4 LEAFLET 252. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Guinea pigs may be kept in pens about 30 by 36 inches and 12 to 15 

 inches high (fig. 4). A pen of this size will accommodate a male 

 and 5 or 6 breeding females until the young are 3 or 4 weeks of age. 

 A shelf about 4 inches off the floor is sometimes provided in a dark 

 corner of .the cage under which females with litters seek shelter and 

 on which the animals like to sleep. Several pens may be stacked in 

 tiers. The pen door should be of y 2 - or %-ineh mesh wire screen and 

 it is advisable to have a screen near the top at the rear of the cage to 

 afford ventilation. Larger pens about 5 by 10 feet will accommodate 

 30 to 50 animals. These also may be arranged in tiers, the upper tier 

 being 3% to 4 feet above the lower, and the space between open. The 

 sides of these pens should be 12 to 14 inches high and may be made 

 of boards. 



Figuee 4. — Tier 



of breeding pens suitable for five or six females and one 

 male. Note shelves at upper right. 



Guinea pigs are usually fed a grain ration consisting of whole or 

 ground oats and wheat bran, or a ready-prepared ration such as is 

 recommended for rabbits, consisting of a mixture of grains and 

 minerals compressed into pellet form. Besides the grain ration, leafy 

 alfalfa hay and fresh greens are necessary. The greens may be green 

 cabbage, lettuce, kale, lawn clippings, green alfalfa, or similar plants. 

 Greens are an absolute necessity to supply vitamin C, without which 

 guinea pigs will develop scurvy. Fresh water should be supplied 

 daily, though some breeders dispense with it when a plentiful supply 

 of fresh succulent greens can be provided. 



The floor of the pens should be covered with wood shavings or straw 

 to absorb the moisture and be cleaned at least once a week. Feed 



