Animals kept under close watch at fair

TIFFIN — With a heat index of up to 104 degrees Thursday, people and animals at the Seneca County Fair struggled to stay cool. While humans have freedom to move to cooler spaces, take off a layer of clothing or imbibe cold drinks, animals used in competitions often need particular attention in such heat. The Faber family, who show ducks, geese and rabbits, say this year has been especially challenging. "We had a funky spring and a messed up summer," Linda Faber said. "It's been difficult." Among the poultry and small mammals, owners favor giving their animals extra water and ice packs, including 2025 Rabbit Princess Olivia Boes. "You gotta keep watching your animals," she said, later noting that if animals are not eating, not drinking and are having a hard time staying awake, they could be suffering from heat-related illness. "If they're getting sick, it's time to take them home from the fair," Boes said. In the small animal barn, some rabbits and poultry were even lucky enough to have their own personal fan. At the sheep barn, Carter Heibertshausen says he is changing out his animals' water every hour with cold water. He also said he sprays them with cold water to keep them cool. Marlie Gosche, while working with her goats, said she was thankful for the new barn that protected her animals from the sun and was working hard to make sure her animals stayed hydrated with cold water to keep cool. "Two to three years ago, it was so hot that animals were getting sick or dying," she said. In the larger animal stalls, Savanah Ley said the answer to keeping her horse hydrated is easy: Gatorade. "There are specialized electrolytes for horses, but Gatorade is cheaper," Ley said. She said she also uses water-activated cooling blankets, soaks hay in water and uses ice packs on her horses' legs. "The horses' legs are the most injury-prone," she said, also saying she had unfortunately lost a market chicken to the heat a few years ago. In the pig stalls, Mackenzie and Carly Fortney said, they too were offering their animals Gatorade to stay hydrated as well as plenty of time rinsing off under a hose. Though heat may affect each animal differently, the consensus among surveyed animal owners at the Seneca County Fair this year is similar to what medical professionals recommend for humans during heat emergencies — stay hydrated, and do whatever it takes to stay cool.