Before Freeze-Up: Heated Water Bowls, Gates, and Fence Posts

The first hard freeze always seems to land on the one morning you did not plan for it. Two jobs are far easier in October than in January: making sure your animals have open water, and getting gates and fence posts solid while the ground is still soft. Here is a short fall checklist to get both done before winter settles in across Southwest Middlesex.

Why water comes first

Animals that cannot get to open water drink less, and animals that drink less eat less. That shows up as lost condition right when they need the most energy to stay warm. A heated water bowl or a tank de-icer costs less than chopping ice twice a day, and less than the feed you waste when intake drops.

Heated water bowls and de-icers: set up before you need them

• Check every unit before the first hard freeze. Most heated bowls, buckets, and de-icers run on a thermostat and only heat near freezing, so they can look dead on a mild day. Follow the manufacturer’s test instructions, or check each one on the first frosty morning instead of waiting for a deep freeze.
• Inspect cords and plugs. Look for cracked insulation and chew marks. Rodents move into barns in the fall and cords are a favourite target. Replace a damaged unit instead of taping it.
• Use a proper outlet. Plug heated equipment into a ground-fault protected outlet rated for the location. If a bowl needs a new circuit or a buried line, book a licensed electrician now while the ground can still be trenched.
• Clean the bowl and check the valve. Scrub out summer algae and old feed, and make sure the float or valve shuts off cleanly. A leaking valve builds a sheet of ice around the waterer.
• Protect the supply line. A heated bowl does not help if the line feeding it freezes. Confirm lines are buried below the frost line or protected, and drain any hoses you will not use over winter.
• Match the de-icer to the tank. Not every de-icer is rated for every tank. Check that yours suits your tank size and material, poly or galvanized, before it goes in.
• Keep a backup on hand. A heated pail or bucket covers a sick pen, a calf, or a small group when a main waterer is down.

Which one fits your setup?

• Heated water bowls suit cattle and other livestock at a permanent watering spot on a water line.
• Stock tank de-icers keep open water in a galvanized or poly tank for a larger group.
• Heated pails and buckets work for stalls, small pens, and a few head.
• Heated poultry waterers keep the backyard flock drinking through the cold.

We stock heated Miraco cattle water bowls, stock tank de-icers, heated pails and buckets, and stock tanks in both galvanized and poly. Stop in and we will help you match the waterer to your herd size and setup.

Gates and fence posts: fix them while the ground is soft

Frost is hard on a fence. Wet ground freezes, heaves, and lifts posts a little more each winter. A post that is loose in October is usually leaning by March. Once the ground freezes, setting a new post goes from an afternoon job to a spring job.

Walk the fence line

1. Push on every post. A post that rocks at ground level is rotted or loose. Flag it and replace it now.
2. Start with corners and braces. Corner and end assemblies carry the tension for the whole run. Tighten or replace brace wire that has gone slack.
3. Check the wire. Re-staple page wire that has pulled away and repair broken strands before drifting snow starts pushing on it.
4. Clear the line. Cut back brush and limbs that will come down on the wire under snow and ice.

Check every gate

• Swing each gate fully open and closed. A gate that drags on dry ground will not move once there is ice and packed snow under it. Rehang or raise it now so it clears.
• Tighten hinges and test latches. Snug up hinge bolts, grease the pins, and make sure the latch catches with a gloved hand.
• Look at the hinge post. A sagging gate is usually a hinge post problem. If the post has moved, reset or replace it before freeze-up.
• Think about snow. Make sure the gates you rely on for feeding and bedding can still open after a drift or a pass with the plow.

Do not forget the electric fence

Check the energizer, the ground connection, and any cracked insulators. Cut back grass and weeds under the bottom wire before they are buried in snow.

We carry cedar fence posts, T-posts, 9 and 12 gauge page wire, brace wire, and hog and cattle panels, along with Diamond Bar, Mar-weld mesh, and ESB aluminum gates. We are also a Gallagher dealer for energizers, insulators, poly wire, and gate handles. If you have more than a few posts to set, ask about renting one of our Wheatheart post pounders.

Frequently asked questions

When should I set up heated water bowls? Before the first hard freeze. Around Glencoe that means having bowls, de-icers, and cords checked by late October, so a cold snap does not catch you with a dead unit and no time to replace it.

Can I set fence posts once the ground is frozen? It is slow, hard on equipment, and often not worth attempting. Replace loose or rotted posts in the fall while the ground is still soft, and leave anything that can wait until spring.

Do you rent a post pounder? Yes. We rent Wheatheart fence post pounders. Call the store at 519-287-3315 to check availability.

Get it done before the ground freezes

An hour at the waterer and a walk around the fence line now saves a lot of cold mornings later. Stop by Glencoe Country & Garden at 22466 Dundonald Road for heated water bowls, de-icers, gates, posts, and wire, and we will help you get set for winter.

Browse Farm Supplies and Fencing, or check our hours and location.