Farm dam

6 posts
Sun, 06/03/2012 - 20:45 #1

Member for

12 years 5 months
toby
Last seen: 07/06/2012 - 19:19
Joined: 06/03/2012 - 19:59

Farm dam

Hullo

This must be a simple question to answer but we've no idea how to approch it.

How do we work out how big to make a dam for water for our sheep and cattle?  We need to plan for water as there is no water system on the property for the animals and we're only on rainwater for the house and summer will come soon enogh.

If sheep and cows are to drink water from the dam, how deep do we make the dam so they can still drink when it gets low. Will the sheep get stuck in it if too deep or sides too steep? Hoq do other farmers do this?

Any ideas will be welcome

thanks in advanec

Toby

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Wed, 06/06/2012 - 17:37 #2
charlie
Last seen: 12/26/2018 - 09:21
Joined: 05/31/2011 - 09:44

Hi Toby,

All rural landholders in NSW are entitled to build a farm dam. There are three classes of farm dam that do not require a license:

  •     Harvestable right dams where 10 per cent of the average regional rainfall run-off for their farm. Harvestable rights calculator.
  •     Dams built before 1999 used only for stock and domestic purposes.
  •     Dams up to one megalitre on small farms where the maximum harvestable right dam capacity is less than one megalitre and the property was approved for subdivision before 1 January 1999.

Building a farm dam takes planning, knowledge and skills. If you have not done this before I would not attempt it yourself. You should employ a private earth moving company or the government organisation NSW soil conservation service. A professional contractor will ensure that the dam is in the correct location (so it doesn't wash away) and that the bank are high enough and overflow well placed.

If you want further information, read this article on building a farm dam.

Have you considered using a pump,tank, pipes and troughs for stock water rather than a dam?

What does everyone else use for stock water on their farm?

Charlie 

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Wed, 06/06/2012 - 23:58 #3
Alternate RV
Last seen: 10/05/2012 - 08:43
Joined: 01/08/2012 - 08:23

Hi Toby,

Charlie has answered your rights to harvest water and definatley get a professional excavator in to do the earthworks. I would also suggest asking around for the oldest farmer in the area and invite him/her over for lunch. Ask them where they would put in a dam, from my experience these wiser folk have an uncanny knack for sighting them.

Next bit of advice is try at all cost to keep stock away from the dam itself, especially cattle and horses as they will fowl water and damage the walls. Pump the water to where the livestock are.

You need to consider how much your livestock are likely to drink, especially in the summer months or when females are lactating. A few cows with calves will drain a small dam real quick if there is no rain.

I have several dams and all water is pumped out to water points. Yes I have to check them daily but that's what farming is all about :)

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Tue, 06/12/2012 - 11:01 #4
katiepooch
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 10/01/2011 - 10:46

Hi Toby,

I agree with WXS, keep your livestock away from any farm dam. When I purchased my hobby farm I fenced off all the dams and set up troughs for the livestock to drink from. Apart from it being better for the environment, I'm sure that I have read somewhere that livestock perform better where they have access to fresh water from a trough rather than a dam.

As for building a dam I would not attempt it yourself. One of my neighbours used the government soil service (mentioned in a earlier post) and they were happy with the end result.

Mary 

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Mon, 12/03/2012 - 12:58 #5
GirlFriday
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 11/12/2012 - 13:06

I too was going to suggest to keep the stock away from the dam itself. Our dam is quite deep with steep sides scraped out of limestone rock. We have a petrol pump that pumps water up to two troughs for our cows (all two of them). Saves the edges being degraded and reduces the risk of them falling in.

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Mon, 12/31/2012 - 17:55 #6
nicephotog
Last seen: 12/16/2013 - 09:45
Joined: 12/31/2012 - 02:56

How you know how much they drink is utilise DPI (Department of Agricultrue or Primary Industries) journals factsheets and news letters.

You can find them on the web.

For a basic answer to the quantities of Liters p/day they consume read this.

(Requires free "Adobe Acrobat Reader" - a common browser document system used by government departments and businesses)

Around what you want to know.

January 2007 DPI "PRIMEFACT 326"
http://ruralresidentialliving.com.au/livestock/resource_downloads/Primefacts%20Water%20requirements%20for%20sheep%20and%20cattle.pdf

extremely technical

PRIMEFACT 326 South Australian government factsheet "PRIMEFACT 326"
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/aap/sl/nut/tr060.pdf

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