Seasonal issues you may encounter
As we all know, with any pet, you have to take special precautions during inclement weather whether that be hot or cold. In this section, we will discuss some of the more common conditions you may see with your pig during the various seasons of the year. Those of you in areas that don't see a significant climate change may not have the same concerns of those who have clear separation between spring and fall or summer versus winter.
Each season brings about new concerns and you must be vigilant in protecting your pig from the external sources of potential harm to them. Familiarize yourself with these common things that can potentially harm your pig and arm yourself with education to help lessen the possibility of any of this being a problem for you and your pig.
Pigs can tolerate the heat or the cold for limited periods of time. They do best between 50-80 degrees though. As long as you have a warm place for them to go in the winter, free from drafts with something like straw inside to help insulate the structure, your pig will probably do well outside. If you have a watering hole (mud pit) or kiddie pool and shaded areas for your pig to go during the hottest months of the year, your pig should do ok in the summertime outside as well. But, you have to check up on your pig often regardless. Some pigs will not leave an enclosure during a hot summer day causing their core body temperature to rise. So you will need to be sure that structure is well ventilated or your pig is freely able to get in and out and follow up to be sure your pig does that. If you feel like your pig has overheated, bring your pig inside to cool him/her off. The signs of heat exhaustion/heat stroke are discussed in the summertime section. Same thing applies for winter time. If you notice areas of your pigs body turning bright red, this can be the beginning stages of frost bite and your pig needs to come in to warm up. Do not assume your pig will know the right thing to do, some pigs do not and some aren't able to get to a safer area. If you have more than one pig, another may be bullying a pig into staying outside in the freezing temperatures or not allowing your pig to cool off in the community pig pool, so this is something you need to be on the lookout for.
Click here to read more about spring and summer issues
Click here to read more about fall and wintertime issues
Each season brings about new concerns and you must be vigilant in protecting your pig from the external sources of potential harm to them. Familiarize yourself with these common things that can potentially harm your pig and arm yourself with education to help lessen the possibility of any of this being a problem for you and your pig.
Pigs can tolerate the heat or the cold for limited periods of time. They do best between 50-80 degrees though. As long as you have a warm place for them to go in the winter, free from drafts with something like straw inside to help insulate the structure, your pig will probably do well outside. If you have a watering hole (mud pit) or kiddie pool and shaded areas for your pig to go during the hottest months of the year, your pig should do ok in the summertime outside as well. But, you have to check up on your pig often regardless. Some pigs will not leave an enclosure during a hot summer day causing their core body temperature to rise. So you will need to be sure that structure is well ventilated or your pig is freely able to get in and out and follow up to be sure your pig does that. If you feel like your pig has overheated, bring your pig inside to cool him/her off. The signs of heat exhaustion/heat stroke are discussed in the summertime section. Same thing applies for winter time. If you notice areas of your pigs body turning bright red, this can be the beginning stages of frost bite and your pig needs to come in to warm up. Do not assume your pig will know the right thing to do, some pigs do not and some aren't able to get to a safer area. If you have more than one pig, another may be bullying a pig into staying outside in the freezing temperatures or not allowing your pig to cool off in the community pig pool, so this is something you need to be on the lookout for.
Click here to read more about spring and summer issues
Click here to read more about fall and wintertime issues