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Archive for June, 2010

Ritchie waterers in HOT climates

June 16th, 2010 by admin

I had the opportunity to attend a Walkabout Tour in Vegas the weekend of June 12, 2010.  This was a fantastic learning trip for me.  You see, being from Iowa, we have 4 distinct seasons and will go from extremely cold to extremely hot during our 365 days of the year.  In general, I speak with more people who share similar environments, especially those who have questions about freezing.  Not often do I receive questions about how they hold up in the heat. Until this show.

First and foremost, I would like to thank all of those who asked me this question because it really made me think.  I had to adjust my common answers to appropriately fit these new questions.

So here they are, the questions and answers I received and gave during my trip to Vegas.

1. How do these (our plastic, non heated waterers) hold up in the hot sun? 

          Answer: All of our plastic units are infused with UV inhibitors that will decrease the breakdown of the plastic under the hot sun. They will maintain their durability.  If anything, the color may fade.

2.  Won’t the water become extremely hot? 

          Answer:  Yes the water will become warm if the animals are not drinking.  However, as a general rule, if the weather is hot, the animals will be drinking more to keep themselves hydrated.  The water line is plumbed underground which will help maintain a colder incoming water temperature.  The incoming water then will fill inside the valve chamber.  The valve chamber, during hot weather, acts as a cooler as it is highly insulated.  This will help maintain the temperature of the water so as soon as the animals go to take a drink, the cooler water will fill the trough.  So essentially, more drinking means more water circulation and cooler water temperatures.

3.  Will the waterers need electricity to run?

          Answer: No. The only time that electricity is needed is to run the heating components.  In hot climates, this obviously will not be necessary.

As always if you have questions about the function of our waterers, we welcome them.

“The Horse Show” to feature Ritchie Waterers at Freedom Farm

June 2nd, 2010 by admin

Conrad, Iowa (May 26, 2010)— Freedomfarm™ is nestled in the Minnesota country approximately 40 miles west of the hustle and bustle of Minneapolis. While many are fighting rush hour traffic and hustling around the city, the focus and activities at Freedom Farms presents a completely different purpose.

Freedomfarm provides therapeutic riding incorporating sensory, cognitive and social stimulation to build skills and confidence on their 18.5-acre facility. They work with children and adults, particularly war veterans, to improve mobility and build confidence using the unique attributes of horses.

Located in Waverly, Minnesota, it is the location for an upcoming episode of “The Horse Show” hosted by Rick Lamb on RFD-TV. The episode highlights Lamb taking on a role similar to that of Mike Rowe of the series, “Dirty Jobs”. In doing so, he is hands-on installing two automatic waterers provided by Ritchie Industries of Conrad, Iowa. Also on location for filming were Chad Carlson of Carlson Wholesale and Chad Harwood of Harwood Trenching (Carlson’s installing dealer).

 The installed waterers were Omni 3s from the OmniFount line. They have a 10-gallon capacity and were installed with heating units to aid in the harsh winter conditions of Minnesota.

 According to Susie Bjorklund, Founder and Executive Director of Freedomfarm, “I am incredibly grateful for all the work and the opportunity to be a part of this episode. The waterers will help free up time I can now dedicate to those who need our help.”

 “The Horse Show” Freedomfarms and Ritchie episode is scheduled to air the week of June 7 on RFD-TV.

Since 1921, Ritchie has manufactured durable, dependable automatic fountains for many species of livestock, including beef, dairy, equine, swine, sheep and goats. The distinct Ritchie design has been the standard bearer of quality. Ritchie fountains continue to serve all sizes of operations and the livestock industry with equipment designed to provide years of trouble-free use. For the name of the Ritchie distributor in your area, please call 800-747-0222 or visit www.ritchiefount.com.


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