It’s no secret that standing water on a farm or around a place where livestock live is not a good thing. Many livestock owners struggle with drainage issues on their property all year round because they do not have the proper drainage installed. You can avoid these struggles by making sure that you are using the right drainage solutions for a livestock property.
If you are not sure what kind of drainage solution is the right one for your specific needs, we will discuss some of the most effective ways to ensure that standing water is not an issue on your property. Keeping your livestock happy and healthy is easy when you are using the right drainage solutions!
What Considerations Do I Need to Keep in Mind?
There are some things that you need to keep in mind when you are creating a drainage solution that is tailored to a livestock property:
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Slope of Your Property
You need to take into account whether the ground on your property is flat or sloped. There are different drainage solutions for each kind of native slope to a property. It is always a good idea to figure out where the natural runoff of your property flows so that you are not struggling against the native flow of drainage water. You can also correct the slope of various areas of your property, but this can be quite costly and might not fit into your plans for your livestock property’s functionality.
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Barn Usage
This is something that is often overlooked, but which does matter. If you have shelters or a barn building on the property, the kind of animals that are accessing it can impact your choice of drainage solutions. You will need to be sure that you have drainage that is rated for the right amount of weight and durable enough to handle certain kinds of chemicals, manures, and other challenges.
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Drainage Locations
If you need drainage both inside and outside your outbuildings and barn, you might need to use different kinds of drainage for each location. Indoor drainage on livestock properties often can be made of different products since it will be protected by flooring and other structures, while outdoor drainage needs to be tough enough to handle livestock interacting with it, as well as harsh weather conditions.
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Safety
Drainage that is placed in alleyways and aisles where livestock are going to be passing through must be of the right type so that hooves and feet cannot catch in it. You will need gratings that are rated for this kind of use as well. Safety for your employees or family members, and for your livestock are key items when it comes to indoor drainage as well as outdoor drainage that you place around the property.
What Kinds of Drainage Are Ideal for Livestock Properties?
1. Trench Drains
Most of the drainage needs on your livestock property can be handled by the classic trench drain. These drains can be made from many kinds of materials and can even be produced in custom sizes and with your choice of gratings. The grates on these drains are often the most critical part of the function of the drains, and you need to make sure that you select gratings that are going to be right for safety, for exposure to chemicals, and for the weight of the animals that will be passing over them.
If you are installing drainage in outdoor spaces, your trench drains can be rated for the load of a number of animals standing on them at the same time and can have appropriate gratings to contend with debris and protect animal hooves from slipping into the drains.
2. Slot Drains
In areas where there will be a high volume of water but you cannot risk having human or animal feet getting caught in the drain or the grating on top of it, slot drains can be a perfect solution. These drains offer the same ability to remove water rapidly from a surface, but they have a low-profile, slim opening that is very animal and human-safe. These drainage solutions can also be made from a range of materials and can be created in any size that is appropriate for the run-off that you are expecting in any given location. Learn more about what is a slot drain here.
3. Utility Trenches
It is often necessary to run power and other utilities to your barn location. Even if you just have outbuildings on your property, you will need lights from time to time to check on the condition of the animals and to care for them. You can count on a utility trench to protect power and other kinds of necessary utility connections from becoming wet or from getting crushed by animal hooves. These are some of the best solutions to put in place on your livestock property, as these durable drainage products can keep an array of sensitive connections safe and secure even in a challenging environment.
4. Catch Basins
Catch basins and other forms of sump can also be necessary depending on the kind of livestock that you have on your property. You can count on most drainage suppliers to have catch basins and other forms of runoff collectors that are made to match the rest of your drainage system. You will need these kinds of solutions in areas where there is no sewer to connect to or in places where you need to make sure that chemical runoff or manure runoff is not going back into the general water supply.
There Are Many Drainage Solutions That Are Livestock Safe
Struggling with standing water on your livestock property doesn’t have to be the norm. If you are tired of standing water that is making it hard to care for your animals, you need to use these drainage solutions to resolve the problems that you are facing. Animals are always happier and healthier when they are not standing in water, and you will be able to prevent erosion and cross-contamination as well if you have the right drainage in place on your farm. Always make sure that you work with a skilled drainage installer to get great results from your livestock property drainage installation.
