10 



KAISING GUINEA PIGS. 



pan of water, a piece of rock salt, and a })an of dry grain. The last 

 may contain oats, bran, or chopped grain, and the water should be 

 supplied fresh at least once a day. The animals should have also a 

 constant supply of hay, of which they eat large quantities, and a daily 

 feed of green stuff. They eat almost every kind of green food that 

 is relished by rabbits — cabbage, celery tops, and lettuce are especially 

 acceptable, but fresh-cut alfalfa and clover, spinach, kale, rape, and 

 the like are also desirable green foods. For winter it is best to have 

 a good supply of cabbages. These may be stored in the field, cov- 

 ered with leaves or straw, with a layer of soil on top, and may be 

 brought in as wanted, so that they do not need to be fed in wilted 

 condition. With a plentiful supply of green food, guinea pigs drink 

 but little water, yet it is well to have water always at hand for them. 

 In the absence of green food, water becomes an absolute necessity, 

 as they refuse to eat grain without it. 



Fig. 4.— a stack of hutches. 



BREEDING. 



Guinea pigs breed at a very early age. The females are sexually 

 mature when about a month old, but of course should not be allowed 

 to breed so early. 



The fecundity of guinea pigs has been greatly exaggerated. Buff on 

 stated that they breed every 6 weeks and commonly have litters of 

 12 each. This error has been republished from time , to time until 

 it seems to have become fixed in the popular mind. As a matter of 

 fact, many other rodents are far more prolific. The female guinea 

 pig has but two mammae and her period of gestation varies from 63 

 to 70 days. Ordinarily 5 litters may be expected in a year, averaging 



525 



