6 Best Automatic Fill Waterers For Cattle In Dry Climates That Save Water
Keep cattle hydrated in dry climates while saving water. We review the 6 best automatic waterers designed to minimize evaporation and ensure a reliable supply.
Watching a full stock tank shrink by inches on a hot, windy afternoon is a familiar pain in any dry climate. That’s not just your cattle drinking; that’s your precious water vanishing into thin air. For a small farm, managing water isn’t just a chore—it’s a critical strategy for survival and profitability. The right automatic waterer can be the difference between constantly fighting a losing battle and having a reliable, efficient system that works for you.
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Water Conservation for Cattle in Arid Regions
The biggest enemy of water in an arid region isn’t just consumption, it’s evaporation. A wide, shallow, open-top stock tank is essentially an evaporation pan, especially when the wind picks up. You can lose a significant percentage of your water to the atmosphere before a single cow ever takes a drink.
Automatic waterers attack this problem directly. By design, they keep the main water supply covered and insulated, exposing only a small surface area for drinking. Water is supplied on demand, refilling only what’s been consumed. This simple change in mechanics can slash water loss from evaporation by over 50%, a massive saving over the course of a dry season.
Beyond saving water, this approach has other benefits. Enclosed water stays cleaner, free from dust, algae, and manure. This improves herd health and reduces the time you spend scrubbing tanks. It also eliminates large pools of standing water that become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests.
Ritchie OmniFount: Durable and Water-Efficient
Keep your livestock hydrated all winter with the Ritchie Omni Fount 2. This automatic, heated waterer features easy maintenance, a large access panel, and energy-efficient insulation for reliable performance.
Ritchie is a name synonymous with reliability, and their OmniFount series is a workhorse for a reason. These units are built from heavy-duty, impact-resistant polyethylene. They won’t rust, and they can take a beating from both the sun and the cattle.
The water-saving magic is in the design. The entire unit is insulated, which helps keep water cool in the summer heat, dramatically slowing evaporation. More importantly, the small drinking areas are protected by flaps or covers. Cattle quickly learn to nudge them open, but when not in use, the water is shielded from the sun and wind.
This design strikes a great balance. It’s accessible enough for your whole herd but protective enough to make a real dent in water loss. The stainless steel components and reliable valve system mean you spend less time worrying about leaks or failures, which are another major source of water waste on a farm.
MiraFount 3330: Insulated to Reduce Evaporation
MiraFount waterers are famous for their energy-free performance in freezing winters, but that same technology is a game-changer in scorching summers. The principle is simple: use the natural insulating properties of the earth. The water stays cool in the supply line underground and is only brought into the sealed, heavily insulated fountain as needed.
The key feature is the ball closure system. Cattle press down on floating balls to access the water in the drinking ports. When they’re done, the balls float back into place, creating a near-perfect seal. This design offers one of the lowest rates of evaporation on the market. You’re essentially eliminating exposure to sun and wind entirely.
There can be a short training period as your herd learns to use the system, but it’s usually a quick process. For pure water conservation in an arid climate, it’s hard to beat this design. It’s a true set-it-and-forget-it system that conserves water, keeps it clean, and requires no electricity.
Behlen Super-Trough: Built Tough for Arid Land
Sometimes, the biggest threat to your water supply isn’t evaporation, but a 1,500-pound cow with an itch. The Behlen Super-Trough is built for those realities. Often constructed from heavy-gauge steel or incredibly thick poly, these troughs are designed to withstand abuse in rugged, rocky pastures.
While it has a larger open surface than an insulated ball waterer, its conservation benefit comes from preventing catastrophic failure. A cracked poly tank or a bent trough from a cheaper brand can dump hundreds of gallons onto the ground in a matter of hours. The Super-Trough’s durability is its form of water security.
The trick is to pair it with a top-tier, all-metal float valve. The combination of a nearly indestructible trough and a reliable, protected float valve means you’ve eliminated the two biggest risks of water waste: leaks and overflows. This is the choice for high-traffic areas or pastures with bulls where durability is the number one priority.
