4" - 6" of ice on top.
When weather improves remove from tank/pond dump & leave nearby for next winter.
This can work if already frozen over, IF, you know where to set the barrel on top of the ice so when melt through occurs you still have access and it falls into shallow enough water and on a level enough surface to keep from falling over or filling with water.
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: Rustler]
#8173709
02/17/21 09:06 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 870
TGT
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 870 |
Before pond/tank freeze up.
55 gallon barrel top cut out, holes drilled or cut in upper 2/3 for airflow.
2 cinder blocks in bottom set on flat sides.
Set in tank/pond shallow end (easy access point ) on as flat ground as possible in about 12” ~ 18” deep water.
Stack wood in bottom carefully so the air gap in bottom made by the cinder blocks on flat sides isn’t filled or blocked. Fill barrel with wood any wood.
After tank/pond freezes up - 1/4 to 1/2 bottle charcoal lighter fluid, light it.
As the wood burns it will thaw a fairly large area, the coals will keep drinking area open for a good while.
Usually refill & light once per day, depending on weather can be every other day. This will work up to 4" - 6" of ice on top.
When weather improves remove from tank/pond dump & leave nearby for next winter.
This can work if already frozen over, IF, you know where to set the barrel on top of the ice so when melt through occurs you still have access and it falls into shallow enough water and on a level enough surface to keep from falling over or filling with water. I had a guy tell me this yesterday. Sounds like a good plan! I'm sticking with bucket for now... Took them a bit to get used to it.. Some run right up and others wait.. Eventually I had them all up there.. Now gotta keep them from getting stuck.. ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2021/02/full-7287-281827-img_5404.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2021/02/full-7287-281828-img_5406.jpg)
Last edited by TGT; 02/17/21 09:06 PM.
I have a little bitty one. Think that will do?
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: Halfadozen]
#8455554
11/21/21 09:04 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,281
BlackSnake
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,281 |
put a brine mix in a couple of gallon water jugs and throw in the trough. Surprisingly it will keep most of the ice from forming. Tell me more about this. Do you fill up the jugs with the brine mix and let them float or do you pour it into the water troughs. I have 500 gallon water troughs all over the ranch and anything I can do to help eliminate problems I am willing to learn new tricks. This cold spell has been brutal. I found one trough with a broken float and water running everywhere. It sure was cold shedding all the coats and stripping down to a t-shirt to fix the problem. Oh well. It's all part of ranching. I carry pick axes, axes and use a pitchfork to shovel out the loose ice. Warmer weather cannot come soon enough. Put about 1/2 cup of salt into a gallon water jug - fill jug a little over 3/4 full and screw on cap. Shake it up well and place in trough. The area around the jug will not freeze. Water in jug will not freeze because of the salt. However the water around the jug will still freeze. The salt water in the jug is the exact same temperature as that in the water outside the jug. The salt water jug is a myth
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Re: Just love breaking ice on the water trough...
[Re: billyhunt]
#8455617
11/21/21 11:08 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
Been there done that. Never again.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2017/07/full-3669-105539-full_16668_105507_image.jpg)
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