I think one of the greatest pet peeves of a livestock farmer is tank heaters that don’t work.

Nothing is more annoying than arriving to check or feed livestock and finding a frozen stock tank and a worthless piece of crap tank heater that randomly stopped working for no reason. It never fails to happen at the most inopportune times as well.

I got lucky and had a few days to remedy the situation before the #PolarVortex showed up. So far, success has been achieved, but I’m not sure how long it will last. The frigid weather is forecast to persist for at least the next week!

Water for livestock is tricky in the winter. Right now my mornings and evenings consist of feeding and making sure the tanks don’t freeze, and because everyone is confined in the barn overnight due to sub-zero temperatures, ensuring every heated water bucket stays clean, full, and thawed. Every electrical outlet is occupied by a plug!

We are trying a new type of tank heater for the horse trough – one that floats and keeps a small area on the surface free of ice. I’m skeptical and wonder if the whole tank will freeze solid over the next week? We are definitely experimenting now!