Sweating, not like a pig

The heat wave continues and gardeners, smallholders and farmers have to do their best in the conditions. Looking after your crops is one thing but if you keep livestock there is a paramount responsibility for their welfare in this unremittingly hot weather. 

The pigs are adept at making themselves as comfortable as they can. We currently have three breeding Saddleback sows.They have dug their own wallow adjacent to the water trough and as soon as the trough had been refilled they invariably turned it over to fill the hole with water. I’ve moved the trough and instead regularly top up the extended wallow using a hose. After their 4pm feed they each take it in turns to flop and rotate in the water and then emerge, rather like hippopotamuses, covered in a muddy layer. Pigs don’t have enough sweat glands to provide effective temperature control. However, water evaporating after a dip has a similar cooling effect. Apart from the cooling effects, a muddy layer acts as  a sun screen to protect their skin. 

At other times the pigs snooze in the shade, keeping their activity levels low. They have also taken to sleeping outside during the warm muggy nights.

Down time in the shade

Meanwhile I go back and forth, re-filling the water trough three or four times each day. Unlike the pigs, I return indoors dripping with sweat.