,the                            ,raising
 and ,care                              
of                               ,guinea
 ,pigs                     ,a ,complete 
,guide to the ,breeding                 
,feeding1 ,housing1 ,exhibiting         
and ,marketing of ,cavies               
by ,a4 ,c4 ,,smith                      
,published by                           
,a4 ,c4 ,,smith                         
#gab ,west #gdth ,street                
,,kansas ,,city1 ,,missouri             
,copyright                              
#aiae                             by ,a4
 ,c4 ,,smith     ,,contents             
,,chapter ,i4     ,introduction         
,page #e    ,,chapter ,,ii4             
,varieties                     ,page #f 
,,chapter ,,iii4     ,uses of ,guinea   
,pigs           ,page #i    ,,chapter   
,,iv4     ,food and ,feeding            
,page #ab    ,,chapter ,v4     ,housing 
,page #ad    ,,chapter ,,vi4            
,breeding                     ,page #bj 
,,chapter ,,vii4     ,exhibiting        

,page #bc    ,,chapter ,,viii4          
,selling and ,shipping         ,page #bf
    ,,chapter ,,ix4     ,diseases       
,page #bh    ,,chapter ,x4     ,profits 
in ,cavy ,raising      ,page #ca        
,illustration3 ,guinea ,pigs or ,cavies 
,,guinea ,,pigs     ,,chapter ,i        
,,introduction4   ,the ,guinea ,pig or  
,cavy belongs to the rabbit family and  
is a native of ,south ,america4 ,why    
they are called ,guinea ,pigs1 no one   
seems to know1 unless their shape       
suggests a small pig and the name       
,guinea is a corruption of ,guiana1 a   
country in ,south ,america4 ,in size1   
shape and texture of fur they resemble a
 squirrel or rabbit4 ,they have large   
bodies1 short legs1 small feet1 no tails
 and a wide range of colors4 ,a full    
grown ,cavy weighs between two and three
 pounds1 which weight it attains at     
about #ah months of age4 ,the males are 
usually larger than the females4  ,when 
white people first visited the ,andean  
region of ,south ,america they found the

 ,cavy domesticated and living in the   
houses of the ,indians1 by whom they    
were used for food4 ,they were          
introduced into ,europe in the #afth    
,century and since that time have spread
 all over the world4 ,in ,south ,america
 there are still several species of wild
 ,cavies4 ,these are hunted as game and 
are considered a great delicacy4        
,cavies are wholly vegetarian in diet1  
eating about the same things as a       
rabbit4 ,they are very easily tamed1 are
 very healthy and hardy1 are not noisy1 
are clean in their habits1 and have no  
offensive odor4 ,there is probably no   
animal in the world that is easier to   
handle4 ,they easily adapt themselves to
 conditions and seem to do equally as   
well in city or country1 in large or    
small quarters and a few of them        
together do as well as a large number of
 them4  ,they are practically free from 
the diseases and epidemics that make the
 raising of poultry and rabbits so      
uncertain4 ,some of them get sick and   

die1 of course1 but it is usually due to
 some local cause or to the fact that   
they have been neglected or improperly  
fed or housed1 but contagious diseases  
such as will often wipe out whole flocks
 of poultry or a pen of rabbits are     
unknown among ,cavies4  ,all of these   
things make the raising of ,guinea ,pigs
 a very pleasant as well as a very      
profitable occupation4     ,,chapter    
,,ii  ,,varieties4   ,english4  ,there  
are several varieties of ,cavies1       
distinguished mainly by their fur4 ,the 
ones most commonly raised and most      
widely known are the ,english or        
smooth-haired4 ,these are the ones you  
should raise for commercial purposes4   
,they may be in color3 white1 black1    
red1 fawn1 cream1 gray1 brindle1 brown1 
or a mixture of these colors4 ,the      
whites are usually albinos and have pink
 eyes4  ,illustration3 ,abyssinian ,cavy
   ,peruvian4  ,the ,peruvian has long  
silken hair and may be called the       
aristocrat of ,cavydom4 ,they are raised

 principally by fanciers and for general
 purposes are no more valuable than the 
short haired ones1 are not as hardy and 
are more trouble to handle as their coat
 needs careful attention4   ,abyssinian4
  ,this1 like the ,peruvian1 is also a  
fancy breed4 ,it has longer hair than   
the short-haired1 and it stands out in  
curious little rosettes4 ,these are more
 hardy than the ,peruvian and are more  
common4   ,the ,kind to ,raise4  ,if you
 expect to raise ,cavies for commercial 
purposes the ,english is the kind that  
should pay you best4 ,they are easier to
 take care of than the long-haired      
varieties4 ,for laboratories1           
experimental purposes1 etc41 it is the  
smooth-haired ,cavy that is in most     
demand4 ,if you are a ,guinea ,pig      
fancier or are raising them for pet     
purposes it is merely a matter of taste 
and choice4 ,the long-haired ones are   
usually more expensive and sell for     
more1 as they are scarcer and are       
generally sold for pet and fancy        

