Float Valves for–Almost–Maintenance Free Goat Water

Float valves are a goat owner’s best friend in non freezing weather. Before we moved to a house with a creek (decadence, I tell you ), this is the system I used and the only way I’d do it again.

Pictured here is a like 2 quart red plastic bowl purchased from our local North 40. I’d guess that the depth is about 5″. The doohickey attached to it and the hose is a float valve that regulates the water level. When water is low, it drops down and the water in the hose (attached to a faucet that is turned on) flows in. As it fills, the float valve floats up and seals off the water flow for 100% automated water.

The one in this photo waters my poultry/rabbit pen and is attached to a 55-gallon barrel. The barrel itself ALSO has a float valve installed that is attached to a faucet. The reason for the barrel is so that even in a power outage, I can have automated water to my poultry pen and I always have a reserve so they won’t run out. Doing it this way allows me to dose herbal remedies into their water, which is the easiest way to treat poultry.

Now to what I used for my goats (the above would work for a couple):

If you have a super small herd, this tub is too big. You just need one high enough to attach the float valve, but this is the tub we used with about a dozen does.

Here’s the metal float valve.

If you have tiny waterers, this is one that requires a hole drilled instead of fitting over the top of the bowl, but you can use it in virtually any application. We used this in rubber bowls for the rabbits before we switched to the larger float. You’d need silicone to seal it, which is the one shortcoming to this type but beyond that it’s highly versatile and is the one we use to float the barrel.

Cleaning Water with a Float Valve

One of the best parts about this system is that the water is never stagnant long enough to build up much algae. In the big barrel we only clean a couple times a year but it’s kept in the shade and I add silver to it. For the little bowls, a once a week quick scrub is all I’ve needed to do.

I’m a big fan of automated systems as much as possible because I want to spend my time enjoying my animals (or other things) rather than maintaining them. The auto water also means they never run out and I can go camping etc. without worrying about their water supply.