Breaking Ice in Ponds

[CowboyRam]

Dad talks about when he was out on the Sweetwater river they would take an ax to chop a trough in the ice, a bar to punch a hole through the ice to fill up the trough. They would then carry sand from the riverbank in their chaps so the cows would not slip on the ice.

 

[gcreekrch]

Dad talks about when he was out on the Sweetwater river they would take an ax to chop a trough in the ice, a bar to punch a hole through the ice to fill up the trough. They would then carry sand from the riverbank in their chaps so the cows would not slip on the ice.

A little water splashed on ice chips works fine too.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I use an old garage sale axe to chop the pond. It hangs in the nearest tree all year long so its always where I need it to be.

Usually once or twice a season I take the chainsaw and enlarge the hole as each time you use the ax it gets a little smaller. Start with a 3'x3' opening in November and by February its 6" square. Take the chainsaw with a 36" bar and open it back up to the original size.

 

[wbvs58]

I use an old pick axe. The flat end is great for scooping out the chunks.

'Bout 5 years ago I was breaking ice in the west 80 pond when one of my retained heifers popped me in the behind and I went sliding across the pond like a dang hockey puck - still clutching my pick axe. Had to do the crab-walk/slug-slide back to the bank, but with zero traction, ended up sticking my boot in the hole I cut, just to get up 'n out. My bibs were completely frozen by the time I made it back to the house. There may have been profanities!!! That spring, we had a well drilled.

I would have liked to see that. You need a dash cam for your UTV so we can see all the things you get up to TC. It would get lots of likes.

Ken

 

[50/50Farms]

I've never lived anywhere so cold that an axe or a pisselm club or a few big rocks wouldn't do for a small pond. We did at one point have some old, old, metal bath tubs refitted for watering that froze pretty good and did not kindle joy.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Cattle are fenced away from all ponds here.
When we lived in Kansas, I think that was the biggest way to have dead cows. Inevitably, cows would walk out on the farm pond. One was fine, two might be fine, then ---- oops, 3 are too many, all fell through,

 

[Grayme]

I was breaking ice in a pond yesterday and was wondering what is the best tool to get the job done? Assume, you cannot get any equipment within 30' of the ponds, so it needs to be a hand tool. I was using a pick and also an axe. Is there a better tool that will work? I was thinking maybe a sledgehammer or possibly a splitting maul.

What have you folks that have to break ice routinely found to be best?

This is what I used 2 years ago when my waterer froze up!

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Our ice is already 14" thick. No way the cows are falling thru that... haha

 

[JW IN VA]

I think a back hoe would be great for breaking ice and other things around the farm. Any pool that you could not access to could be fenced of and used after the thaw.

They are.