purposes4 ,it is usually well to have a 
few ,abyssinian among your stock if you 
are raising many1 as many people prefer 
them for pets4     ,,chapter ,,iii      
,,uses ,,of ,,guinea ,,pigs4   ,there   
are three main uses to which ,guinea    
,pigs are put1 as food1 as pets and for 
experimental purposes in laboratory and 
medical research4 ,by far the largest   
demand is in the last named field4      
,scientific ,uses4  ,there is possibly  
no animal so well adapted for scientific
 experiments as the ,guinea ,pig4 ,in   
the testing and analyzing of serums and 
antitoxins and for experimental purposes
 generally the demand is enormous1      
thousands and thousands of them being   
used every year4 ,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 supply4 ,the demand here is    
steadily increasing and many more would 
be used if they could be obtained at a  
reasonable price4 ,a ,united ,states    

,bulletin says1 ,guinea ,pigs sell at   
various prices dependant on supply and  
demand4 ,the average price for several  
years has been about #ge;c1 but         
laboratories now report that suitable   
stock is short and that they have been  
paying from #a4jj to #a4ej for their    
supply of animals4 ,for these purposes  
they are used all the way from nine     
weeks to six months or more old or when 
they weigh from #i ounces and up4 ,the  
cost of rearing them to this age is very
 little and a good profit is therefore  
assured the raiser4   ,as ,pets4  ,the  
demand for ,guinea ,pigs as pets is very
 large4 ,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 pets4 ,they 
are very interesting and perfectly      
harmless little animals4 ,they do not   
bite or scratch and young children can  
play with them4 ,they are not as common 
as the ordinary pet1 and being more of a
 novelty1 attract more attention4 ,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 purpose4 ,in ,england   
and ,europe the ,guinea ,pig is more    
widely raised than in ,america and there
 are more fanciers who show and exhibit 
them extensively4 ,they are becoming    
more popular in this country and are    
being exhibited more and more in ,pet   
,stock ,shows4 ,a good show animal is   
worth all the way from #aj to #ajj4 ,as 
a hobby the raising of ,guinea ,pigs is 
most interesting and instructive as     
there are so many experiments that can  
be made in the breeding4   ,as ,food4   
,for food purposes ,guinea ,pigs are    
admirable1 although not many are eaten  
in this country at the present time4    
,however1 many of the newspapers and    
magazines have run articles suggesting  
that they be raised for this purpose and
 there is really no reason why they     
should not be4 ,the ,united ,states     
,government indorses them as food       

animals and advises that they be used in
 this connection4 ,in a few years we    
will possibly see ,guinea ,pigs sold in 
the stores as rabbits and poultry are   
now4 ,certainly no animal could be      
cleaner and being a vegetarian          
exclusively1 its flesh is of the best4  
,they can be prepared just as a rabbit  
or squirrel4 ,in soups1 stews1 pies1 or 
roasted1 broiled or baked the young     
,cavy is equal to any other animal4 ,for
 this purpose the animal should be about
 one-half grown4  ,illustration3        
,english ,cavies     ,,chapter ,,iv     
,,food ,,and ,,feeding4   ,the feeding  
of ,guinea ,pigs is a very simple       
matter4 ,their main food is good hay or 
dried grass4 ,this should be before them
 all the time1 as they will not eat too 
much of it4 ,be sure1 however1 that it  
is not musty or mouldy4  ,in addition to
 hay1 they should have at least once a  
day1 a feeding of green food4 ,this is  
essential in keeping them from becoming 
constipated4 ,by green food we mean such

 things as lawn clippings1 green clover1
 spinach1 green corn stalks1 lettuce1   
celery tops1 plantain1 dandelion1       
grasses1 etc41 which is1 of course1 very
 plentiful in the summer4 ,in the winter
 when you cannot get these1 carrots1    
beets1 apples1 cabbage1 mangle beets1   
yellow turnips1 etc41 will take their   
place4  ,the grains such as oats1 wheat1
 corn1 bran1 chops1 etc41 should be fed 
them1 as it makes flesh and gives them  
strength4 ,oats is probably the best of 
them all4 ,stale bread is also good1 but
 it should not be greasy or mouldy4 ,a  
good plan is to feed in the morning hay 
and grain or a bran or chops mash       
instead of the grain4 ,at noon some     
green stuff or roots and at night hay4  
,give them all the hay they can eat4    
,keep it before them all of the time1   
but only feed as much green stuff as    
they can clear up in a few hours4 ,they 
are also not apt to overeat grain1 which
 should be fed in an earthen or wooden  
vessel4 ,if you feed only twice a day1  

