The grazing pigs at ARK Ranch run around energetically every day and enjoy playing in the mud.

Playing with mud is fun!
I remember being obsessed with it when I was little.
But there are other reasons why pigs get muddy.

One is temperature control.
Pigs cannot sweat. Therefore, in the hot summer, the body temperature is adjusted by increasing the number of breaths and evaporating the heat in the body. But I can't seem to get my temperature down.
Therefore, by wearing mud, body heat is taken away when moisture evaporates, so it is possible to efficiently lower body temperature.

Another reason is parasite control.
​The vast pastures are pristine, so parasites such as ticks are also present. The pigs use mud to wash away those bugs that stick to their bodies. It's the same as when we take a bath.

It looks like this kid had a lot of fun playing in the mud!

It's also cute and full of mud. Please take a look!
The pigs born in April have grown a lot!

Poultry Department Takumi Makino