Heatwave - check your shed

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I wish it only got up to 30degrees here in australia in summer, we get days where it gets up to 40 or more and it is so humid you cant breath, when it gets hot here I have frozen water bottles in each cage one bottle per pig per cage, also a dish with a low side that has ice cubes in it so they can chew and lick the ice and also lie in the dish when it melts.
 
piggy lover said:
I wish it only got up to 30degrees here in australia in summer, we get days where it gets up to 40 or more and it is so humid you cant breath, when it gets hot here I have frozen water bottles in each cage one bottle per pig per cage, also a dish with a low side that has ice cubes in it so they can chew and lick the ice and also lie in the dish when it melts.
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i feel sorry for you its get around 40 degrees celsuis here reguarly in summer but the humidity in QLD my god!i went up there 2 sperate times for a month each up to cairns and i got off the plane and felt like i couldnt breathe,not sure my piggies would like it there x
 
I put my pigs outside in hutches a few weeks back as I needed somewhere to store my new bathroom suite while waiting to have it fitted. It was installed yesterday. Not moving them back into it their hutches are covered in insulated thermal foil which has a white outer which is keeping them very cool when in thier hutches. I put thermometers in and its only 18c inside a hutch with four pigs in. they do spend a lot of time in thier runs in complete shade white sheets reflect heat well. Also give them frozen bottles freezer is full of them.
 
During this hot weather I have been putting an old single duvet (secured by a couple of half bricks on the top) over the front of the hutch, they are then shaded all day. The clever girls have taken to sleeping in the igloos provided on the grass, this is much cooler than their sleeping compartment upstairs.
 
Pumpkinpiggie said:
I put my pigs outside in hutches a few weeks back as I needed somewhere to store my new bathroom suite while waiting to have it fitted. It was installed yesterday. Not moving them back into it their hutches are covered in insulated thermal foil which has a white outer which is keeping them very cool when in thier hutches. I put thermometers in and its only 18c inside a hutch with four pigs in. they do spend a lot of time in thier runs in complete shade white sheets reflect heat well. Also give them frozen bottles freezer is full of them.
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Where did you get the foil from? I've got some of those reflector foil things you use for car windscreens, and also a large reflective sheet that I use to keep the car cool when doing dog shows etc. - had been wondering about using this for the piggies, you can buy it by the meter
 
just remeber if your using a fan that it only osolates the warm air and doesnt really cool it down that much, however if you can get a vent(hole/hatch) build into the side of your shed, for example mine is above the doors, as I had the main door and a back door covered with mesh for the summer, the vents will allow the hot air to "escape" out of the shed so the fans will then start having a really noticable affect, and also the vents can be closed up when not needed.

Ive also heard that if you can "throw" an old light coloured sheet or cover over the shed roof this will help to reflect the sun
 
sophiew said:
Where did you get the foil from? I've got some of those reflector foil things you use for car windscreens, and also a large reflective sheet that I use to keep the car cool when doing dog shows etc. - had been wondering about using this for the piggies, you can buy it by the meter
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Got it from the army store's huge rolls for a couple of quid. I stripped the white coat of it to do my shed well worth a visit to one if you know of one;)
 
Most of our piggies have open run of the shed. I put 2 kitchen chairs in the shed and drape wet towels from one foot rest to the other. This way it makes 4 cool tunnels per chair.
 
Something else I've started doing is giving the pigs fresh water twice daily. If the weather/environment is warm, the water warms up quickly too and I know my pigs are not keen on warm water - they drink more cool, fresh water. Drinking water is important in warm weather so if it means refreshing the water bottles twice daily, then it's an easy way to encourage the pigs to stay hydrated.

Also clean the bottle more frequently in hot weather, especially scrubbing inside the spouts. Pigs tend to spit bits of food up the spout, so to prevent bacteria multiplying you need to keep the bottles clean to make sure the pig actually gets clean, fresh water!
 
I have a big 5 litre bottle of water to do the shed pigs and I empty it in the morning and put fresh cold water in it and at night.... when I went in to get it tonight after work, the water in it was about body temp! :(

You're right Laura, just because the bottle is full doesn't mean the water doesn't need replacing.

Feel sorry for them in this weather

Sophie
x
 
CCC4 said:
Something else I've started doing is giving the pigs fresh water twice daily. If the weather/environment is warm, the water warms up quickly too and I know my pigs are not keen on warm water - they drink more cool, fresh water. Drinking water is important in warm weather so if it means refreshing the water bottles twice daily, then it's an easy way to encourage the pigs to stay hydrated.

Also clean the bottle more frequently in hot weather, especially scrubbing inside the spouts. Pigs tend to spit bits of food up the spout, so to prevent bacteria multiplying you need to keep the bottles clean to make sure the pig actually gets clean, fresh water!
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I've been doing the same with the water - it stays soooo much fresher if it's changed twice a day.
 
brownbrummie said:
I have tried the frozen water bottles and mine dont seem interested is it worth giving them a quick spray with water from a spray bottle or is that bad for them?
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I'd rather not spray a piggie with water since, if they become too cold, it will be difficult for them to maintain their temperature.

You could try taking two towels. Wrap the first around the frozen bottle and put it into the cage. The second towel can then be draped over the water bottle to make a tent/a cool hiding spot.
 
teadragon said:
I'd rather not spray a piggie with water since, if they become too cold, it will be difficult for them to maintain their temperature.

You could try taking two towels. Wrap the first around the frozen bottle and put it into the cage. The second towel can then be draped over the water bottle to make a tent/a cool hiding spot.
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I wouldnt spray them wither.

dont forget that the frozen bottles will cool the area around the bottle a little so giving some coolness, even if the pigs dont sit on top/next to the bottles
 
I also worry about my babies during this warm weather :( It reached 28C in the out building today :( I have been giving the girls fresh cold water in the morning before going to work alongside a frozen bottle. Then when I come home from work, I have been replacing the frozen bottle and giving them another bottle of fresh cold water.
 
27 degrees and rising in the pig room here. :( My lot have a 'cool cave' of wet towels and ice pods, as well as a fan directed towards a wet towel. I hope it's helping a bit...
 
My piggies hutches are outside and in the sun first thing but I can open the top to cool it down and then before lunch they go on the lawn free range under the shade of the trees. As well as checking for piggies getting too hot I always check for fly strike, yuk, that is not nice at all as one of mine (gone to rainbow bridge now) had it. It happens very quickly.
I bet there are piggies stuck out in hutches at the bottom of gardens in the full sun. The owners say "well, they come from a hot countrymalletheadmalletheadmallethead. Poor little souls.:0
 
A big thank you

It is brilliant that this has been posted - i have taken my pigloo out and am glad the hutch is in the shade from about 10 am i also get them out at 4ish every day and put them in their run on slabs with lots of water - will have a go with the ice cubes in a dish tomorrow - but they seem to be ok at the mo.:)
 
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