row, so a board floor is not
necessary. The floor should be covered with litter of some sort. Saw
dust is good for a bottom layer. Hay or straw can be put on the saw
dust. In the winter, if the place is not heated, boxes with a small hole
for them to run in and out of and which should be filled with hay or
straw, should be supplied for sleeping quarters.

Heat in the winter is not considered necessary by many very successful
breeders, but we think it best they should have some protection,
especially in very bitter weather, and the warmer you can keep them the
better. They thrive better when the temperature does not fall below
freezing. If given well protected, tight quarters with plenty of bedding
they will get by all right without heat. However, the females that are
about to litter should be kept in a warm place, as the little ones will
freeze if the weather is very cold. After they get about a month old,
you can, during a warm spell, move them out with the others. One of the
most successful breeders in the West, whose stock brings fancy prices,
opposes artificial heat and says they are better without it. Other
breeders use oil stoves in the severe weather and some of the largest
Caviaries have elaborate heating arrangements.

Out Door Hutches.

In the summer you can build a pen of wire netting for them to run in
with a small tight box for sleeping quarters and protection from storm.
Use small mesh chicken wire for the sides. The top can be of netting or
boards. The size of the pen will of course depend on how many Cavies you
have. These pens can be moved from place to place on the lawn, giving
them good green grass. Very little other food then will be required.

General Instructions.

Give your stock all the room you can spare. Do not see how little room
you can use, if you have room to waste. Be sure that they have
ventilation, even in the winter. Animals, like humans, need fresh air.
See that your hutches are kept clean and dry. Do not let your Cavies get
wet. There is no need to build expensive and elaborate hutches,
especially at the start. When you get a larger herd you can decide on
some uniform style of hutch or pen and make them all alike. This makes
them easy to handle and enlarge. Local conditions and circumstances will
determine how you will keep your Cavies.

[Illustration: Fig. 3. Practical Type of Indoor Hutch.]

CHAPTER VI

BREEDING.

Guinea Pigs are very prolific, having about fi