Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Pond water for cattle

I have several neighbors that have ponds and cattle. The cattle is fenced out of the ponds but there is some run-off into the ponds. The ponds have some algae which is typical. Each lake drains through PVC piping in the dam and into a underground tank with water flow control floats - made for watering cattle. The algae is very thick in the concrete watering tanks.
The ponds and cattle are both new hobbies for my neighbors and they are concerned that the nasty algae in the tanks will make the cattle sick. Is this a real concern? Anything they can do about algae in the watering tanks?
Any comments from experience cattle ranchers are appreciated. (Meadowlark?)

Gainesjs,

Tell them the algae hurts us humans to look at and fish in....but the cows could care less. No problem for them at all.

As far as removing from the water tanks, I wouldn't worry about it, unless it was somehow blocking the flow of water into the tank. If that happens, just remove it by hand. I wouldn't use chemicals to treat...personally, I feel that too much chemicals are already used in our food supply.

No floating algae in my watering troughs, but over the course of the Summer they get about 1/2" thick buildup of a reddish-brown colored algae on the bottom and sides - doesn't matter whether the trough has pond or well water (or even which well). That stuff is not a problem for the cattle.

Meadowlark and Theo,
Many Thanks for the fast reply!

When I was a kid, my Grandfather put common goldfish in the watering tank. I don't remember feeding them but I was told they lived on algae. I don't remember much algae but the milk cow never seemed to have a problem.

We keep small fish (goldfish, Gambusia, BG, and GShiners thus far) in the troughs mainly for mosquito larvae control. My wife prefers GShiners because they will keep FA under control in troughs; the downside is they tend to freak out and "escape" when horses, cows, or humans approach the trough.