give them the green food in the morning 
with the hay4 ,guinea ,pigs drink but   
little water when eating green food1 but
 they should have a vessel of fresh     
water in the hutch or pen every morning4
 ,it is also well to keep a piece of    
rock salt in each hutch4  ,in the spring
 or summer you can feed more green stuff
 than in the winter1 in fact1 we have   
raised them in the summer on an         
exclusive green food diet by moving the 
hutches from place to place on the lawn4
 ,but in the winter and fall1 when      
greens are scarce and they are not used 
to them1 a sudden over-feeding might    
result in severe loss4 ,avoid a sudden  
change of diet4  ,in the spring and     
summer there is but little food to buy  
for them4 ,even the city raiser1 by     
saving his own and his neighbors' lawn  
clippings1 can be well supplied4 ,by    
curing these clippings a good grade of  
hay is obtained4 ,a little grain1       
especially for the pregnant mothers1 is 
all that need be bought4  ,bread and    

milk is a good flesh producer and should
 be fed any weak ones1 also nursing     
mothers4 ,in the winter it should be    
warmed4  ,the feeding of ,cavies1 you   
see1 is a very simple matter1 even for a
 city man4 ,the commission houses every 
day throw away enough lettuce1 cabbage1 
celery1 etc41 to feed a large number4   
,stale bread can always be bought very  
cheaply from the bakeries4 ,on the farm 
nothing whatever need be bought at any  
time4   ,doubtful ,foods4  ,breeders    
differ so as to doubtful foods that it  
is hard to advise what not to use4 ,we  
get good results from alfalfa1 but some 
breeders say it is too rich and gives   
them kidney trouble4 ,we feed alfalfa   
hay in the winter with good results1 but
 have had but little experience with it 
green4 ,we would advise you to go light 
on it1 however4 ,many breeders feed     
cabbage1 while others say not4 ,all are 
agreed1 however1 that potatoes1 white   
turnips and parsnips are to be avoided4 
,of course1 meat or greasy food must not

 be fed4     ,,chapter ,v  ,,housing4   
,guinea ,pigs do not require either     
large or elaborate quarters and the     
average man or boy can easily prepare a 
suitable place for them4 ,there are two 
methods of housing usually used1 namely1
 hutches and pens4   ,hutches4  ,among  
breeders generally the hutch method is  
preferred4 ,they occupy less room1 are  
easier to keep warm in the winter1 and  
are easier handled4 ,we illustrate      
several types4 ,fig4 #a and ,fig4 #b are
 the kind used by the ,u4 ,s4           
,department of ,agriculture in the      
,bureau of ,animal ,industry4 ,they are 
about #bj inches wide1 #c-a_/b feet deep
 and #ah inches high4 ,they will        
accommodate a male and three or four    
females and young ones until weaned4    
,illustration3 ,figures #a and #b4      
,front and ,rear ,views of ,government  
,type of ,hutch4  ,the door covers      
nearly the whole front and is made of   
wire netting4 ,in the back is a screened
 opening for ventilation4 ,each hutch   

should have a shelf about four inches   
high in the back as they like to get on 
and under it4 ,these hutches are made to
 stack one on another to utilize small  
space and are kept indoors4  ,fig4 #c   
shows a type of hutch that can be built 
against the side of the wall4 ,it is not
 best to have the wall of the house     
serve as the back of the hutch1 it might
 be too cold4 ,these can be built in    
tiers of three1 each tier about #ah     
inches or two feet high4 ,the size of   
each hutch can vary1 depending on the   
number of ,guinea ,pigs you have4 ,the  
entire front should be of wire with     
large doors so as to allow ventilation  
and to be easily cleaned4 ,in the winter
 a small box can be put in each one for 
sleeping quarters and this box kept full
 of straw4   ,pens4  ,some breeders     
prefer pens and the pen system does have
 some advantages4 ,in the first place1  
it gives the animals more room1 has to  
be cleaned out less frequently and is   
more economical4  ,if you have a        

suitable place for making pens it will  
be all right to use them4 ,of course1 it
 is harder to protect them from cats1   
rats and dogs in pens1 and it is also   
harder to keep them warm in winter4 ,in 
summer the pens are really to be        
preferred4 ,if you have space in a barn1
 wood shed1 attic1 basement or any place
 that is protected from wind and rain   
and cats1 rats and dogs1 you can easily 
fix up a place for them4 ,a place six by
 ten feet will accommodate from #cj to  
#ej ,guinea ,pigs4 ,your space should be
 divided into several different pens    
with #ab to #ah inch board or wire      
netting4 ,guinea ,pigs do not burrow1 so
 a board floor is not necessary4 ,the   
floor should be covered with litter of  
some sort4 ,saw dust is good for a      
bottom layer4 ,hay or straw can be put  
on the saw dust4 ,in the winter1 if the 
place is not heated1 boxes with a small 
hole for them to run in and out of and  
which should be filled with hay or      
straw1 should be supplied for sleeping  

