Best Rigid Plastic Wallow Tubs to Keep Pigs Cool in Summer

Direct Answer

The best rigid plastic wallow tubs for keeping pigs cool are low-sided, heavy-duty plastic tubs that a pig can step into safely, lie against or partly in, and cool itself without flipping the tub immediately. For most small homestead pigs, look for a rigid stock tank, hard-sided pet pool, or durable livestock utility tub with shallow sides, a broad base, rounded edges, and a drain or dump-friendly shape.

Avoid flimsy inflatable pools for pigs. They are easy to puncture, hard to clean, and often too light. A pig wallow tub needs to survive rooting, stepping, chewing, mud, sun, and daily refilling. It should be boringly tough.

Why Pigs Need a Wallow or Cooling Tub

Pigs are especially vulnerable in summer because they do not cool themselves the way many other livestock do. They have few functional sweat glands, so they need help moving body heat off the skin. Shade, air movement, cool drinking water, and mud or water access all matter.

University of Missouri Extension explains that pigs cannot sweat effectively and need support during hot weather, including shade, drinking water, and mud holes or cooling water. Their guidance on helping pigs during heat is a useful outside reference for why a wallow is not just a cute summer extra.

On a homestead, a natural mud wallow may be enough if the pen drains well and the pigs have room. But small pens, rotational setups, dry lots, and hot climates often need a managed wallow. A rigid plastic tub gives you more control over where the water goes, how deep it gets, and how often you clean it.

What Makes a Good Pig Wallow Tub

A good pig wallow tub has to match pig behavior. Pigs root under edges, step hard, chew corners, tip light containers, and turn any water source into a project. The tub does not need to be pretty. It needs to stay useful after a large animal has tested it all afternoon.

Look for these features:

• Rigid plastic or structural resin construction
• Low enough sides for safe entry and exit
• Wide enough base that it does not tip easily
• Smooth or rounded edges
• No sharp hardware inside the tub
• A shape you can dump, scrub, or drain
• UV-resistant material when possible
• Enough depth for cooling without creating a drowning or slipping hazard
• Size matched to the pigs, not the people buying it

The most useful wallow is often shallow. Pigs do not need a swimming pool. They need a place to wet their bellies, legs, and sides, then coat themselves in mud or cool water.

Best Types of Rigid Plastic Wallow Tubs

Rigid Stock Tanks

A rigid plastic stock tank is often the best all-around wallow tub for pigs. These tanks are built for livestock, not backyard decoration. They usually have stronger walls than kiddie pools and are easier to set partly into the ground if needed.

For feeder pigs, a shallow stock tank is easier to use than a tall one. Very tall tanks may hold up well, but pigs may struggle to climb in and out unless you bury the tank partly or build a safe ramp. If a pig has to leap or scrape its belly to get into the tub, the setup is wrong.

Best for: feeder pigs, grower pigs, hot climates, permanent pens, and homesteads that want durability. Watch-outs: can be heavy to dump, may need a drain, and tall sides can be awkward for smaller pigs.

Hard-Sided Pet Pools

Hard-sided pet pools can work well for smaller pigs, Kune Kunes, young feeder pigs, or short seasonal use. Look for folding or rigid styles with a firm sidewall, textured bottom, and simple drain plug. A pet pool is not always as durable as a livestock tank, but it may be easier to empty and move.

This is a good choice when you need something quick, affordable, and easy to store. It is also a reasonable option for a pig that is not especially destructive. Some pigs will use a pet pool politely. Others will turn it into scrap in a week.

Best for: small pigs, temporary cooling stations, light-duty use, and pens where you can supervise wear. Watch-outs: seams, drain plugs, and fold lines may become weak points.

Heavy-Duty Utility Tubs

A heavy-duty utility tub or mixing tub can work when you only need a shallow soaking spot. These are useful for small pigs or for cooling legs and bellies rather than full-body wallowing. They are often easier to clean than larger pools and can be dragged to a better spot as the season changes.

Best for: small spaces, young pigs, temporary pens, and backup cooling stations. Watch-outs: many are too small for large feeder pigs, and light tubs may flip.

Rigid Kiddie Pools

Old-fashioned hard plastic kiddie pools can work, but quality varies. Thin ones crack under hooves, sun exposure, and daily dumping. If you use a kiddie pool, choose the stiffest hard-sided version you can find, not an inflatable ring pool.

Best for: short-term summer relief, smaller pigs, or temporary pens. Watch-outs: cracks, sharp broken plastic, and frequent replacement.

