How do you cool a pig in the summer?
Hello, it´s been awhile since I´ve been around, but i had a quick question. It´s been pretty warm in New York the past couple of days. I´ve noticed my pigs are very sluggish from the heat. I´ve been giving them extended floor time because i figured it would be alot cooler out of the pine bedded cage and onto the cooler floor. I heard drafts are bad for pigs so i can´t have a fan rotating near them right? And what about air conditoners on a low setting, if i keep the cage away from it. Is there any other tips you all can give me for keeping my pigs cool? I would appreciate it.
brian . . . .
brian . . . .
- Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Yes, airconditioners will help. Some people freeze a 2/3 full of water large soda bottle and place it in their cage -- they can lie next to it if they want and lick the condensation.
Make sure they are out of direct sunlight and choose as cool a place as you can. You might change the water more frequently (nice cold water) and make sure there are lots of vegetables with a decent water content (romaine -- rinse and leave some water on the leaves).
I´m sure other people will have ideas. Heat can indeed be deadly.
Make sure they are out of direct sunlight and choose as cool a place as you can. You might change the water more frequently (nice cold water) and make sure there are lots of vegetables with a decent water content (romaine -- rinse and leave some water on the leaves).
I´m sure other people will have ideas. Heat can indeed be deadly.
- KarasKavies
- For the love of my girls!
AC is fine. Like you said, just make sure it is not blowing directly on them. My spoiled girls live in AC. "Draft" usually refers to a cool breeze in a heated space. Like in the winter when a door is opened and you feel the cool breeze. Harder to get a draft in the summer. Fans are ok too. Make sure they are UP where the pigs can´t get close. Again, not blowing directly on them. If it were oscillating and passed by them on a low setting, I would think that would be OK.
I gave my girls some cold watermelon rinds last eve. They really liked them and they stayed cool for awhile. Carrots too. Any dense food that was cold would be a cool treat for them.
I think if you are comfortable in a room, they will be too. Usually when I am hot, they look it too!
I gave my girls some cold watermelon rinds last eve. They really liked them and they stayed cool for awhile. Carrots too. Any dense food that was cold would be a cool treat for them.
I think if you are comfortable in a room, they will be too. Usually when I am hot, they look it too!
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- Carpe Cavies
I use the refreezable ice you put in a lunch box. First wrap in saran and then in a wash cloth. Place in the cage and watch the fun. The ladies like to roll almost upside down.
I put a small bit of crushed ice in the water bottle. Just enough to feel cool but not cold. As a treat I freeze a grape for each of my three ladies.
Also they are kept in an air conditioned room.
I put a small bit of crushed ice in the water bottle. Just enough to feel cool but not cold. As a treat I freeze a grape for each of my three ladies.
Also they are kept in an air conditioned room.
I´ll be adding this to the Options page on Cavy Cages. Here is an example of bricks in use. If anyone has photos of the frozen water bottles, I´d like to include them. Thanks.
http://imageevent.com/cavyspirit/cavycagescoolideas
http://imageevent.com/cavyspirit/cavycagescoolideas
- Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I don´t mean to be too discouraging, but bricks soak up pee -- I used to have a brick stairs to get to the sleeping shelf and found I had to scrub them off regularly. One might be lucky to have pigs who don´t pee on them, but odds are they will get wet.
I finally gave up on the bricks and cool stones (the temperatures don´t get high where they live -- perhaps 80 max -- cooler because they are on the floor).
That reminds me -- putting cages on the floor may help -- there may be several degrees difference between the low and high points of a room.
I finally gave up on the bricks and cool stones (the temperatures don´t get high where they live -- perhaps 80 max -- cooler because they are on the floor).
That reminds me -- putting cages on the floor may help -- there may be several degrees difference between the low and high points of a room.