August, as it does each year, is delivering its hottest and most humid days right now. The yearly cicadas are buzzing in the trees (Brood X cicadas are now long gone). Luckily, to this point we have received enough rain that everything remains green. My fingers are crossed that we continue to receive intermittent waterings.
Each summer I receive questions about keeping animals cool in the heat - secrets or tips that I might have gained in the years we've spent here on the farm.
What I have learned is that aside from building a large, air-conditioned barn, (which we do not have)….the necessities are lots of cool drinking water, and areas of shade and shelter.
I have found that animals are quite sensible when it comes to temperature regulation. They seem to do what they need to do to stay as cool as is possible.
Let's look at horses, for example. We give our equines grazing time during the coolest part of the day. Then, when the sun gets hot and the flies start biting, they have many options for staying out of the sun. There are two run-in sheds that are shaded by trees - one in the donkey yard and one at the far end of the horses' dry lot.
There are also large trees that shade the lower end of the dry lot. The herd has access to several large water tanks situated in a shady corner of their dry lot, as well.
The barn has several fans - one in each stall...
and one under the front overhang. After I bring the horses in from grazing, I spray each of the stalls and the front of the barn with fly spray. The horses seem quite content to nap in the shelter of the barn, under the fans during the heat of the day. I think the fly spray has made a difference in their overall comfort as well. And though I am a big believer in organic gardening, etc., I have resigned myself to the use of a fly killer/repellant, on the barn, for the sake of my herd.
Now, the funny thing is... the donkeys also have lots of shady areas available to them - but they prefer to stand in a sunny corner of their dry lot to nap. They move about the two dry lots during the day, but rarely seek the shade of one of the shelters.
I believe this is because these small donkeys are Sicilian Miniature donkeys and their breed comes from southern Italy and Northern Africa. They are a breed that is used to a hot, arid climate. I seriously think that my donkeys are much happier in the heat of the summer than in the cold of the winter. The horses are the opposite. They weather the cold of the winter just fine.
Our sheep avoid the heat altogether, and do their grazing during the cooler hours. Luckily, in spite of the hot days, we are still having cool nights (in the 60's).
The goats, like the sheep, spend their days napping and their nights grazing.
The chickens, who have free-run of the farm, seem to have no problem finding a cool place to stay on hot days, as there is lots of shade around their coops, as well as a woodsy retreat several yards away. I have buckets of water in each of their houses, and several in their yard... so there is always plenty of water for them, too.
Ducks don't seem to mind the heat at all -
and spend their days alternating between searching for insects and resting in the shade or swimming in their pool.
The pigs are a special consideration. Pigs do not have the ability to sweat or to pant, so they have no built-in way to cool themselves, and must rely upon external measures. This is one of the reasons that pigs like to dig... to get to cooler earth.
Years ago, when the pigs first came to the farm, I bought a large plastic sandbox to use as a pool for them. The sides were lower than a pool and the plastic was much sturdier. This has worked out perfectly - and the pigs use it quite often in the summer.
As for me, I use the hottest hours of the day to work on fun projects. I've been working on my drawing and watercoloring skills in an attempt to improve. It's a slow process, but so much fun! I found this photo on Instagram and fell in love with it... such a dreamy scene.
I tried my own interpretation in a watercolor painting, but could not get the misty feeling. Now I am trying a graphite drawing of the same photo. It will take me several days to complete the drawing as there is much detail.
Hubbs' ongoing project is repairing and rebuilding parts of our pirate ship so that it lasts through our smallest Grands' childhood.
The entire deck needed to be replaced as well as some of the railings.
He added upright supports to the gang plank and I am going to add rope to them to make a safer walkway. We'll have a "reveal" when it is finished! Yo-Ho-Ho!
Chester, sensing the need for a new gator co-pilot, has heeded the call.
Now, if we could just convince him that a co-pilot does not need to sit between the legs of the pilot, we'd be in great shape!
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