THE RURA.I> NEW-YORKER 
1073 
The Business of Raising Guinea Pigs 
We have had many questions about 
these little animals, as to whether there 
is any profit in raising them. A num¬ 
ber of women have asked if such busi¬ 
ness would give them profitable employ¬ 
ment. The following interesting article 
states the facts about these little “pigs” : 
What Is Thf.ir History? —Probably 
the earliest civilized people to find the 
little animal that is now known as the 
Guinea pig were the Spanish explorers 
and settlers who first traversed South 
America. There the records indicate that 
they found these peculiar animals in 
large numbers, being raised by the native 
Indians. The native tribes used them, 
probably, primarily for a source of meat, 
although they were kept as pets also. 
The hardiness of the animals, together 
with the great fecundity characteristic 
of them, in a measure would account for 
their popularity among barbarous tribes 
where the pigs would have to make their 
own living primarily. It is possible that 
similar types of rodents may have been 
known in other parts of the world cen¬ 
turies ago, but undoubtedly the Guinea 
pig that is of interest to us is the South 
American animal. The name Guinea pig 
is thought by most "people to have origin¬ 
ally been Guiana pig. 
What Are Their Uses? —There are 
four uses for which Guinea pigs may be, 
and in some sections of the country are 
being, raised, and the naming of these 
opens up to many of us new ideas con¬ 
cerning this pig. In the first place, and 
probably the most important among the 
uses to which the pig is put, is the rais¬ 
ing of these small animals in large num¬ 
bers for scientific purposes. Bacteriol¬ 
ogists, particularly, use them in trying 
out new serums, vaccines, anti-toxins, 
and the like, as as well as for the study 
of new diseases, which are caused by 
germs of some kind. In this field the 
Guinea pig has served a tremendously 
important office. The ease with which 
they can be handled, the rapid growth, 
the high fecundity, and the relative econ¬ 
omy of raising have been among the 
principal reasons why they have been 
so much U3ed by doctors and scientific 
workers. If one is contemplating raising 
these animals on a commercial scale, 
undoubtedly he would depend upon scien¬ 
tific laboratories, medical schools, and 
similar institutions? for the marketing 
of his pigs. These places usually desire 
to get the immature, quickly-grown stock, 
weighing around nine or 10 ounces. The 
breeds and varieties usually grown for 
these purposes will reach, under good 
care and management, that weight at 
about the age of six weeks. This require¬ 
ment on the part of the largest buyers 
of Guinea pigs really is the secret of suc¬ 
cess for the producers, for it means but 
a short period during which they will 
need care and feed. Under average con¬ 
ditions, the Federal Department of Agri¬ 
culture estimates that it costs not more 
than 30 to 35 cents to produce a nine- 
ounce pig, unless all feed has to be pur¬ 
chased. If a large number are being 
raised the cost will probably be much 
less. The average selling price will de¬ 
pend much upon the supply at any given 
time and the demand of the scientists, 
which may at some seasons be much 
higher than at others. This is a busi¬ 
ness that will necessitate the strictest 
attention to the finding of a suitable mar¬ 
ket before launching out into it. There 
will probably never be a large industry 
made out of this business, but in some 
sections good money can be made. A 
selling price ranging from 75 cents to 
$1.50 can usually be expected. 
Used as Food. — The second use to 
which Guinea pigs are put is for 
meat production. In this country com¬ 
paratively few pigs have been raised for 
food purposes. There' are probably at 
least two good reasons why they have 
not been more popular for human food 
consumption. They are small, and there is 
little food left upon the carcasses, after 
dressing. They are often thought of as 
resembling rats, and other rodents, and 
that has prejudiced people against 
them. Those who have eaten them 
say that the flesh is of a gamy 
flavor and not unlike that of the squir¬ 
rel, which is considered a great delicacy. 
