Official Poll: How do you keep your HERDS cool this summer?

[Support]

The summer season has arrived and we surely welcomed it with a bang! However, no matter how much we love the sun, there will be days that it's going to be really, really hot and humid outside. So what do we do? We lock ourselves inside our house and cool down with our fans and air conditioners. Lucky, yeah?

But, how about our BackYard Herds? How do you keep them cool during summer time?

If your answer is not listed below, please choose 'Others" and discuss it below.

 

[cjc]

We always provide lots of water and lots of shade. No animal is the pasture without a shelter. Being in Canada our hot is not nearly what some of you face in terms of hot. Last year we had a huge heat wave which actually caused one of my calves to die. Mind you, she was sick but after the heat wave I could not keep her temperature down for the life of me. This year, all sick calves are moved to the barn. It's cool in there and we are not going to risk any sick ones in the field this year.

 

[Alexz7272]

Shade/shelter and water are also what we focus on during the summer!

 

[goats&moregoats]

Water, shade & shelter are the number one priorities. I also add a small pool for the pups to wade in if they want to. The older dog does not choose this option. I also include moving them around in the early morning or late evening for any additional things that need to be done. Such as hoof trimming and that is done under shade/shelter as well.

 

[norseofcourse]

It only let me give one answer, but I do at least three of those.

They have plenty of shade, and even though I want to clear the pasture so there's more and better grazing, I will still leave trees for shade (and food).

I check water more often, the weather has a big effect on how much they drink.

I try and do stressful things when it's cooler, whether that's morning or evening or just a cooler day.

Some of the sheep hadn't shed their wool yet, so I got that off of them. I still need to get some belly wool off.

 

[Baymule]

This poll needs to be able to have more than one answer! I provide water, we have lots of trees for shade. I give the chickens a tub to wade in and they love it. I spray the horses down with the water hose. I have plucked the wool off the ewes, the lambs are still wooly and it won't come off. If I have anything to do with the animals, I do it in the early mornings or evenings.

 

[MrsKuhn]

I agree, this poll should have more than one answer allowed because I do more than just one thing to help my animals.

For my goats, I provide shade and fresh clean cool drinking water. I freeze gallon jugs to put in there water on really hot humid days.

For my chickens, I also freeze water bottles to put in their water and check it durning the day because they will be more apt to drink cold over warm water. I provide shade and dusting areas for them, as well as frozen treats on really hot days.

 

[TAH]

I agree, this poll should have more than one answer allowed because I do more than just one thing to help my animals.

x2

I chop-up a bunch of veggies and fruits that goats like and then put them in containers and freeze them animals love it. Also freeze water bottles. Spray them with a hose every now and then. Lots of shade.

 

[misfitmorgan]

We do shade, lots of fresh water, clean fresh cool water for the ducks, all activity including grain and milking is done at evening/night.

We also hose down the middle cement slab in the barn where the big livestock doors are so the wind blows in and creates a swamp cooler effect, the livestock love it and an added benefit is it makes a wallow for the pigs from the drains and sometimes in the drains the buggers.

Sheep were sheared already, goats will be shaved this week i hope.

 

[parson45]

It was hard to pick. Like other posters, I do more than one. I have a solar well that constantly provides cool water and 26 acres of woods for shade. The shelters are much too hot right now.