quarters4  ,heat in the winter is not   
considered necessary by many very       
successful breeders1 but we think it    
best they should have some protection1  
especially in very bitter weather1 and  
the warmer you can keep them the better4
 ,they thrive better when the           
temperature does not fall below         
freezing4 ,if given well protected1     
tight quarters with plenty of bedding   
they will get by all right without heat4
 ,however1 the females that are about to
 litter should be kept in a warm place1 
as the little ones will freeze if the   
weather is very cold4 ,after they get   
about a month old1 you can1 during a    
warm spell1 move them out with the      
others4 ,one of the most successful     
breeders in the ,west1 whose stock      
brings fancy prices1 opposes artificial 
heat and says they are better without   
it4 ,other breeders use oil stoves in   
the severe weather and some of the      
largest ,caviaries have elaborate       
heating arrangements4   ,out ,door      

,hutches4  ,in the summer you can build 
a pen of wire netting for them to run in
 with a small tight box for sleeping    
quarters and protection from storm4 ,use
 small mesh chicken wire for the sides4 
,the top can be of netting or boards4   
,the size of the pen will of course     
depend on how many ,cavies you have4    
,these pens can be moved from place to  
place on the lawn1 giving them good     
green grass4 ,very little other food    
then will be required4   ,general       
,instructions4  ,give your stock all the
 room you can spare4 ,do not see how    
little room you can use1 if you have    
room to waste4 ,be sure that they have  
ventilation1 even in the winter4        
,animals1 like humans1 need fresh air4  
,see that your hutches are kept clean   
and dry4 ,do not let your ,cavies get   
wet4 ,there is no need to build         
expensive and elaborate hutches1        
especially at the start4 ,when you get a
 larger herd you can decide on some     
uniform style of hutch or pen and make  

them all alike4 ,this makes them easy to
 handle and enlarge4 ,local conditions  
and circumstances will determine how you
 will keep your ,cavies4  ,illustration3
 ,fig4 #c4 ,practical ,type of ,indoor  
,hutch4     ,,chapter ,,vi  ,,breeding4 
,guinea ,pigs are very prolific1 having 
about five litters a year1 and from two 
to five at a litter4 ,three is a safe   
average4  ,the females are sexually     
mature at a month1 but1 of course1      
should not be bred at that age4 ,three  
months is plenty early enough and some  
breeders wait until they are even older4
  ,the period of gestation is from #fe  
to #gj days4 ,the young ones are fully  
developed when born and in a few hours  
are able to run around4 ,they begin     
eating other food in a day or two4      
,they should be weaned when about three 
weeks old and placed in separate pens1  
separating the young males from the     
females4 ,it is then well to let the    
mother rest two or three weeks before   
being placed in the breeding pen again4 

,it is best to let each female have not 
over four litters a year4 ,the young    
ones are apt to be stronger and there   
will be more of them in a litter4 ,you  
will get about as many of them per year 
with four litters as with five and have 
better stock4 ,some breeders1 especially
 for show stock1 get only three litters 
a year4  ,when your young females are   
about four months old1 they should be   
placed in the breeding pen4 ,best       
results and surer are obtained by       
keeping one male with four or five      
females and letting them stay together  
until you are sure each female is bred4 
,they begin to show that they are with  
young in about #cj days or sooner and   
get to be very large before giving      
birth4  ,it is best to have several     
females with young together in the same 
pen1 as they will nurse each other's    
young indiscriminately and the little   
fellows seem to know no difference4     
,while the males do not kill the little 
ones1 still they should never be left in

 the pen with nursing mothers1 as they  
will bother them4  ,many breeders do not
 have special breeding pens1 but keep   
all of the females together and put     
males in with them4 ,this is hardly the 
best plan1 however4 ,the females must   
not be allowed to litter in the big pen1
 but always in special pens or hutches4 
,it is best to have different breeding  
pens or hutches1 so you can get young   
stock that is unrelated4 ,you will have 
many chances to sell breeding stock and 
it does not do to supply males and      
females that are full brother and       
sister4 ,by using care you can so breed 
your stock that you can keep different  
batches of them that are not very       
closely related4   ,line ,breeding4  ,by
 line breeding1 we mean breeding the    
same stock without getting new males4   
,it is the method used by breeders of   
fancy stock to get any special color or 
marking4 ,it is not inbreeding in the   
true sense of the word4  ,in line       
breeding you breed the father to his    

