Farm life

farm life June

On the Smallholding

ANIMALS AND PLANTS NEED EXTRA ATTENTION DURING HOT WEATHER TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT SUFFER STRESS THAT COULD LEAD TO POOR HEALTH

Hopefully, we will enjoy sunny weather and moderate rain. However, we are more regularly getting heat waves (canicules) during the summer that last several days or weeks. They usually occur in July or August, but in 2007 and 2019 there were heat waves in June, and we have just experienced some very hot weather only last month. In these periods we need to make extra sure that we and our animals stay cool and hydrated. Farm animals are normally wellinsulated for the cold, and are generally most comfortable at around 15°C. Fur and feathers protect skin from burning, but also absorb and retain heat, making it difficult for mammals and birds to keep cool in hot weather. Animals with dark coats or plumage are particularly prone to overheating, while those with white skin are susceptible to burning where fur is thin (e.g. ears and muzzle). Pigs can quickly become dangerously overheated. Pigs, dogs, and ruminants have fewer sweat glands than humans. These glands produce scents as a means of communication but are less effective for temperature control. Dogs also have a few cooling sweat glands in the paw pads. However, pigs, goats, sheep, dogs, and chickens all reduce body heat through panting. Pigs’ main strategy is wallowing in mud. The mud cools as it dries and the earthy coating protects skin from sunburn. Chickens cool themselves through drinking water and ejecting it through the cloaca. You may notice some watery droppings during hot weather. This is not diarrhoea: it is a poultry cooling mechanism. Mammals shed their undercoats during spring to prepare for warmer temperatures. You may have seen a lot of fluff and wool on fencing in spring as goats and sheep rub out excess undercoat. By now goats will have shed their woolly undercoat, often accompanied by a lot of scurfy dead skin, and then the longer hairs of their outer coat. By now, goats should have shorter, shiny coats with no under-fluff. Sometimes cool weather or health conditions delay this moult. An undernourished or sick goat may have held on to her coat for extra warmth. Once treated, you can help her by checking for lice that can hide out in unshed fur, and brushing out the old coat when temperatures rise. Sheep do not lose their undercoat, as they have been bred for hundreds of years to retain it. The exceptions are a few primitive breeds, such as Soay, Shetland or Cameroon. Wool from these breeds can be just gently pulled by hand, a process called ‘rooing’, during the annual moult. Otherwise your sheep will need shearing to maintain their health. You will probably need to book your shearer well in advance, as they get very busy at this time of year. Once your sheep are sheared, they will be more vulnerable to chills. This is why farmers do not shear them earlier, when nights can be cold. Make sure your sheep have a shelter with thick straw to rest in when they need to keep warm. Freshly sheared sheep are also more vulnerable to sunburn, so they will need shelter during the day, and they really appreciate trees in their paddocks. Shade and water are important for all animals during hot and sunny weather. These are their main defences against overheating. There needs to be enough shade for all the animals to rest together, while allowing space between their bodies so they can dissipate heat. Trees are the easiest and most enjoyable strategy here, providing shade, soil structure, and biodiversity. You will need to protect bark from nibbling teeth, especially where there are goats, with tree guards or fencing. Unprotected woodland will survive a nibble, if grazed lightly and the animals moved on before they can do lasting damage. Chickens love bushes and low trees to hide in. It makes them feel safe as well as keeping them cool. Mine enjoy a low shelter as a dust bath.

Water needs to be fresh and cool. Goats and sheep are more likely to keep hydrated if the water is clean, so I change it daily. Horses drink a large amount of water, especially in the heat, so it is important to check their supply regularly. Pigs will sully their water as they use it to bathe and play, so a drinking supply will need to be replenished frequently. Constipation, normally due to dehydration, can be serious in pigs. If animals have sufficient shade and water, they should be able to cope with hot weather, but a heatwave will require extra vigilance to ensure they have all they need.

By Tamsin Cooper

There needs to be enough shade for all the animals to rest together, while allowing space between their bodies so they can dissipate heat

Tamsin Cooper is a smallholder and writer with a keen interest in animal behaviour and welfare www.goatwriter.com