RAISING GUINEA PIGS. 



9 



of small mesh stretched on a frame would answer for both door and 

 ventilator, and be less expensive. Cheaper hutches made of packing 

 boxes laid on the side and fitted with a door in front would answer 

 every requirement; but if many of the animals are to be raised in a 

 limited space it is desirable to have hutches of uniform size, so that 

 they can be used interchangeably in stacks of any convenient height. 

 (Fig. 4.) 



A shelf about 4 inches high is recommended for the back part of 

 each hutch. The space under the shelf is a convenient retreat for 

 females that have young, while the shelf itself is nearly always chosen 

 by the animals as a sleeping place. 



Fig. 3.— Rear of hutch, showing means of ventilation. 



Another convenient and cheap plan for indoor runs is shown in 

 figure 5. It is an arrangement of two decks, of five runs each, the 

 floor of the upper being about 4 feet above that of the lower. The 

 space between the decks is open and the walls of the runs are made of 

 boards a foot wide. Each run is 5 feet long and from 20 inches to 2 

 feet in width. Ten runs are shown in the figure, but the number may 

 be multiphed or the size modified to suit the space available. 



FOOD AND FEEDING. 



Guinea pigs require about the same diet as rabbits. They eat 

 frequently during the day and need a constant supply of staple dry 

 food. Three articles should be constantly in each hutch or run — a 



525 



