heat

Question
I'm trying to fine a heat source for my outside potbelly pigs can you give me any ideas?
thank you
cindy

Answer
Pot-bellied pigs are surprisingly adaptable animals. The key words for keeping an outdoor pig comfortable are DRY and WINDPROOF.

A drafty shelter and wet bedding are a recipe for disaster no matter what.

If the shelter is damp, get it off the ground onto pallets, or fix any leaks, or cover it with tarp until the leaks can be fixed.

If the shelter is drafty, wrap it in plastic tarps or insulate it with straw. If the shelter is very large, such as a barn or garage, put a smaller, cozier shelter, like a dog-a-loo, inside it.

Straw is the cheapest bedding, and a very good insulator. Pigs love to burrow down under bales and bales of loose straw, and as long as the straw stays dry and the shelter is not drafty, they will stay quite warm and toasty under the straw.

Straw bales can insulate a shelter. Stack bales up along the inside walls. Or use them to create a smaller "room" inside a large barn.

Or enclose the entire shelter in straw bales on the outside. Elevate the the shelter on pallets or such, leaving enough room all around for the bales, or wrap the lower bales in plastic. Stack bales all around the shelter, like bricks. When the bale walls are slightly higher than the shelter roof, place plywood or boards over the shelter, ends resting on the bales, and cover the whole thing with another layer of straw bales. Then wrap it all in plastic to keep the straw dry. It isn't pretty, but it will stay warm inside and the straw can be recycled as mulch in the spring.

Blankets and sleeping bags are ok for bedding. Some pigs will rip them to shreds rendering them useless.

People frequently use heat lamps in barns or other shelters, but they can be very dangerous. They must be kept quite far away from bedding to prevent fire, and the wires must have extra insulation to protect them from being chewed. If this is your choice, stick to heat lamps designed for use in barns and follow all the safety precautions.

Heated pads are another alternative, but can be useless at best and dangerous at worst if they get wet. Pigs might rip one to shreds, mice might chew wires. Electric blankets are not safe outside for the same reason. Never use either one on a dirt floor, or with a pig that enjoys destroying bedding.

Silicone stall liners, made for horses, are not a heat source, but they do retain body heat. Plus, they are more comfy for piggies to walk and sleep on. These are great for barns with concrete floors.

Ordinary space heaters can work, too. But they must be positioned so that there is no danger of any bedding touching the heater, for example, mounted on a cinder block wall. A small heater won't do much in a big open space.

Electric ceramic heaters produce the most heat. The fan directs the heat where it's needed, so objects can sit a safe distance away and still be warmed.

Electric quartz heaters are supposed to heat objects, not the air. The air stays cool but people and objects should feel warm. When these heaters first came on the market 30 years ago, I worked in a hardware store that tried to use these to keep the front counter area warm, but the results were disappointing. I've been told that the technology has improved tremendously, and the new ones are supposed to really work. The danger with these heaters is that flammable objects can get quite warm while the air stays cool, so be careful about what is stored nearby. And, as with any heater, the bedding must be kept a safe distance away. But, these heaters don't have fans, so only nearby objects get warm.

Most propane, kerosene, gas, pellet or wood burning heaters are not practical for small barns. They may have special safety requirements, such as a fireproof hearth or ventilation.

Warm, but not hot, food and water will warm the piggies up from the inside. It may be convenient to keep the food outdoors, but if it's stored someplace where water will freeze, then the food is frozen, too, and piggy will be eating a frozen dinner.