rosie

Hi guys, don't know how many of you live in the UK, but today it's 32C
and tomorrow it will be 34. Any of you got any tips on how you keep
your guineas cool?

I have to work during the day, but get back when I can. I keep them
inside when it's cooler with the curtains shut, a fan on, water from
the fridge, with ice!! I also give them little bits of cu***ber etc
throughout the day to cool them down. When it gets hotter inside than
out, I move them outside with a parasol over their cage. Spoit little
things!

Anyone else got any tips?

Rosie (Darla, Lola & Tallulah)

Hey Rosie

You could freeze a water bottle and put it into the cage as well.

If you wanted, you could wrap a light towel around it first - that will
keep the bottle frozen longer and give some protection against the cold
of the ice.

Annette

kelvyn

Not sure if piggies shed hair in summer as cats do.....but if they
do....combing would remove some and help with the cooling.
kelvyn.

michel oosterbeek

Please note that a parasol might not shield your piggies enough from
dangerous sun-rays. I know a case of some piggies still dying while
under a parasol. Please check this! )


Michel

wedell

Probably a bit late in the day to tell you this, as the weather is likely to
break either tomorrow (Wednesday) or later this week. However, I hope you
find this useful for future reference:

Provide as much shading for your pig hutch as possible and definitely avoid
any direct sunlight on the hutch. You can put up a parasol to limit the
amount of sun light reaching the hutch. The best thing you can do is move
their cage to the part of the garden which gets the first bit of shade
during the day, that way pigs will get the early morning sun, but it won't
get too hot for them, and by mid/late morning, as the sun moves around, they
will end up in shade and stay cool for rest of the day. A position under a
tree or in the garden shrubs is ideal as they will get the benefit of the
cooler air from the water vaporation from the ground and plants. If the
hutch is on a patio then the hutch will be warmed from above and below as
the patio heats up from the sun.

If pigs are likely to be in their hutch for most of the day, I would suggest
getting the biggest garden rock you can find and fit in your freezer and
chill it overnight. In the morning, just before going to work, put the rock
into the hutch. The bigger the rock the better as is will stay cooler for
longer. In addition, get some old large fizzy drink bottles and fill with
water and then freeze overnight (allow for expansion). Put those in the
cage too. Don't be tempted to freeze their water bottles as a hot piggy
drinking very cold water could cause shock with dire consequences for the
poor piggy.

Make sure piggy has lots of water laden fruit and veg. I like to give my
piggies cool cu***ber and fresh melon skin (they don't eat the actual
melon - but I do, so we both benefit and avoid any waste)!

At first opportunity when you get home, get piggies onto the lawn, and if
still necessary, keep them under cover. Try and keep them out in the
evening as long as possible - mine seem to enjoy being out the most in the
first hour after sunset, which can be fun trying to get them in when its
gone dark!!

In my experience our piggies tend to dislike the heat more when its humid
and muggy, usually the time just before a thunderstorm when the air tends to
get very heavy and still. Try to keep air circulating at all times, and if
you can, provide some air via a desk fan, but remembering to avoid a direct
blast of air on the piggies.

rob port

A marble tile in the cage.

Pets at Home sell these for Chinchillas. My pigs are always laying on
them when it's hot.

I put them in there a few months ago so they got used to them.

When the weather heated up, they lay on them all the time - so I guess
it must help with conducting the heat out of their bodies.

Hope this helps.

Rob

verger

On 3 Jul 2006 03:22:23 -0700, sassyagility@cabletv.on.ca sang the
following hymns:

I tried that but it doesn't help.

I don't do anything anymore to keep them cool.
--

Verger

"What are we in time going by"-- Mountain ( For Yasgur's Farm)

kelvyn

There is something in this....marble is always cool,guess it just doesn't
absorb heat....of course if you want them to be really cool you could
always get them some rayban sunglasses,rebok shoes and an ipod !
kelvyn.


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