Suitable "life ring" for trough swimming critters?

[Romany]

I just had to fish a very drownded squirrel out of the water trough Fortunately it can’t have been there long, unfortunately I didn’t hear it (do they bleat? Cry? Gasped, probably), but I still felt very sorry for it, an unnecessary death, and am now pondering clever ideas for the equivalent of a life ring, life raft? for foolish thirsty little animals to heave themselves on to before they expire.

Just a chunky little plank of wood, perhaps? Any other ideas? A heavy stick propped on the base and sticking well out of the top? A small swim ring? Kidding…Sometimes I have no imagination… :rolleyes:

There is a very low trough just over the fence I keep filled with water for birds and small animals, but I guess s/he hadn’t seen it.

Thanks!

[Mosey_2003]

Tie a thick rope to the fence and dangle it in. Or float a chunk of board.

[Bluey]

We used to just drop a piece of wood in there and that helped.

Any more, we have USDA approved bird ladders in all tanks and have not had any drowned critters in them since.:

http://journalstar.com/sports/local/outdoors/tank-ladders-save-wildlife/article_154f7140-a332-52ba-b400-920cca69feae.html

That is what we use.
The local Farm Service Agency sells them here, or has someone make them that you can contact to buy them.

[tangledweb]

I hang a doubled piece of hay twine in, with knots every inch or two. It’s free, can be replaced every year or so and is not interesting or dangerous enough for horses to play with.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

I stack a pyramid of bricks in mine. I have kittens and chickens and all manner of wild critters that I worry about falling in my water troughs. But it’s a pain every week when I scrub water troughs, because I have to take the bricks out and scrub them too. Algae grows on them.

[Romany]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Hadn’t thought of a chunky knotted rope, like that idea, and a raft of plank.

[saje]

I’ve attached a section of wire fence (chicken wire or hardware cloth, or similar) to two of the S shaped bucket hooks (Like THESE, but rounded not square) and hooked them over the trough edge. The horses sometimes played with them, but on one tank there were pre-drilled holes in the edge so I could anchor it in place with a zip-tie.

[csaper58]

[QUOTE=saje;8658544]
I’ve attached a section of wire fence (chicken wire or hardware cloth, or similar) to two of the S shaped bucket hooks (Like THESE, but rounded not square) and hooked them over the trough edge. The horses sometimes played with them, but on one tank there were pre-drilled holes in the edge so I could anchor it in place with a zip-tie.[/QUOTE]

This… But I use a 5 gal bucket painter’s screen, if it does not fit your trough make one like Saje said.

This is it. Paint stores and Lowes have them.

www.amazon.com/Dynamic-HZ000240-Bucket-5-Gallon-Plated/dp/B00DF2053C

[clanter]

small watering hole next to water tanks for the wildlife, since this was done we have nothing in the tanks

each evening we make sure there is water in this watering hole

[Romany]

[QUOTE=csaper58;8658894]
This… But I use a 5 gal bucket painter’s screen, if it does not fit your trough make one like Saje said.

This is it. Paint stores and Lowes have them.

www.amazon.com/Dynamic-HZ000240-Bucket-5-Gallon-Plated/dp/B00DF2053C[/QUOTE]

That is ingenious - you should patent it!

[talkofthetown]

We just used a large branch that had fallen out of a tree. Stuck it in the trough, angled towards the fence so it wasn’t aiming directly at an equine eyeball.

[pony4me]

We put concrete blocks in the troughs to make stairs. For each water bucket in the stalls we have a piece of knotted baling twine.

[clanter]

[QUOTE=pony4me;8662445]
We put concrete blocks in the troughs to make stairs. For each water bucket in the stalls we have a piece of knotted baling twine.[/QUOTE]

we have bunny rabbits who have decided the barn area is their residence that is why we use a puddle near the water tanks …also the birds prefer a puddle which attracts the crows who keep the egrets away

[Fred]

A lot of interesting suggestions! We just use a piece of wood, but these other ideas sound good too. Thanks!