Poly Stock Troughs

Poly troughs are an affordable solution to feed and water stock animals. Bushmans and OzPoly water troughs are portable and extremely durable.

There are pros and cons for poly and metal troughs. Poly water troughs are cheaper and as Bushmans and OzPoly use a unique UV stabilised raw material they will last longer in the sun than steel troughs. Metal troughs are stronger and more impact resistant than poly troughs, which means they are less likely to break if they are dropped or if something hits or falls on them. However, metal troughs are heavier, harder to move and more expensive.

There is no one size fits all trough, it really depends on the amount of water or feed you need to give your animals and how many animals you have. There is a limit to the size of a Poly trough before it requires a frame to support the weight of the water inside. OzPoly’s largest stock trough is 1000L and is easily portable while holding a large volume of water or food.

Large troughs do need a drainage hole or outlet as they may be too large to tip over to drain. Smaller poly stock troughs can simply be tipped over to drain. The OzPoly 1000 litre circular troughs and 500 litre square troughs have a drain hole or outlet.

People will tie a piece of wood leading out of a water trough as an escape method for vermin and other animals that may end up in the trough looking for a drink. This offers them a way to leave the water trough so they don’t drown and then contaminate the water, which can save the lives of other animals that drink the water.

There is a popular myth that goldfish in a water trough will keep it clean as the fish will eat the algae, keeping the water trough clean and reducing time between cleaning the trough. A recent study indicated that goldfish did not change water clarity or reduce algae in poly or steel troughs. Therefore, they are not necessary in troughs.

People put goldfish in water troughs as there is a common belief that goldfish eat the algae that grows and keeps the water cleaner. However, this has been proven to be untrue, however they don’t cause adverse harm to the water and many people still put goldfish in their water troughs.

It is recommended that water troughs are regularly cleaned. To clean them effectively they must be emptied and scrubbed, then it is recommended that a weak solution of bleach be used to clean the trough and then rinsed with water.

There are anti-algae products which will protect water troughs and reduce algae growth. There is an option of barley stew which reduces the nutrition available for algae to grow. There are also chemical options, however, caution needs to be taken to make sure the trough is safe for animals to drink from.

A simple way to keep water moving in a stock tank is to place a float object like a tennis ball or basketball in the water. It will keep the water agitated as it floats around the surface.

A simple and cost-effective way to keep water troughs from freezing is to place a tennis ball or basketball in the trough. This will keep the water agitated as it floats around the surface of the water. This makes it harder for ice to form and if ice does manage to form the ball is a weak spot to start breaking the ice.