They are near kin of the rabbit, another 
game animal that is eaten by many 
Americans. One thing that should com¬ 
mend the pigs as good food is the fact 
that they are vegetarian in diet and eat 
only the cleanest of foods themselves. In 
South America they are used quite ex¬ 
tensively in many parts as a source of 
cheap meat food. When used for meat 
purposes they are eaten when about four 
or five months of age. The old pigs are 
not good flavor and are tough, but the 
young pigs, properly prepared, are con¬ 
sidered by many as very delicious meat. 
Usually when prepared for human food 
they are roasted, much like little pig is 
prepared. The neck is dislocated and 
the throat cut to insure proper drain¬ 
age of blood. They are then scalded and 
the hair removed, as in the case of the 
common pigs, after which the skin is 
scraped and the viscera removed. The 
carcass is washed in tepid water and 
then cooled, after which it is ready for 
use. There are many ways in which 
Guinea pigs are prepared for the table, 
but roasting is considered by most peo¬ 
ple the best way in which to serve them. 
As Pet Stock. — The third purpose 
for which Guinea pigs are raised is for 
pets, mainly for children and ladies that 
desire something out of the ordinary in 
the line of pet stock. There are numer¬ 
ous kinds of pigs, which may be roughly 
divided into the smooth-haired and the 
long-haired varieties. The former are 
usually preferred for scientific, meat, and 
pet stock purposes. The smooth-haired 
pigs need much less care than the long¬ 
haired varieties, and are generally more 
satisfactory to handle. Guinea pigs of 
all kinds are subject to the widest varia¬ 
tion in color, and this has given rise to 
the many varieties that are seen in pet 
kennels today. The Peruvian pigs, long¬ 
haired, and the Abyssinian pigs, rosetted, 
are sometimes kept as pets, and are very 
pretty, but they require considerable 
combing and care. All kinds of pigs 
kept as pets should not be handled very 
much, as they sometimes bite and cause 
serious injuries. This is the main objec¬ 
tion in using Guinea pigs as pets for 
children, especially. The fourth interest 
in Guinea pigs lies in their show values. 
Many people who are enthusiasts in the 
showing of animals and birds are inter¬ 
ested in keeping Guinea pigs and exhibit¬ 
ing them in competition at pet stock 
shows. At nearly every large poultry 
show there is a division given over to 
the Guinea pigs. The source of rev¬ 
enue from such work lies in the 
prizes won. Usually it is not the actual 
profit that keeps up interest in 
these pigs for showing purposes, but the 
love of sportsmanship and fair competi¬ 
tion. The great number of pigs possible 
to raise from a few breeders allows the 
showman ample chance to select rigor¬ 
ously the stock he will show. 
Selecting for Breeding Stock. —As 
has been said before the best commercial 
type of Guinea pig to select is one of the 
smooth-haired pigs. There are a number 
of common colors found, among which 
are the pure white, usually the albino, 
with the pink eyes and entire absence of 
color; the pure blacks, the browns, the 
grays, the tans and reds, and a vast 
variety of mixtures of these colors. It 
is hard to breed the solid colored pigs 
true to color each generation, with the 
exception of the pure whites, as some of 
the pigs are liable to be mixed. Select 
the color fancied and choose the biggest, 
healthiest pigs for the breeders. This 
is about the maximum of instructions 
needed. With experience will come the 
art of picking out the best animals. 
Other things being equal the pure whites 
are as good as any for commercial rais¬ 
ing. The average size of the full-grown 
pig is about two pounds, which weight 
is attained at about 18 months of age. 
The males run a bit lighter in weight 
than the females. 
Managing Breeders. —Guinea pigs 
mature quickly and can breed at an 
early age, the female being mature 
soon after one month of age. It is 
best to defer breeding until prac¬ 
tical development has been reached. 
The period of gestation is about 60 
days. Ordinarily five litters are ex¬ 
pected from one breeding female in one 
year, and about three pigs make the 
averaged-sized litter, although larger fam¬ 
ilies are reported. It is best to allow 
one female to raise about three pigs at 
one time. The younger females usually 
have smaller litters than the fully ma¬ 
tured. The young are fully developed 
at birth, having their eyes open, unlike 
kittens in this respect. They are also 
fully furred and soon gain strength. At 
about three weeks of age the mother be¬ 
gins to wean them. As soon after this 
as possible separate the sexes and keep 
them apart from each other. Allow three 
to five females with one good, strong, vig¬ 
orous male. The older males should be 
mated with the younger females. 
