[yankieGirl]

2 10 month old pigs.  How should I winter them over in the cold weather? Tonight a low of 22 F

What is their tolerance to the cold?

[SallyintNorth]

There'll be others more experienced along shortly, YG, but I had younger pigs than this through a spell of -21 last winter.  Plenty of straw in their outside house and I brought them into a straw bedded area in the byre overnight and when the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow (and/or deep cold water) and they were fine.  They were Oxford Sandy & Blacks - fairly robust and hairy types.

With horses you feel their ears to see if they are too cold - not sure if it is the same for pigs but I feel the ears of mine anyway.  Oh, and when my wee ones were a bit cold (at 10 weeks in a draughty shed - draught now blocked off) I could see goose pimples on their skin, even through the hair.  (And yes, their ears were cold - but so was everything!)

[Fowgill Farm]

Like Sally says you can check how warm a pig is by its ears, i touch inside the ear fold above the eye socket if thats warm they're ok, also put your hand under their front armpit, it should be warm there too Make sure they have plenty of straw and and most importantly water to drink offer them tepid water if its really cold and/or make a warm porridge of their feed. Wooden arks are fairly warm, if in a building it may be worth thinking of lowering the roof level to conserve heat. And if its excesively cold if you have access to power a heat lamp may be of benefit.
HTH
Mandy 

[Barrett]

Ditto Sally and Mandy, I have 6 GOS one is due 30th December so poor thing she always boiling at the moment, 1 OSB and 2SB's who are luckily very hair, still plenty of straw though and the 4 girls that are in with Bob all cuddle up to him or they use him to block up the entrance . to keep the draft out.