Size Guide for Homestead Pigs

A wallow tub should be big enough that pigs can actually use it, but not so large that it becomes a stagnant pond you dread cleaning.

If you are still deciding how many pigs your pen can handle, start with the basics in how much space a single pig needs to be raised for meat. A wallow tub takes up more than its footprint because pigs splash, track mud, and gather around it.

Where to Put a Pig Wallow Tub

Placement matters as much as the tub. A good wallow in the wrong place can create a mud pit in front of the gate, soak the shelter, or undermine a fence line.

Place the wallow:

• Away from the sleeping shelter
• Away from feed storage and feed pans
• Away from gates if possible
• On ground that can handle overflow
• Near shade or where shade can be added
• Where you can reach it with a hose or buckets
• Where dumped water will not run into bedding

Do not put the tub against a weak fence. Pigs love edges. If the coolest, wettest spot is right beside a fence panel, they may root there until the panel loosens. For setup planning, Pig Fencing is worth reviewing before summer heat arrives.

A slight depression can help keep a rigid tub stable, but do not bury it so deep that cleaning becomes miserable. You need to be able to dump or drain the water. If the tub becomes too hard to clean, it will not stay clean.

Shade Still Comes First

A wallow tub sitting in full sun can warm up quickly. Pigs may still use it, but it works better when paired with shade. Shade can come from trees, shade cloth, a roofed shelter, a tarp, or a purpose-built shade frame.

The best summer setup gives pigs options: shade for resting, a wallow for cooling, and clean drinking water that is separate from the wallow. If the only water available is the tub they sit in, the setup is not adequate.

Shade also protects the tub. Sun makes many plastics brittle over time. UV-resistant material helps, but shade extends the useful life of nearly everything in a pig pen.

Drinking Water Is Not the Wallow

This point deserves its own section because pigs blur the line fast. A wallow tub is for cooling. Drinking water is for drinking. Keep them separate.

If pigs dump their drinking water to make mud, they can end up without safe water in the hottest part of the day. That is dangerous. Use a secured waterer, heavy trough, nipple system, or multiple checked buckets so the drinking supply stays available even when the wallow gets filthy.

A good summer pig pen has clean drinking water, shade, a cooling area, feed managed during cooler parts of the day, and enough room for pigs to spread out. Feed can also affect heat load and appetite. Pigs often eat less in hot weather, so keep the core ration consistent and avoid letting scraps replace balanced nutrition. For a practical feed refresher, see What Do Pigs Eat?

Cleaning and Drainage

A pig wallow will not stay clean. That is normal. The goal is to keep it useful and safe, not sparkling. Still, stagnant water can smell, attract mosquitoes, and become slick enough to make entry and exit unsafe.

How often you clean it depends on heat, pig size, soil, shade, and how heavily the pigs use it. In hot weather, expect frequent refilling and regular dumping. If the water is foul, coated in manure, or full of feed and bedding, clean it.

Make cleaning easier by choosing a tub with a drain plug, a flexible enough edge to tip safely, a size you can drag empty, a smooth interior, and no awkward grooves that hold sludge. For large stock tanks, a drain can help, but protect the plug. Pigs may chew or loosen exposed parts. If the drain is fragile, it may be the first thing to fail.

Common Mistakes

Using an Inflatable Pool

Inflatable pools are tempting because they are cheap and easy to find. Pigs usually ruin them. Hooves, teeth, rough ground, and rooting are too much for thin vinyl. Use rigid plastic instead.

Making the Water Too Deep

A wallow should cool pigs, not create a risky pool. Keep depth practical for the size and age of the pigs. Small pigs need especially shallow water.

Placing the Tub in the Chore Path

If every trip to feed requires walking through pig-made soup, you will hate the setup by July. Keep the wallow useful for pigs and tolerable for humans.

Forgetting Overflow

A wallow tub creates overflow, splashing, and dumped water. Plan where that water will go before the pen turns into a hoof-deep mess.

Letting the Wallow Replace Shade

Water helps, but shade is not optional. Pigs need both during serious heat.

Best Choice by Situation

For durability: choose a shallow rigid plastic stock tank. For small pigs or temporary summer use: choose a hard-sided pet pool. For tight spaces: choose a heavy-duty utility tub. For mature pigs in a permanent pen: use a large stock tank or a managed mud wallow. For destructive pigs: choose livestock-grade equipment over backyard pool products.

The best rigid plastic wallow tubs for keeping pigs cool are the ones you can keep filled, clean enough, shaded, and in place. A tub that looks perfect online but is impossible to drain in your pen is not the best choice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pig Wallow Tubs