Farmer Focus: Water storage upgrade gives peace of mind
Dan Phillips © Richard Swingler We have just completed a significant expansion of our water storage and collection facilities. During the recent dry summer, the borehole supplying our broiler sheds was stretched to its absolute limit.
We had several days when dry-run alarms were triggered, indicating that the water level had fallen below the submersible pump.
See also:Â Water capture and storage: What farmers need to consider
About the author
At peak consumption, the birds can use about 50cu m of water a day. Add in the misting systems during hot weather, and daily consumption can approach 90cu m.
We do have a mains water backup, but the supply is so weak that it offers very little reassurance and certainly couldn’t be relied upon if the borehole ran dry or the pump failed.
To provide some additional security, we have installed a further 50cu m of storage at our nearby cattle finishing unit, alongside the existing 50cu m tank at the broiler site.
The new tank will collect rainwater from the shed roofs, with borehole water topping it up when necessary, and will primarily supply the cattle.
If the broiler site tank runs low, an automatic solenoid valve will open and water will be pumped across from the additional storage, potentially giving us another day’s supply. We have also installed a separate 20cu m tank for filling the sprayer.
Water availability and conservation are going to become increasingly important considerations when planning.
For poultry producers, in particular, the consequences of a water supply failure during hot weather could be catastrophic. Hopefully this investment will give us some much-needed resilience and, more importantly, peace of mind.
Store cattle buying season is well under way, and I have been spending a lot of time in market this month. To date, we have bought about half the numbers we need this autumn, and prices have again been strong.
The larger cattle are generally better value for money, although they do require a considerably larger initial outlay.
We have been averaging about 480kg, at about £4.50/kg, for decent continental-bred cattle. However, at one local weanling sale, the average price was an astronomical £5.32/kg.
I also had the honour of judging Brecon Market’s Autumn Prize Show and Sale at the end of October. There was an excellent showing of cattle, which made picking a winner difficult.
However, the worthy winners and overall champions were a pen of four Limousin bullocks from Davies and Millichap of Rhiwgarn.