Little Giant ACFW: Compact for Small Pastures
Not everyone needs a waterer built to serve 100 head of cattle. For the hobby farmer with a small herd, the Little Giant Automatic Stock Waterer is a practical and affordable solution. Its compact size is its greatest asset for water conservation.
A smaller waterer naturally has less surface area, which means less evaporation. It’s a simple but effective principle. These units are easy to install, often just needing to be mounted on a post or pipe and connected to a standard garden hose or water line. They provide fresh, clean water on demand without the footprint or expense of a large trough.
This isn’t the most insulated or durable option on the list, so placement matters. Keep it in a spot where it’s less likely to get knocked around by equipment or overly rowdy animals. For a few cows in a rotational grazing paddock, it’s an excellent upgrade from manually filling buckets or a small tank, saving both water and your time.
Tarter Poly Tank with a Reliable Float Valve
This is the modular, semi-DIY approach that offers a great blend of cost-effectiveness and reliability. Tarter makes exceptionally tough, UV-resistant polyethylene stock tanks that are a staple on farms everywhere. By itself, it’s just a tank, but adding a high-quality float valve transforms it into a water-saving system.
The key here is not to skimp on the valve. A cheap, plastic float valve is the most common point of failure in any watering system. Investing in a robust, all-metal or high-quality brass valve like a Hudson or Jobe is non-negotiable. These valves offer precise control and are built to last, preventing the costly and damaging overflows that happen when a cheap float gets stuck or breaks.
While this open-tank setup won’t stop evaporation like a sealed unit, it completely prevents waste from overflow, which can be a far bigger problem. This approach gives you the flexibility to choose the perfect tank size for your herd and location while ensuring the most critical component—the fill mechanism—is rock solid.
Brower MF2E: Energy-Free and Low Maintenance
Brower offers another excellent option in the energy-free, insulated waterer category. Like its competitors, the MF2E uses a fully insulated polyethylene body to keep water cool in the summer and prevent freezing in the winter. Its design focuses on durability and ease of maintenance.
The waterer features a sealed design with drink-well flaps that cattle push to access water. This keeps debris, sunlight, and wind out, which is essential for both water quality and conservation. The internal components, including the valve and float, are designed for longevity and easy access should you ever need to perform maintenance.
What sets it apart for many is its thoughtful construction, often featuring stainless steel parts where it matters most. It’s a low-profile unit that’s easy for animals of all sizes to use. For the farmer looking for a reliable, low-effort system that maximizes water savings through insulation and sealed access, the Brower is a top contender.
Choosing a Waterer: Float Valve and Material
When you boil it down, your choice comes down to two things: how the water is protected and what the unit is made of. The first line of defense against waste is the float valve. A failed valve will waste more water in one day than evaporation will in a month. Never compromise on valve quality.
Next, consider the material and design.
- Insulated Polyethylene: This is the best choice for minimizing evaporation. Brands like MiraFount, Ritchie, and Brower use sealed, insulated designs to keep water cool and covered. This is the gold standard for pure water conservation.
- Heavy-Duty Steel or Poly Troughs: These are the best for durability. Brands like Behlen prioritize toughness to prevent catastrophic leaks from animal or equipment damage. They are less efficient against evaporation but excel at preventing large-scale water loss from system failure.
Your decision should be based on your specific environment. If you have a small herd in a secure pasture, a compact or highly insulated unit is ideal. If you have a larger herd in a rugged, high-traffic area, a tough-as-nails trough with a premium float valve might be the more practical way to secure your water supply. There’s no single right answer, only the right fit for your farm.
Ultimately, investing in a quality automatic waterer is more than a convenience; it’s a strategic move toward a more resilient and sustainable farm. By actively managing your water, you protect a vital resource, improve the health of your animals, and save yourself countless hours of work. In a dry climate, that’s not just smart farming—it’s essential.