daughter and the son to his mother4     
,this arrangement is all right and gets 
splendid results4 ,you must avoid1      
however1 breeding full brothers and     
sisters4 ,it is also well to breed pigs 
that are similar in color and marking4  
,for instance3 ,breed whites with whites
 and blacks with blacks1 etc4 ,by line  
breeding you can get almost any color   
you want4 ,if you wanted to get solid   
red1 say1 out of a mixed lot1 you should
 breed your reddest male to your reddest
 female4 ,then breed the father to his  
reddest daughter and the reddest son to 
his mother4 ,continue in this way and   
eventually you will get solid reds4     
,for commercial purposes1 however1 we   
think it is best to get new males every 
now and then4 ,if you have only one male
 at the start1 you should get a new one 
when the young ones of your first litter
 are old enough to breed4 ,this will    
permit you to get stock not closely     
related and that you can sell for       
breeding and pet purposes4  ,it is best 

to breed males and females of different 
ages4 ,have one older than the other4   
,the females should not be handled too  
much when they are with young1 as it is 
apt to injure them1 and1 of course1 no  
animal thrives as well when fondled4    
,always keep your strongest and best    
males for breeders4  ,too frequent      
littering tends to weaken both the      
mother and the little ones4 ,if you have
 a female that gives weak young that are
 dead at birth or die soon after1 give  
her a rest of several months before     
breeding her again4 ,it is best to have 
fewer litters and stronger stock4  ,the 
old males will sometimes fight when in  
the pen together1 but it is seldom that 
the females do not get along well       
together4 ,if you have a fighting male  
keep him in a place to himself1 as he is
 apt to injure the other males4  ,good  
young breeding stock is to be preferred 
by one beginning to raise ,cavies1      
because they have a longer life before  
them and if you get old stock you cannot

 tell how old they are4 ,guinea ,pigs   
live to be about seven or eight years   
old and if you buy young stock you have 
them for their entire breeding age4     
,,chapter ,,vii  ,,exhibiting ,,cavies4 
,the showing or exhibiting of ,guinea   
,pigs is rapidly becoming more popular  
and in nearly all pet stock and poultry 
shows you will find several pens of     
,guinea ,pigs4 ,there are many fanciers 
in the country who make a specialty of  
show animals and fancy stock4  ,in      
judging ,cavies1 the size1 shape1       
condition1 and color are the main things
 to take into consideration4 ,the selfs 
or solid colors must have every hair of 
the same color4 ,any white whatever will
 disbar a pig that is otherwise red4 ,in
 the broken colors the different patches
 should be uniform in size and the      
colors not run into each other4 ,fancy  
stock is nearly always line bred and    
great pains should be taken in breeding4
 ,to secure the best stock the females  
are only bred twice or three times a    

year and every care is taken of them    
from birth4 ,they are bred for size1    
shape and color4 ,even if you are not   
breeding for fancy stock1 it will often 
pay you to enter your best specimens in 
local poultry and pet stock shows1 as it
 gives you some good advertising and you
 will often take good prizes4 ,it lets  
people know you have stock and you can  
always get good prices for your prize   
winners4 ,always enter as near a uniform
 lot as possible in singles1 pairs or   
trios1 or even larger pens4  ,while it  
costs more to produce fancy stock1 still
 the higher prices you can get for it   
makes it pay4 ,if you are raising only  
comparatively few pigs it might pay you 
to go in for fancy stock4 ,even if you  
have a large stock you can keep a few of
 your best specimens separate and give  
them little better attention4  ,of      
course1 many of the large commercial    
raisers never bother about fancy stock  
as it does not pay when you are raising 
large numbers of them4  ,most of the    

shows are under the auspices of some pet
 stock association and a book of the    
standards can be secured from the       
secretary4 ,we are giving below some of 
the classes under which stock is shown4 
,selfs4  ,solid colors throughout with  
no odd colored hairs4   ,tortoise       
,shells4  ,black and red colors with    
patches clear and distinct and as nearly
 as possible equal in size4   ,tortoise 
and ,white4  ,red1 black and white      
patches1 each clear cut with no running 
in of colors4 ,the more patches and the 
more uniform in size the better4        
,dutch ,marked4  ,blazed face of wedge  
shape4 ,a band of white straight hair   
around the middle with no blending of   
colors4 ,feet white4 ,very rare4        
,brindle4  ,red and black evenly        
intermixed and perfectly brindled4      
,agouti4  ,they are two shades1 golden  
and gray4 ,the golden should be rich    
brown undercolor with even ticking and  
belly of deep red4 ,the gray should be a
 light shade with even ticking and belly

