Keeping Your Animals Cool
Jake and Brazos enjoying the outdoors before the dog days of summer.
Not too long ago, I wrote Staying Cool in the Summer Heat. Today I want to focus on ways to keep our animals cool. For the most part, animals kept in a large area are able to take care of themselves. Cows, horses, goats, etc. in a large pasture will seek out the coolest spots provided by shade, water holes, or the dampness of the earth. Dogs will dig shallow holes in which to lie. Chickens will bathe themselves with dust. I could go on, but I am sure that you get the idea. As long as there is a good supply of fresh water, our family does not worry about our large animals.
However during the summer, I am always concerned about our rabbits. They live in nice wire hutches off of the ground. The breeze, when it blows, travels right through their homes as it helps to keep them cool. In nature the bunnies would dig deep into the earth and stay hidden in their cool dens. Since we choose to keep them in hutches, we have to take a few additional measures to ensure their health and safety.
We fill 2-liter soda bottles with cool water from our well. We attach a special tip on the end that allows the rabbits to drink freely. It is very important that the bunnies have shade. Without shade, the sun directly shining on them will kill them. On extremely hot days, we can fill empty soda bottles with water and freeze them. As the temperatures soar into the 100s, we place the frozen bottles in the rabbit hutches. This provides some relief during the heat of the day.
When our chickens were big enough to live in their coop, but too small to allow to free-range, we had a covered run attached to the coop. They could play outside in a shaded, fenced-in area. I purchased a mister at Wal-Mart. It was an attachment for a water hose that dispersed the water in a cool mist. This gave them some added coolness in their covered run.
When our ducks were too young to venture to the near-by lake to swim, eat, and cool off, we would fill a baby swimming pool with water just for them. They would spend hours swimming or floating in the cool water. We had a large yellow Labrador at one time and he also loved to get wet in a baby pool. These pools are inexpensive.
When we begin looking for another animal to bring home to our farm, we make sure that the breed is well-suited to our climate. For example, I think Alaskan Huskies are beautiful dogs, but I would not try to make one endure a Southeast Texas summer. When I was researching goats, I chose two breeds I thought would do wonderful here: the LaMancha and the Nubian breeds. Both breeds are heat-tolerant.
So before the dog days of summer are upon us, survey the area in which your animals are confined. Is there any shade? Do they have plenty of drinking water? These are the most important questions to answer. Once you know, then you can see if there are any other concerns. Does the sheep need to be sheared? Do you need to buy a baby pool?
Making sure that your animals are safe in the summer heat is an important role of any pet owner, farmer, and/or rancher. It is not a difficult task, but it requires daily attention. My children check and fill water troughs and bottles twice a day. You have to stay vigilant in order to keep the animals cool, safe, and healthy.
