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A Fresh New Approach
Kendu Zero Spill waterbowl A fresh new approach to watering
cattle in Freestalls: Kendu Zero Spill waterbowls is a
permanent, economical solution for providing sufficient water
access to all cows.
History of the Kendu Zero Spill waterbowl
The Kendu Zero Spill waterbowl was designed to replace shallow
rigid waterbowls used in tie stalls. Surprisingly many farmers
wanted to use them in free stall barns. For farms looking to
add watering stations the KZS-07 has some unique features that
benefit free stall operations. Farmers found that it was easy
and inexpensive to create additional watering stations in their
barns. With additional watering locations around the barn
water consumption could be increased.
Benefits in Freestall Barns
Flexibility: They can be mounted in walkways to posts or
to walls and still allow passage by cattle and machinery. The
KZS-07 is made from a flexible synthetic rubber compound. It
allows the entire bucket to flex inward when an animal runs into
it or brushes by it. Cattle are protected from injury if they
are pushed into it. The bucket simply rebounds back into its
original shape.
High Flow Valve: The KZS-07 is the only waterbowl in the
world that can handle unrestricted waterflow. At 50 psi water
pressure the valve allows 25 + litres per minute into the
bucket. This waterflow for an individual waterer is greater
than some valves for multi animal stock tanks. 25 litres per
minute water flow matches the top drinking speed of a thirsty
cow. A cow that requires 100 litres of water in a day would
only require 4 minutes of drinking time. It is very quick for a
cow to drink a large portion of their water requirements in a
short time.
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How it works |
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Click to enlarge |
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A high flow tube valve is located inside a deep flexible
bucket. The cow activates the tube valve by pushing it with
their muzzle in any direction. The water enters the bucket as
quickly as the cow can drink but the level of the water stays
low in the bucket.
Any splashes are contained in the bucket to
keep the area around the KZS dry. |
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The valve is held by a stainless steel mounting bracket
and the flexible pail is supported and protected by a
galvanized back frame to keep it upright against a post
or against a wall. A poly plate supports the pail
and minimizes stress on the pail when it is pushed or
abused. |
Cow Behaviour
The most active time for cows to drink is after feeding and
after milking. The herd mentality is for the whole herd to want
to drink at the same time. There is not enough trough space for
every cow to drink at once. While older aggressive cows are
drinking, younger submissive cows are pushed away from the
trough. If the submissive cows are forced to wait long enough
they may choose to find a stall to lie down in. If this happens
it may take several hours for a cow to get a drink.
Solution
Provide
additional watering stations in walkways away from the main
water troughs. The crowds around the water trough will
dissipate because cows will be able to drink in other locations
in the barn.
Waterbowls versus water troughs
Water troughs offer a large volume of water for multiple cows to
drink from. Cows must stand close beside one another to drink.
A single valve fills the trough while many cows drink from it.
One thirsty cow can drink at a rate of up to 30 litres per
minute, so if 4 cows are drinking they could drink up to 120
litres per minute. This is far faster than any float valve can
keep up with, so a larger volume is required to meet the
demand. There are disadvantages to keeping a large water volume
open in reserve. A larger more expensive tank is required. The
large surface area of open standing water is difficult to keep
clean and free of bacteria. To keep the water fresh and
appetizing more labour is required for draining or dumping the
tank for cleaning. This wasted water must then be dealt with
like manure, which means larger storage requirements and more
time and fuel used spreading it.
Several Zero Spill waterbowls located on a wall or along a
walkway could water the same number of cows that a trough
would. Every cow would have their own waterer with their own
25+ litre per minute valve. The super high flow can satisfy
even the fastest drinking cows, so there is no need for holding
water in reserve. Less than one litre of water will remain in
the bucket, which means there is less chance for the water to
get dirty. The waterbowls can also be placed much higher than a
water trough to reduce the chance of manure getting into it.
The high flow valve scours the bottom of the bucket to keep it
free of slime. The waterbowls can be spaced out according to
individual needs of the farm to give plenty of shoulder space
for cows to drink from. Adding additional waterbowls is much
easier and economical than replacing a water trough
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Trough |
Zero Spill |
Surface area of open
water(per cow) |
400 to 600 square inches |
50 square inches |
Water flow at 50 psi
(per cow) |
5 to 12 litres/minute |
25+ litres per minute |
Water exchange
(to exch. volume) |
5 to 35 minutes |
3 seconds |
Height from floor to
water surface |
2 to 3 feet |
2 to 4 feet |
There is no need to dump or drain water to keep your water
clean!
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