Keeping the Farm Animals Cool with Frozen Treats

These were crafted in our kitchen area from carrot pieces and water – they’re a huge hit with our barnyard friends. Frozen treats help keep the animals cool, and they add a fun and creative twist to their day. 

First up is Winston, the kunekune pig! We gave him an ice cake in the shape of a star because, as you can see, he’s a star in every way. Pigs like Winston don’t sweat, so we help him stay cool in the summer with shallow water pools, fans, and misters.

Next – here’s Rainstorm, one of our newest alpacas! Alpacas originally hail from the chilly Andes Mountains of South America. We shear our alpacas every spring to make sure they don’t overheat, and offer them misters, fans, and sprinklers to stay cool and comfortable all summer long. 

Guiseppe and Pat, our miniature donkeys, love veggie ice cakes… and any kind of treat, really! Miniature donkeys naturally shed their coats in the spring. We brush them a lot during the summer months to help them fully shed out their coats – and also, they love tactile enrichment from brushing and petting.

Maggie, our 2,000 pound Holstein cow, really likes her veggie ice pop. She and our Hereford cow, Willow, are big fans of snacks, which we usually give for enrichment or during training sessions. These cows eat between 20-30 pounds of hay a day – I bet they both would love to snack on a few more ice treats! 

And finally, let’s feed the goats: Wilma, Fedora, and Fiesta! During the hottest parts of the day, Nigerian Dwarf goats find shady spots to nap – which they sometimes do in tubs, buckets, and wheelbarrows. But they quickly woke up at the sound of me bringing them an ice treat!

Thanks for joining us and learning how we care for the farm animals in the summer. Be sure to visit the Zoo and see more animals relaxing in the warm weather… and discover your own ways to stay cool!

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