Room Temperature - How to keep stable?

tripecac

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 12:42 pm


In the hotter parts of summer and colder parts of winter, we keep the A/C or heat on all day, using the thermostat to maintain a stable temperature for the pigs (67).

Right now, however, autumn is starting, so we've turned off our A/C. It now gets cool enough in the night to drop the pigs' room temperature down to 64. (Is that too cold for them already?) It's just a matter of time before it gets down to 63, then 62, then 61...

However, it still gets occasionally warm enough during the day for us to not want to turn on the heat. I don't want to be bouncing back and forth between A/C and heat.

The pigs are in our living room, which is open to the entire ground floor. So, we can't give them a separate heater.

Should I just turn on the heat and bear with the occasionally toasty afternoon? Or is there something else I can do to keep the pigs' room temperature stable?

How cold should I let it get in the pigs' room before turning on the heat?

etplante

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:02 pm


I don't have central air and keep the thermostat pretty low in the winter so the temp in the pig room ranges between low 60s and 80. If they're in the living room with you I would think whatever temperature is comfortable for you would be fine for them.

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WindeSpirit
Sewing for a Cause

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:12 pm


Since it's a larger room they are in, a fan being ran not directly at their cage, can help to cool off the room during the warmest times of the day for a few hours.

Something I go by on how cold is to cold for our pigs is if they get all puffed up and Shakes pink ears, right on the edges, will turn a slight color greyish or white.

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Tim + Angie

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:30 pm


I've been using a small electric heater in the bedroom (where the pigs are), as needed, to keep it comfortable for them. It has a thermostat feature to keep the room at a steady temperature.

I also keep an eye on them to see if anyone is puffed up. I can't go by the thermometer because one or two of them will puff up at about 75 degrees! I would love to get them used to lower temps, but I sure don't want them to get sick in the process.

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:44 pm


Its more the bouncing back and forth of heat that can cause problems, than the range of temperatures, I think.

My girls are used to fairly steady temps around 68, but right now, the house is more like 62-64. I haven't really been ready to turn on the heat. I also go by the puffiness factor. If they start looking a little cold, I make sure they have cozies to hide in, and will turn on the heat once they (and I) start to feel the chill.

I know this summer, they were quite comfortable, even just over 80F. They didn't do the "oozing" until one day it hit 87 (which luckily, was only a few hours before I got the house cooled off).

So - a few degree shift over the duration of the day shouldn't be a problem.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:14 pm


tripecac, they will be fine. My pigs lived in my computer room and the temps there varied from high 50's at the coldest in the morning to maybe 70's in the winter and in the summer perhaps a top of 80 or so.

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lisam

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:29 pm


I'm guilty of using both furnace and AC this time of year. My house is usually 70. However, the pigs in my barn loft have had temps ranging from 50 to 90, and they have done just fine.

tripecac

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:37 pm


Thanks! I will keep an eye on their "puffiness". I'd also like to provide them a towel to use as a "cozy", so they have a way to get warm. However, last time I tried that, they were scared to death of the towels. Weird pigs.

tripecac

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:26 pm


I gave them a towel, this time yellow instead of white. At first, the pigs were nervous (lots of jerky movements), but after an hour or so they relaxed, to the point where one pig was playing in/under the towel. Very cute!

I turned on the heat too, just to be safe. I want these guys to be healthy and happy!

How often do you have to wash the cozies?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 7:40 pm


Your nose knows!

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:07 pm


*snrkt* LOL!

For the occasionally chilly evening, you can use these (3rd and 4th items down):

Snuggle Safe

... as long as everyone is healthy, well and mobile enough to get off of them if they get too warm.

We also use the oil-filled electric radiant heaters to knock the chill off the room. These are the only heaters I'll leave on when there's no one home. There's no exposed coil, no fan or blower, and no liquid fuel:

Oil heater

You can get them cheaper than that, btw. Wal-Mart and Home Depot usually have them. You'll be surprised at how well they do even in very large rooms.

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everly_dawn

Post   » Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:58 am


My apartment started to get a little chilly just recently too. Unfortunately I can't turn my heat on yet. It's up to my landlord to turn it on from the basement of my building. So on the cold nights when I see my boys puff up into little furballs I've been draping the one corner of the cage with a towel and hanging a heating pad on low on the outside of the blanket. The first time I did it I made sure to watch very closely that they didn't have access to chew on it, and that they had enough sense to move to the other side of the cage if they got hot. It seems to be working well and they seem to enjoy the warm corner.

It was particularly cold this morning so I left it on for a bit until the room warmed up. It was funny to watch them sit in the warm corner then go out to play until they got coold again, where they would come back to the corner! It's like on cold snowdays when we'd go play in the snow as kids and then come in for hot chocolate.

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