Hot Weather Warning for the UK! - Please Protect Your Piggies

Wiebke

Wiebke

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
90,613
Reaction score
81,749
Points
3,466
Location
Coventry UK
The weekend and the coming week will be noticeably warmer and much more humid, making the sudden heat feel worse. At risk are especially the old, the frail/ill, the very young and the pregnant/nursing in all species.

Just a frozen bottle in the cage or the hutch may not be enough. Be savvy and saves lives! Many of our tips will also help to make your own life and nights a bit more bearable.

Please read/re-read our comprehensive hot weather advice with the largest collection of tips (including low cost and low footprint ones) and for practical how-to questions and on the ground experiences with various measures the second thread from last summer's record heat - various forum members from around the UK and different situations have tried different ways and have given us valuable practical feedback.

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Hot weather warning for the UK - plan now to keep your piggies safe!
 
I'm so glad the room mine are in stays lovely and cool, by the time the sun gets around there it's 7/8pm ish.

I've got my tubs of water in the freezer ready for when I need them.
 
Just seen the forecast for the weekend and dreading it. Autumn and Blossom really struggle with the heat, and I very nearly lost them in the heat last year (their heads are a lot shorter than the others and their nostrils seem smaller than the others too. Reminds me of a brachycephalic dog in so many ways). Already got bottles cooling and tiles at the ready. Silly question that I think I know the answer to but going to ask anyway, the wet sheet at the window trick. Will that still work as it's going to be humid? Or does that make more of a difference in drier heat?
 
Engel said:
Just seen the forecast for the weekend and dreading it. Autumn and Blossom really struggle with the heat, and I very nearly lost them in the heat last year (their heads are a lot shorter than the others and their nostrils seem smaller than the others too. Reminds me of a brachycephalic dog in so many ways). Already got bottles cooling and tiles at the ready. Silly question that I think I know the answer to but going to ask anyway, the wet sheet at the window trick. Will that still work as it's going to be humid? Or does that make more of a difference in drier heat?
Click to expand...

Hi

It still works in more humid weather if a bit more slowly. However, temperatures below 30 C do not necessarily need lots of watering; I usually only do it on the really hot days.
You may want to think about getting a larger pumping spray bottle for spraying any sheets; you can use that even during a hosepipe ban and with the added pressure you have a much wider reach.

We are currently looking into protective adhesive light filtering films for the inside of our windows; especially for our upper story and roof windows that we cannot fully cover with sheets or where a strong breeze will blow off any outside covers.
 
I've just recently moved my two boys out into their hutch, which is in a garage. I live in Scotland so the temperature wont reach the same as down in England but it is still going to be reaching 20-25 degrees.

I am wondering if anyone knows if ventilating the garage (opening the "back" door and the window) would be best or leaving everything shut, perhaps keeping the warm out? I've got my ice packs in, and cucumber (in a safe amount) on standby.
My eldest is 4 almost 5 and then I have a 9 week old, so they are both a bit susceptible to heat.

I will make a new thread if necessary, but wondered if maybe I could ask here as there is already a discussion about it.
 
Hub and I have got out our sheets but we are looking into light/heat filtering adhesive window films for our roof lights and upper story windows which we cannot cover with sheets.
 
My least favorite time of the year...
I moved them from their usual digs (in a south-facing room) to their summer digs (in a north-facing room) and ice pods are ready. I hate this kind of weather...
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

It still works in more humid weather if a bit more slowly. However, temperatures below 30 C do not necessarily need lots of watering; I usually only do it on the really hot days.
You may want to think about getting a larger pumping spray bottle for spraying any sheets; you can use that even during a hosepipe ban and with the added pressure you have a much wider reach.

We are currently looking into protective adhesive light filtering films for the inside of our windows; especially for our upper story and roof windows that we cannot fully cover with sheets or where a strong breeze will blow off any outside covers.
Click to expand...
Thanks Wiebke.

I have a smaller spray bottle which works ok for quick misting. Normally I have a bowl of water which I dunk the sheets in them wring out the excess. But I can't cover half of the windows upstairs so it's like a losing battle. The film's for the windows sound interesting and certainly worth a go.
 
piggl said:
I've just recently moved my two boys out into their hutch, which is in a garage. I live in Scotland so the temperature wont reach the same as down in England but it is still going to be reaching 20-25 degrees.

I am wondering if anyone knows if ventilating the garage (opening the "back" door and the window) would be best or leaving everything shut, perhaps keeping the warm out? I've got my ice packs in, and cucumber (in a safe amount) on standby.
My eldest is 4 almost 5 and then I have a 9 week old, so they are both a bit susceptible to heat.

I will make a new thread if necessary, but wondered if maybe I could ask here as there is already a discussion about it.
Click to expand...
Garages can be heat traps as they have big metal doors which will absorb the heat, and are usually not insulated so any heat on the walls will go straight through.
I would bring the piggies into the house on very hot days, set up a playpen for them in a cooler room, or even plonk then in an empty bathtub with a towel in the bottom in an emergency- I wouldnt take the risk with a garage, unless you have aircon in there and are going to be in there with them all day...
 
Last summer I discovered a little thing that really helped at the point where despite your best planning it is just getting too hot- placing a big 2 litre frozen bottle of water a few inches in front of a fan, means the air gets cooled as it is blown over the frozen bottle, stops the fan just moving hot air around.
Only in addition to all the other cooling measures of course, but if by 2pm the air feels like soup, this can freshen things up, drop the temperature a couple of degrees in a closed room!
 
Helen C said:
My least favorite time of the year...
I moved them from their usual digs (in a south-facing room) to their summer digs (in a north-facing room) and ice pods are ready. I hate this kind of weather...
Click to expand...

Same here, with the humidity getting to me even more than any dry heat.
PigglePuggle said:
Last summer I discovered a little thing that really helped at the point where despite your best planning it is just getting too hot- placing a big 2 litre frozen bottle of water a few inches in front of a fan, means the air gets cooled as it is blown over the frozen bottle, stops the fan just moving hot air around.
Only in addition to all the other cooling measures of course, but if by 2pm the air feels like soup, this can freshen things up, drop the temperature a couple of degrees in a closed room!
Click to expand...

Good idea!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top