The temperatures are closer to normal this week, but the pigs still enjoy playing in the hose. They're not so different from kids and labradors.
Pigs LOVE to play...at least, happy pigs play. It's fun to see it and join in as much as we can - these pigs are much larger than we are and can knock us down, so safety is a factor. Not long after I took this picture, the gilt coming out of the stall got the zoomies.
These ladies are on pasture, but they also have a barn with stalls. Their pasture is at the edge of some woods, but they enjoy the stalls when it's hot - maybe because they're closer to their mud wallow, which helps them cool down.
We like to laugh at their antics and share in the playfulness, but we can also reflect on how to create environments where animals can express natural behaviors and find happiness in the simplest of pleasures – just like pigs playing in the hose.
And if you're interested, head on over to see young pigs in action in a hose or how we trained some pigs and sheep to load themselves onto a trailer. (Note that the second video was made in a spirit of jest.)