What Shall They Be Fed? —Guinea 
pigs can be raised very easily if the per¬ 
son in charge has had any experience 
with rabbits, as they require about the 
same kind of care and food. They are 
purely vegetarians in their diet. They 
eat frequently and small amounts at a 
time. Usually they are seen busy at 
chewing some grass or vegetable. It is 
very important to keep a pan of clear 
water always before the pigs, never al¬ 
lowing it to become dirty and stagant. 
Pigs are open to digestive troubles and 
need clean water, as do birds and ani¬ 
mals. A piece of rock salt should always 
be found in some part of the hutch, or 
yard. A pan of dry grains is the usual 
food given Guinea pigs. Oats, bran, 
chopped hay, such as Alfalfa and clover, 
and similar grains are good for this pur¬ 
pose. With these dry grains there should 
be some green food, such as cabbage or 
other vegetable, grass, clover, etc., being 
supplied in the Summer. They are easy 
to feed, and not expensive. Keep every¬ 
thing that comes in contact with their 
food and water clean. 
A House, or Hutch. —A very simple 
hutch, or house will suffice. Rabbit 
hutches can be used. There should be 
plenty of room, about a square foot of 
floor space per pig, and over-crowding 
is always to be carefully avoided. Keep 
the hutches well cleaned and smelling 
fresh and clean. It is hardly necessary 
to describe any particular type of house, 
as a tight, dry box is sufficient, and any 
convenient shelter will house them, if 
they are kept free from excessive moist¬ 
ure and drafts. 
WILLARD C. THOMPSON. 
Old Lady (to nephew on leave from 
the front) : “Good-bye, my dear boy. 
Try and find time to send a post card to 
let me know you are safely back in the 
trenches.”—Everybody’s. 
The fresh air kid had discoursed for 
30 minutes on the acrobatic wonders of 
the vaudeville stage. “Huh, that ain’t 
so much,” sniffed the farmer’s son, at 
last. “We’ve got something in this very 
barn that will turn without moving.” 
“Hain’t neither! What is it?” “Milk.” 
—Literary Digest. 
When you write advertisers mention Thb 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal." See guarantee editorial page. 
Protection f hogs 
Keep them healthy. Kill the lice, etc. 
Write for instructive circular. Its FREE. 
National Factories, Inc., Dept. A1 Richmond, Indiana 
JS 13\r 33 
FOR PURE BRED TAMWORTH SWINE 
write or visit WESTVIKW STOCK FARM. It. 
F. J>. No. 1, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 
Pedigree Chester Whites 
Ridgely Manor Farm, - Stone Ridge, N. Y. 
SHROPSHIRE Rams BERKSHIRE Swine 
i Very best strains at reasonable prices. 
WILLIS A. WHITE, - Geneva, N. Y. 
RFRKSHIRR - The * one ' deep, heavy, bone type. 
ULiu\oiimi.u ( 3 ,. own for breeders and guaranteed as 
represented. Prices right. A C. HOOPER, Bozman, Mil. 
Large Berkshires atHighwood t urai Depart 
ment of the Brazilian Government has selected our 
herd to supply boars to that country, leading breed¬ 
ers of Brazil and Argentina having been here and 
passed npo* the excellence of our Berkshires, after 
examining the various large herds in this country. 
Selected service boars, bred sows and young pigs for 
sale. II. C. & H. B. Harpending, Dundee, N. Y. 
Discriminating Buyers Satisfied 
All fashionable families; outstanding individuals. 
Orders for export given especial care. 
K. Y. BUCKLEY. “Woodrow", Broad Axe, Pa. 
B e r li sliires 
Show and breeding stock—all ages. Foundation 
herds carefully selected. Write for new catalog. 
