Twenty-one cows were all standing around the water trough at 19:15 this evening. Youngsters 220 and 222 plus yearlings 241 and 242 were grazing close by.
Initially, I thought they were queuing to have a drink, but upon closer inspection, no one was drinking and I could hear that the trough wasn't filling. I eventually persuaded older cows 21 and 35 to let me have a look. The tank was under a quarter full, but the cows had knocked the trough so that it had blocked the hose connecting the trough to the tank. I was able to move the trough enough to get the water to start flowing again. Once the water started flowing, most of the cows went off grazing, occasionally returning to see if they could get a drink.
The older cows were first to have a drink. When at the trough, they were not letting anyone get close to share the water. Cows 21 and 35 were actually quite aggressive, using their horns to see off younger cows who tried to jump in.
The cows continued to take turns having a drink, but they were drinking the trough dry as quickly as it was filling. There should be enough water for them all to get a drink tonight before the tank empties. It is going to need filling tomorrow though.
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