 of silver hue4  ,the eyes of all       
,english ,cavies should be large and    
bold4 ,head and shoulders heavy1 nose   
roman1 ears drooping4  ,in the          
,abyssinians the rosettes should be as  
plentiful as possible and the coat rough
 and wiry4  ,in the ,peruvian the main  
thing to be considered is the length and
 silkiness of the coat4  ,a book giving 
the standards as adopted by the         
,national ,pet ,stock ,association of   
,america can be obtained for #ej;c from 
its secretary1 ,c4 ,s4 ,gibson1 #ajde   
,w4 ,warren ,ave41 ,detroit1 ,mich4     
,,chapter ,,viii  ,,selling ,,and       
,,shipping4   ,guinea ,pigs are in such 
wide demand that it is not a hard matter
 to sell them if you let people know you
 have them4 ,there are dealers in       
various sections of the country that buy
 in wholesale lots but the prices       
obtained are usually not so high as if  
you find your own customers and develop 
your own trade4  ,the hospitals1 medical
 colleges1 agricultural schools1        

veterinary colleges1 laboratories1 pet  
stores1 etc41 are the heaviest users4   
,you can get in touch with them by      
writing them and telling them you have  
,guinea ,pigs for sale4 ,the names of   
the hospitals and medical colleges can  
be gotten from any doctor and you1 of   
course1 know your own state ,university 
and ,agricultural ,college4  ,prices    
obtained for stock for experimental     
purposes are not as high as when they   
are sold for pets and breeding purposes4
 ,you can build up a good mail order    
business by putting a small classified  
advertisement in the poultry and pet    
stock columns in the ,sunday issue of   
some large city newspaper near you4 ,a  
classified ad in some of the poultry    
papers or farm papers in your state will
 usually find you good customers4  ,in  
shipping to hospitals and laboratories  
always send your males first and keep   
the females as when selling breeding    
stock you always have calls for more    
females than males4  ,the prices you    

get1 of course depend on circumstances4 
#ej;c is a fair price for the general   
run of stock for experimental purposes4 
,for pets and breeding purposes you     
should get from #a4ej per pair and up4  
,prices depend on supply and demand4    
#a4jj for females and #ej;c for males   
enable you to make a good profit with   
them4  ,for experimental purposes they  
are usually sold by weight and are      
salable from #i ounces and up or when   
they are around six weeks old4          
,shipping4  ,guinea ,pigs ship very     
easily4 ,they go by express4 ,use a     
light but strong box2 in the summer have
 plenty of ventilation4 ,wire netting on
 the top or sides of the box is good but
 slats and holes in the sides will do4  
,in the winter not so much ventilation  
is needed4  ,for food use plenty of hay 
together with some green food or        
carrots1 beets1 etc4 ,no water is       
necessary4 ,do not ship out during a    
real cold spell in winter or a real hot 
spell in summer4  ,do not have your box 

larger than necessary as it means added 
weight and at the same time do not have 
it so small that they are crowded all   
over each other4     ,,chapter ,,ix     
,,diseases4   ,guinea ,pigs are         
singularly free from disease and the    
breeder has little to fear along this   
line4 ,of course improper food1         
irregular feeding hours1 poorly         
ventilated or exposed quarters will     
often cause trouble but it is almost an 
unknown thing for an epidemic to get in 
a herd and kill them off4 ,as long as   
they are fed judiciously and their      
quarters are kept sweet and clean and   
well protected from wind1 rain and snow1
 you will have little trouble4 ,they are
 remarkably healthy little animals but  
of course will not stand neglect or     
improper care4 ,do your share and you   
will but seldom lose a ,cavy4           
,diarrhoea4  ,this is one of the most   
common troubles that a ,cavy raiser has 
to contend with4 ,too much green food1  
mouldy and half cured hay and a sudden  

change of food is usually the cause4    
,give them plenty of good sweet hay and 
cut out the green food for a while4 ,a  
small spoon of olive oil or a little    
castor oil is good to clean out the     
bowels4   ,constipation4  ,caused by not
 enough green food4 ,this trouble is not
 apt to occur except in winter when     
greens are scarce4 ,give them apple     
parings1 any green stuff you can get and
 a little olive oil4 ,always try and    
feed at least once a day a little green 
stuff and you will have no trouble4     
,premature ,birth4  ,females are        
occasionally lost when giving birth     
prematurely to little ones and sometimes
 the young ones when born are so weak   
that they do not live long4 ,this is    
caused by too frequent littering1 by    
fright1 over fatness or physical        
weakness4 ,over crowding in a cold      
drafty hutch in severe weather may so   
weaken the mother that she bears weak   
ones4 ,take especially good care of the 
pregnant females4 ,give them the choice 

