Today has been hot, tomorrow is set to be hotter.. pigs have very few sweat glands and so in order to keep cool they will naturally head for a good ‘ole’ muddy puddle. They also are quite partial to their human owners sprinkling them with cold water, as this photo delightfully shows. Muddy water is actually better for them than clean water firstly because muddy water evaporates less quickly and also because a good wallow in muddy water will leave a layer of mud on their skin. Such a layer can then act like a sunscreen or as an insect repellent to deter mosquitoes etc.
Pigs, in keeping with most animals, try to make their lives comfortable. If they want shade or mud or fresh grass etc, they will look for it. In a domestic setting such as a smallholding/farm, it is basically up to ‘the humans’ to provide opportunities and space for them to find what they need. This is what makes running a smallholding fun – especially when you can get to act like a kid and ‘play’ with hosepipes….