Where would you suggest buying guinea pigs from? Private breeder or pet shop? Pros - Cons?
Also, have you processed you first guinea pigs yet? How did that work out if you have?
Too many questions! LOL
Jeanette
P.S. thanks for the video links!
petstores quite often get peoples ex-pets (for free) and resell them for like $30+ in my experience. they often have no idea what is actually in the cages/tanks let alone what breed or gender or how old they are! i almost never set foot in a pet store. but thats my opinion.
try craigslist. there are several facebook groups that are super helpful, just make sure any groups or guinea pig forums you join arent rescue-nazis. just weed through and find the good ones and just with-hold saying you may eat them or feed em to the dogs/cats. if you are on facebook and would like i can PM you my FB name to find and friend me so i can add you to the better ones i've found. or just do a search on facebook for "guinea pig" and see if you can find a group near you.
another thing would be to watch the local newspaper ads. or a local classifieds paper.
maybe put up an ad "looking for/ISO guinea pigs"
look at local auctions. the few that i've been to in the last year i've not seen any but i hear online some people have luck that way. heard some amish people raise em for cheap for side money and to eat.
just find out whats in your area. my first ones i got 2 for free and 2 for $10 each. then traded someone a rabbit for 2 younger sows (female guinea pigs). they are all on the smaller size but i will be breeding for size and culling hard.
i even took a leap and worked out something with a person i found several states away with large 4-5lb GPs. between paying for them and paying for transport it'll be $100 for 1 boar and 2 sows. i'm pickin them up at a rabbit show.
i'd say start with cheap/free ones you can find to see if you hate them or not just having em around. then after you have em a couple weeks and they arent driving you nuts stick the boy and girl(s) together (sows should be ~3.5-4 months old, hopefully tops of 8months) and wait 60 days for babies. unless they are longhair types you will be able to tell when they start gettin baby bellies. personally i have a pair of longhairs and though they are cute i wish they were shorthairs. i keep the longhair pair inside cause i dont want dirty knotty GPs running around. plus those two seemed bothered by the cold when i was doing test hour/days with them outside. just too much hassle.
i have not done up a GP yet for eating. though someone i had gotten the free ones from before got hold of me again and wants to get rid of the rest of hers (2 mommas, 2 young boars, 2 young sows) and i will likely be getting all of those within the week. seeing what boar i want to keep (if any) and eatin the rest. if they are all longhair i might just run the one i like the best with the sows a while and then do him up.
of course with all the animals i have and currently without a job i put almost all critters up for sale a bit before i butcher. been goin about a year with no income other then the animals.
hahaha and i have 2 milk goats, up to 10 adult rabbits and babies, and since october 6 GPs (now plus babies). so not too bad payin for all their feed just on what i can sell.
though once things start growin outside i should be able to feed the GPs almost 100% free. the rabbits i cut down alot of feed cost feeding cut forage.
and if you have anything in particular you would like to see in a video just say so
i've not had any request videos yet. always happy to be of help.
I like rabbits too much