food and the best quarters4 ,do not let 
them breed too often or start too young4
 ,do not allow them to be handled or    
frightened4   ,worms4  ,if a ,guinea    
,pig is a good feeder and still does not
 grow1 if he looks unhealthy and his    
coat is not glossy he may have worms4   
,give a half teaspoonful of any kind of 
worm medicine such as children use4     
,feed lightly and not at all until the  
medicine has taken effect4   ,going     
,light4  ,sometimes in spite of all you 
can do a ,guinea ,pig goes light4 ,if   
the treatment for worms has no effect it
 may be tuberculosis4 ,separate at once 
from the others4 ,give special diet of  
milk and bread or bran and oats4 ,if it 
does not get better destroy it as it    
does not pay to have such stock around4 
,colds1 ,pneumonia4  ,when they have    
pneumonia there is usually no help for  
them4 ,cold1 damp and drafty quarters   
are usually the cause4 ,about the only  
thing to do is to move them to warmer   
quarters1 give warm milk and a few drops

 of any good cold remedy that you may   
have in the house4 ,as an ounce of      
prevention is worth a pound of cure you 
should use every care to see that they  
do not catch cold4   ,lice4  ,use any   
good insect powder or any poultry lice  
killer4 ,clean out the hutches or pens  
and disinfect with any good             
disinfectant4 ,they are not often       
bothered if kept in good condition4     
,wounds4  ,males sometimes hurt each    
other in fights4 ,cleanse the wound with
 warm water1 remove the hair around it  
with sharp scissors and apply any good  
healing salve4   ,running at the ,eyes4 
,this is often caused by a cold4 ,wash  
the eyes in a solution of boric acid    
that you can get any druggist to put up 
for you4   ,paralysis4  ,cavies         
sometimes have dragging of the hind     
limbs4 ,some say alfalfa will cause it1 
but it is usually from some disorder of 
the kidneys4 ,give about #be drops of   
sweet spirits of nitre three times a day
 and rub the limbs with a good liniment4

 ,feed carefully for several days and   
they will often get over it4   ,general 
,instructions4  ,it is much easier to   
keep ,cavies well than to cure a sick   
one1 therefore1 try and prevent trouble4
 ,sick ones should be separated from the
 others and placed in comfortable       
quarters4 ,feed only choice food4 ,keep 
their quarters clean1 sweet and well    
ventilated4 ,give them all air and sun  
you can and all the room for exercise   
you can4 ,feed no mouldy1 wet or half   
cured hay or grass4 ,do feed grass that 
is wet with dew or rain4 ,just give your
 ,cavies half a chance and you will find
 that disease will bother your ,caviary 
but little4     ,,chapter ,x  ,,profits 
,,in ,,cavy ,,raising4   ,this industry 
in ,america is in its infancy4 ,there   
are in several sections of the country  
large ,cavy farms but they raise nothing
 like enough to supply the demand4      
,either as a side line with only a dozen
 or two females or whether raised as a  
business1 ,guinea ,pigs offer a safe1   

sure and pleasant method of making      
money4  ,there is no danger that the    
business will be overdone as the demand 
is growing much more rapidly than the   
supply and as the supply increases more 
will be used4 ,the hospitals in most    
cases use them in preference to any     
other animal for experimental purposes  
but at this time they cannot get them in
 sufficient quantities4 ,there is and   
always will be a great demand for them  
as pets4 ,when the people get educated  
to the food value1 this end of the      
industry will come in for its share4    
,the present high cost of meat and the  
decreasing supply of cattle indicate    
that in a few years the people of this  
country will have to make other         
preparations for their fresh meat and   
the ,cavy offers the solution to the    
meat problem4 ,all of these facts make  
it plain that there is no danger of     
there getting to be too many ,cavies4   
,inexpensive to ,keep4  ,the profits in 
raising ,guinea ,pigs are large4 ,the   

price for them on the open market runs  
all the way from #ej;c to several       
dollars each4 ,the cost of raising them 
to the age when they are to be sold     
differs1 of course with conditions and  
circumstances4 ,the man on the farm or  
in the small town who has access to     
plenty of food for them without paying  
for it of course1 can raise them cheaper
 than the man in the city4 ,even in the 
city1 however1 very little has to be    
bought and that only in the winter time 
as in the summer lawn clippings and     
vegetables from the table will feed them
 and all that will have to be bought is 
some grain or hay4 ,by saving and curing
 the lawn clippings there will be no    
need of buying hay4 ,they are far more  
profitable than poultry as they not only
 cost less to feed and keep but are not 
subject to the diseases that make       
poultry raising so unprofitable4 ,they  
occupy smaller space and are not dirty1 
noisy or objectionable in any way4 ,many
 large ,poultry ,farms have been turned 

