You may be sitting by the window right now, listening to the rain hammering down on your waterlogged fields — while just a few weeks ago you were complaining about the spring heatwave parching your soil.
The only thing we know for sure about our weather is that it can be erratic, changing when we least expect it. With that in mind, it pays to get your smallholding ready for whatever the climate decides to throw at you.
Anyone who has kept pigs through a prolonged sunny spell will know the challenges faced by the species during uncomfortably hot weather. As vet Max Wood notes on page 10, pigs can’t thermoregulate in the same way as other mammals so, as pig-keepers, we need to ensure that there are measures in place to help them cool down effectively and stay safe.
PIG PEN PLANNING
If you have yet to get your first pigs, considering how they will fare in extreme temperatures — both hot and cold — before siting your pig pens is really important. Ideally choose a site that is sheltered, with trees to provide shade in the summer when it’s too warm for them to be in their arks. If the site is pretty bare, think of ways in which you can create a strong framework that can be covered to provide shade, but remember that even small pigs can be incredibly strong when rubbing against posts, so make sure that it’s sturdy enough to withstand being used as a backscratcher.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2020 من Country Smallholding.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2020 من Country Smallholding.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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