Troughs
HERMEQ water troughs hold water or feed for cattle and other livestock, in wall mounted and free standing designs and a range of sizes. Each trough empties quickly for cleaning and restocking, through a large drain, a tipping action, a swivel pivot or a drain plug and bung, depending on the model. Wall mounted troughs suit housed stock in barns, and free standing troughs suit fields. The swivel trough fits directly into a gate or panel and is drunk from both sides, for large shared pens. The troughs are steel, most of them hot dip galvanised, manufactured in the UK and available for next day delivery.
Quick empty, tipping and swivel troughs
The range divides by how each trough empties, and the right method depends on how often the trough is cleaned and what it holds.
Quick empty water troughs
A tapered body and a large drain let these troughs empty in quick succession, so they suit troughs that are flushed and refilled often through the day. The free standing quick empty water trough stands on its own steel frame, and the wall mounted quick empty trough is hot dip galvanised and designed for dairy cows.
Tipping water troughs
A tipping trough turns on its pivot to empty its whole contents, so one person can clear it without lifting it or taking it down. The free standing tipping trough has a hidden handle, which lets it be emptied without disturbing the animals. The wall mounted tipping water trough has a built-in guard rail for safe access while cleaning. Choose tipping where solids settle in the trough and a drain alone would leave them behind.
Swivel feeding trough
The swivel trough pivots to flush, so it can be emptied and rinsed often without being dismantled. It mounts into a gate or panel and waters animals on both sides of the partition at once. Choose it where hygiene calls for frequent flushing and two pens share one water point.
Galvanised cattle trough with drain plug
The galvanised cattle trough empties through a drain plug and bung, a simple method for troughs cleaned on a routine rather than several times a day. It comes in several lengths, so one design covers small groups of stock and large ones, in a barn or out in a paddock.
Large water trough
The large water trough holds the most water in the range, is drunk from both sides and empties through a drain plug and bung. Choose it where one water point has to serve a large herd.
Wall mounted or free standing water troughs
Wall mounted troughs belong in housed cattle and dairy units, and free standing troughs belong in fields and paddocks where there is no wall to fix to. A trough fixed to a wall keeps the floor clear for scraping and bedding, and stock cannot shove it across the pen or tip it over, which also cuts spillage. In cattle housing a wall mounted trough sits well alongside a cattle feed barrier, so stock feed and drink along the same side of the shed.
Free standing troughs carry their own steel frame or base and hold themselves up in harsh weather, and the galvanised cattle trough has a wide, stable base that resists tipping. Once emptied, a free standing trough can be moved to a new position when grazing or housing changes.
A third option suits pen divisions. The swivel trough mounts directly into a gate or panel, takes no floor space of its own and serves the pens on both sides, which makes it the choice where pens are divided by livestock gates or panels and both groups need water.
Troughs for cattle, sheep and other livestock
Each setting puts different demands on a trough, mainly in how often it has to be cleaned and how many animals drink from it.
Dairy and beef housing
Housed cattle carry silage and bedding into troughs on their muzzles, so water fouls faster in a shed than in a field. A wall mounted trough that empties by drain or by tipping keeps the cleaning routine short, and spreading troughs around the shed stops one water point becoming crowded.
Fields and paddocks
Out at grass, a trough has to stand up to weather and to stock rubbing and pushing against it, and it is usually checked less often than one in a shed. A free standing galvanised trough with a drain plug suits grazing groups. A trough drunk from both sides, such as the large water trough, can be set into the boundary between two fields, with the agricultural fencing run up to either end, to water both groups from one supply.
Sheep, goats and deer
Smaller stock drink less, so a smaller trough that they drink down before the water stands for long stays fresher. The smaller sizes of the galvanised cattle trough suit sheep, goats and deer, and the larger sizes are for cattle and horses.
Livestock markets, lairage and abattoirs
In markets and lairage, groups change through the day and animals from different holdings use the same pens, so troughs are flushed often to limit contamination passing between batches. The swivel trough is built for this work, and the large water trough does the same for bigger groups in holding pens.
Galvanised troughs by capacity and use
Capacity and group size
Capacity across the range runs from 159 litres up to 2,270 litres. Match the volume to the number of animals drinking from the trough and to how often it is checked and refilled. A smaller trough refreshed often stays cleaner than a large one left standing, but a large group drawing on a small trough can drink it dry between visits. A bigger group also needs more trough length, so that several animals can drink at the same time.
Water, feed and silage
The troughs in the range hold feed as well as water, and the wall mounted tipping trough is listed for water, feed and silage. Feed and silage left in a trough sour and stick to the sides, so a trough used for feeding needs emptying and cleaning more often than one that holds only water.
Keeping bedding dry and water clean
The swivel trough holds a low volume of water, which limits spillage at refill and waterlogging of bedding, and its metal shroud stops cattle reaching it while lying down, which keeps the water cleaner. On the galvanised cattle trough, a smooth interior stops feed and debris building up between cleans.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a livestock water trough be cleaned?
Clean a trough whenever the water shows algae, sediment, feed or droppings, and expect to do so more often in hot weather and where many animals share it. Check troughs at every stock check, and break or clear ice in freezing weather so stock can still drink.
Is a galvanised steel or plastic water trough better?
Galvanised steel suits troughs that take knocks and pushing from cattle, because its weight and rigidity keep it in place and the galvanised finish protects the steel from corrosion. Plastic troughs are lighter and easier to carry between fields. For housed cattle, handling pens and large groups, choose galvanised steel.
Are galvanised troughs safe for drinking water and feed?
The HERMEQ galvanised troughs are hot dip galvanised to BS EN ISO 1461, a finish that withstands long exposure to water, and the listings describe them as food safe. The galvanised cattle trough can also take a food-grade epoxy coating, which adds a further layer against corrosive contents such as silage and standing water.
Where should a water trough go in a field?
Put the trough on firm, level ground, away from gateways where stock gather and the ground poaches, and where it can be reached for refilling and cleaning. A pad of hardcore or stone around the trough limits mud where animals stand to drink.
What is the difference between a water trough and a drinker?
A drinker or drinking bowl is a small vessel that serves one or a few animals at a time. A trough holds a larger volume, so a group can drink together and the supply lasts between refills, and it can also hold feed.
Are HERMEQ troughs made in the UK?
Yes. HERMEQ manufactures its troughs in the UK with in-house steel processing, and they are held as permanent UK stock with next day nationwide delivery.