Cool Tips for Hot Animals

During the summer months, farm animals and livestock can get too hot. Extra attention to animals during high heat and humidity is essential. Cattle do not handle heat as well as humans, especially when temperatures are above 80 degrees. Provide plenty of shade that remains shady the whole day and good air flow. Spraying their legs and bellies with water can help cool them, or you can consider offering wading pools in the paddock. Avoid working/handling/stressing them during the heat of the day. Consider feeding them in cooler times like early morning and evenings. Always provide plenty of fresh water - 30 gallons of water per head of cattle. Goats are generally more tolerant of heat than sheep, and haired sheep will be more tolerant than wool breeds. However, wool acts as insulation against heat as well as against the cold. Ideally, wool sheep should be sheared in the spring so they have some wool growth by the time summer rolls around to help dissipate the heat. Remember that sheep and goats have an average temperature range of 102F – 103.5F, higher than other livestock species! Pigs cannot sweat, and temperatures above 70 degrees may cause stress and cool-seeking behavior, including lying on their sides stretched out and lying away from bedding and other pigs. Pigs may turn over their drinking water to create a muddy wallow for cooling, which could result in a critical lack of water. This water deprivation may cause salt intoxication, an often fatal disease after water is reintroduced. Always be sure to provide a well-secured, fresh drinking water source and create a designated wallow or pig pool.