Guinea pigs - Guinea Pigs are inquisitive, friendly animals that enjoy being handled and rarely bite or scratch. They originate from South America and live between 4 and 8 years. Males are known as boars; females as sows.
Feeding Guinea Pigs - Guinea pigs are natural grazers so they should be given plenty of fresh clean hay along with a quality Guinea Pig mix or pellets twice a day (note, Rabbit food is not suitable).
-Guinea Pigs lack the enzyme that produces vitamin C so it’s important to supplement their diet with small quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables - melon, oranges, and dark green leafy vegetables are all good sources but, as with Rabbits, care should be taken not to overfed.
-You can also buy vitamin C to add to your Guinea Pig’s water – this is recommended. Fresh drinking water should always be available from a gravity bottle, and food should be given in earthenware bowls - Guinea Pigs will chew plastic.
Housing guinea pigs - Your Guinea Pig can be kept indoors or outdoors all year round. They do not like sudden loud noises so it’s best to position their hutch in a quiet position.
-A wooden hutch is ideal although a wire cage can also be used provided it is fitted with a plastic floor to avoid injury. Your hutch must be weatherproof with a separate nest area for each Guinea Pig and plenty of dry bedding - shredded paper or wheat straw are ideal but do not use fluffy bedding.
-A louvered door can be fitted over a wire door to offer protection in cold weather. Two Guinea Pigs should ideally be housed in a hutch or cage around 120 x 60 x 45cm.
-If using a smaller hutch, consider adding a separate run in the garden or allow your pets some daily supervised exercise outside their cage. The hutch should allow shade during the heat of the day and shelter from strong winds.
-A grass run can be built into the hutch or located elsewhere in your garden – again with a nest area protected from the sun.
-Keeping Guinea Pigs and Rabbits together in the same hutch is not recommended. They have different requirements and unless you have previous experience of keeping both pets together, they should not be mixed.
Breeding guinea pigs - Guinea Pigs can actually breed from 30 days, but to ensure healthy babies (and parents) it is recommended that males are not mated until 6 months; females 10 months. Pregnancy lasts 60-65 days, producing a litter of 3-4 babies. Young Guinea Pigs can be weaned at 3-4 weeks.
Health of guinea pigs - A healthy Guinea Pig will be alert, have bright eyes and a shiny coat. Breathing should be quiet and regular. For a healthy life, your Guinea Pig needs the following:
-Your time and attention - they love company.
-A good balanced diet with no sudden changes.
-Clean dry bedding changed daily.
-Clean dry housing, cleaned once a week with a mild disinfectant.
-No extreme or sudden changes in temperature.
-Water bottle and feed bowls cleaned daily.
-Gnawing blocks and chew toys to help wear their continually growing teeth.
-Daily grooming – especially for long-haired breeds.
-A good balanced diet with no sudden changes.
-Clean dry bedding changed daily.
-Clean dry housing, cleaned once a week with a mild disinfectant.
-No extreme or sudden changes in temperature.
-Water bottle and feed bowls cleaned daily.
-Gnawing blocks and chew toys to help wear their continually growing teeth.
-Daily grooming – especially for long-haired breeds.
Benefits of guinea pigs
1.Scientific Uses - There is possibly no animal so well adapted for scientific experiments as the Guinea Pig.
1.Scientific Uses - There is possibly no animal so well adapted for scientific experiments as the Guinea Pig.
-In the testing and analyzing of serums and antitoxins and for experimental purposes generally the demand is enormous, thousands and thousands of them being used every year.
-Many of the large hospitals and laboratories have been compelled to establish breeding pens of their own in order to be sure of a constant supply.
-Many of the large hospitals and laboratories have been compelled to establish breeding pens of their own in order to be sure of a constant supply.
2.As Pets - The demand for Guinea Pigs as pets is very large.
-They are so widely used in the medical field that the pet stores have a hard time keeping enough on hand to supply the local demand for pets.
-They are very interesting and perfectly harmless little animals.
-They do not bite or scratch and young children can play with them.
-They are not as common as the ordinary pet, and being more of a novelty, attract more attention.
-When sold as pets they usually bring more than when sold to the hospitals and raisers are assured of a very large demand for this purpose.
-They are so widely used in the medical field that the pet stores have a hard time keeping enough on hand to supply the local demand for pets.
-They are very interesting and perfectly harmless little animals.
-They do not bite or scratch and young children can play with them.
-They are not as common as the ordinary pet, and being more of a novelty, attract more attention.
-When sold as pets they usually bring more than when sold to the hospitals and raisers are assured of a very large demand for this purpose.
3.As Food - For food purposes Guinea Pigs are admirable, although not many are eaten at the present time.
-In a few years we will possibly see Guinea Pigs sold in the stores as rabbits and poultry are now.
-Certainly no animal could be cleaner and being a vegetarian exclusively, its flesh is of the best. They can be prepared just as a rabbit or squirrel.
-In soups, stews, pies, or roasted, broiled or baked the young Cavy is equal to any other animal. For this purpose the animal should be about one-half grown.
-In a few years we will possibly see Guinea Pigs sold in the stores as rabbits and poultry are now.
-Certainly no animal could be cleaner and being a vegetarian exclusively, its flesh is of the best. They can be prepared just as a rabbit or squirrel.
-In soups, stews, pies, or roasted, broiled or baked the young Cavy is equal to any other animal. For this purpose the animal should be about one-half grown.
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