H. M. TERWILLIGER, - Kirkvllle, N. Y, 
REGISTERED O. I. C.’S 
Choice bred sows, $25; service boar, $25. Pigs, 3 
months, $10; 2 months, $8 HERBERT HAITH, Manlius, N.Y. 
For Sale- Berkshire and 0.1. C. Swine 
two to twelve months of age. Good breeding. Ex¬ 
cellent individuals. Prices reasonable. Satisfaction 
guaranteed. TARBELL FARMS. SMITHVILLE FLATS. N Y. 
W oodbury Farm 
Registered Berkshires 
Bargains in boars, also some fine Hampshire Rams. 
J. W. WEBB, Syosset, Long Island, N. Y. 
Springbank Berkshires 
Nothing for sale but big March and April PIGS. 
0. E. WATSON, - Marbledale, Conn. 
100 Registered 
Chester White Pigs 
10 wkn. to 8 mo8. old: 6 
Jersey Cows 2 to 6 yrs. old: 
and 8 bull calves 4 to 10 
mos.old. 50 Lincoln lambs. 
Write for descriptive circular and price list. 
EDWARD WALTER, Dept. R. “ Eureka Stuck Farm," West Chester. Penna 
OLLINS’JERSEY RED 
the best 
200 Registered Berkshires 
SOWS, GILTS AND BREEDING TRIOS 
AT PUBLIC AUCTION AT SPOTSWOOD FARM 
Situate on Skippack Pike, H mile South of Butler Pike, at Broad Axe. Pa., i *A miles West of 
Ambler. Pa.. 17 miles North from Philadelphia. (Coaches will meet trains at Ambler Station, 
as outlined in catalogue.) 
Thursday, Sept. 2d, 1915, at 12 Noon 
These high quality Berkshires are consigned by the most careful breeders in Eastern Pennsyl¬ 
vania, and will include all the most fashionable families of the breed. We expect the sale to be 
the banner Berkshire sale of Pennsylvania for 1915 . 
WRITE FOR CATALOGUE 
H. G. ELY, Special Auctioneer H^J! , DAGER : , I In<^?Amb , ler.P^ e, [ A ** nt * and Auctioneers 
DISPERSAL SALE 
51 REG. GUERNSEYS AT AUCTION 
21 COWS, 20 HEIFERS, 3 AGED BULLS, 7 YOUNG BULLS 
For ROBERT F. WHITMER, at ELLENWOOD FARM, near HATB0R0 and AMBLER, PA. 
TUESDAY, SEPT. 14TH, 1915, AT 12 NOON 
Owing to Mr. Whitmer’s continued illness of the past six months, we have been asked to dis¬ 
pose of the entire balance of his Guernsey herd, comprising the well-known Guernsey bulls Char- 
mnnte’s Rose King 11746, A. It., with 8 daughters with large A. R. records; Imp. Justinee's Sequel 
of La Masse, 21564, R, G. A. S., 2642, P. S.,lst prize and Grand Champion Bull at TrentonPair 1913; 
Glenwood’s Mainstay of Ellenwood, 19910; Ellenwood Sunderland, 26157, and 21 cows, 15 with A. R. 
records, including Glen wood Girl 4th, G. D., of Haddon, 28929, A. R.; Princess Coral of Paulsdale, 
26231 A. R.; Queen Coral of Paulsdale, 26320 A. R.; Imp. Gully 2nd, of the Adams, 33070 A. R.; Imp. 
Golden Daisy of the Isle, 28247 A. R.; Maggie Newport 3d, 13972, and others equally good. Also 
20 heifers and 7 young bulls, from 2 to 15 months old, bred mostly from A. R. cows and sired by 
the above well-known balls, and including 6 heifers sired by Charmante’s Rose King 11746 A. R. 
This sale will be a complete clearance of Mr, Whitmer’s entire herd, and will inclnde as 
good blood lines and animals as have ever been offered to Guernsey buyers at public auction. 
WBITX FOB CATALOGUE. 
H. J. DAGER, Inc., Ambler, Pa. 
DANIEL BUCKLEY, Broad Axe, Pa. 
H. G. ELY, Special Auctioneer Agents and Auctioneers 