into ,caviaries as their owners have    
seen that it is easier to make money    
with ,guinea ,pigs than with chickens4  
,easy to ,raise4  ,anyone with ordinary 
intelligence should be able to raise    
,guinea ,pigs successfully4 ,women do   
especially well with them as they       
require less attention and work than    
chickens4 ,boys and girls find the      
raising of them not only a pleasure but 
profitable and it is a splendid         
occupation for them as it requires no   
hard or laborious work4 ,youngsters from
 #aj to #ag or #ah years old need a     
responsibility of some kind and the     
experience gained in the raising and    
selling of ,guinea ,pigs will be very   
valuable to them in addition to the     
money they will make4 ,parents will do  
well to give their children a chance to 
raise them4 ,to start with ,guinea ,pigs
 does not require a large outlay of     
capital4 ,by starting with just a few   
and by keeping the young females it does
 not take long to build up a herd of    

breeders that are valuable4 ,as each    
female produces about #ae young a year  
and as these young are worth from #ej;c 
to several dollars each1 you can readily
 see there is a big opportunity for     
profit4   ,big ,profits4  ,suppose you  
begin with six females4 ,in one year    
they should produce about #ij young and 
the young females of the first one or   
two litters should be producing before  
the end of the year4 ,therefore1 it is  
pretty safe to assume that from the six 
females and their litters you should get
 every year about #abj pigs4 ,if sold at
 a price of #ej;c each these six females
 would be producing about #fj a year4   
,these figures will show you what #ajj  
females should do4   ,starting4  ,almost
 anyone can start raising ,guinea ,pigs 
without having to make any very special 
preparations or a large investment4 ,in 
any new business it is always best to   
start in a small way4 ,from a dozen to  
#be females will give you an opportunity
 to learn their habits and you can      

increase your quarters as your herd     
increases4 ,it would not be advisable   
for anyone to start with #ajj or more   
right at once unless he has especially  
good place for them and a plentiful     
supply of food4 ,however1 by beginning  
in a small way no risk is taken and you 
can learn the business as you go along1 
and you can get extra stock as you make 
preparation for it4   ,selection of     
,stock4  ,you cannot be too careful in  
the selection of your stock4 ,get good  
healthy animals to start with as on them
 depends your success4 ,scrub ,guinea   
,pigs will pay no better than scrub     
poultry or cattle4 ,those found in pet  
stores are frequently unfitted for      
breeding purposes as they may have been 
experimented on or the descendants of   
such animals4 ,hospitals are very       
careful of whom they buy and must be    
assured of the purity of the stock4     
,therefore1 you cannot be too careful in
 the selection of your original stock4  
,just as no one would start a live stock

 farm with the cheapest animals that can
 be bought1 so no one should start a    
,cavy farm with the cheapest ,cavies    
that can be bought4 ,there are many     
reliable dealers in the country who have
 good stock for sale4 ,buy of a well    
known breeder or dealer and you will    
have no trouble4 ,young breeders are to 
be preferred as they have a longer life 
before them and are more valuable4      
,from our own experience with ,guinea   
,pigs we would advise anyone who is     
interested in this work to take up the  
raising of them4 ,whether you have only 
a few for making a little money on the  
side or a large number as a real        
business you will find them very        
profitable4 ,certainly a great deal of  
pleasure can be gotten out of it and    
there is a wide sale for all you raise4 
,if you will follow the instructions    
laid down in this little book we do not 
believe you will have any trouble making
 a success of the work4   ,,guinea      
,,pigs       ,for breeding1 pet and     

experimental purposes4 ,any number1 age1
      size or sex supplied promptly4    
,when you have ,guinea ,pigs for sale1  
write us1 as we are always      in the  
market4 ,quote price1 giving number1    
size and sex4        ,,cavies           
,,distributing ,,co4      ,the ,world's 
,largest ,dealers in ,guinea ,pigs      
#gab ,west #gdth ,street ,,kansas       
,,city1 ,,mo4  ,,belgian ,,hares        
,,rabbits     ,,squab ,,pigeons         
,write me your wants and ,i will supply 
you4 ,my ,white ,kings are      the most
 profitable squab breeders in the world1
 raising      squabs weighing from a    
pound to a pound and a half4 ,mature    
quickly and always command top price4 ,i
 can supply mated      pairs4 ,write me 
today for particulars and price on      
pigeons1      rabbits and ,belgian      
,hares4       ,,edward ,f4 ,,tobener    
#bhbh;,a ,woodland ,ave4 ,,kansas       
,,city1 ,,mo4  ,redmon ,printing ,co41  
,kansas ,city