Keeping pigs cool in a heatwave

Screamapillar

Screamapillar

New Born Pup
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
15
Reaction score
17
Points
165
Hello all,

Europe is getting very hot and my pigs live indoors in a utility room type space. There is a thermometer in there and today it read 28 Celsius - the piggies looked a bit worn out! I put a frozen ice pack wrapped in a tea towel in their cage and they are both completely fine.

Any tips or tricks you can recommend to keep them cool? Please don't say air conditioning, I can't afford one.
 
I'm interested in this, buzz and woody are fine but also looked a bit bleurgh earlier. Ron and hagrid are in a cooler room so we're fine. I watched a YouTube video where a lady put a tiny bit of water on a dish with cucumber slices in it x
 
It’s my understanding that their water requirements don’t go up very much in hot weather as they don’t sweat like us, so don’t go overboard on cucumber etc if their tummies aren’t used to it.
Veg straight for the fridge will cool them and providing cool-pods and frozen water bottles covered in a sock will cool the area around them, even if the pigs don’t actually lie on or against them.
My pigs also have a water bowl (because Chewie doesn’t like the bottle any more) that has regularly refreshed cool water that Chewie tends to shove most of her face in, so that helps too!
 
Mine do have cucumber but they'd freak out at the water and throw the lot everywhere I think 🤦‍♀️the video said its so they can dip their paws in it if they want to to get their treat x
 
When it is really hot I keep the windows closed and the curtains closed to keep out the sun and the worst of the heat of the day. I use frozen water bottles in an old sock. Mine also have small cooler blocks (like you have in a lunch bag), wrapped in a tea towel. But we also have a big floor standing fan. And they seem to enjoy the air moving a bit in the room.
 
When I tried freezy blocks in old socks last year in the heat wave my piggies ran as far away as was piggly possible from them. Even though, after the first scary freezy block went in, I rubbed it all over with yukky wee covered hay from the hutch so that it smelt right!
 
God i love the small woodland that shades my living room. The brickwork stays cool,One good thing about my house. Just one
 
I like the idea of a frozen water bottle in an old sock. I don't know if they'll like it, but it has to be worth a try.
 
My pigs don’t care for frozen items (I’ve got pink pet “ufo”s that are frozen, as the rescue uses them for their pigs and rabbits) and go in a wide bow around any such items.

I’ve got two heavy marble floor tiles from B&Q which are also a bit cooler than their fleece but again they don’t like them. The only thing that has worked before is a damp towel on top of said marble tile, they have lain on those.

Other than that I just keep their cage really really clean and hope the weather changes soon. They were all fine last year with the bad (hot) summer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top