The cavy fancy really can be a puzzling phenomenon. The goal of the group as a whole, as it seems to me, is to share our enjoyment of and love for cavies. To improve each breed individually and the overall quality of the species. If no-one was fanatical and no-one cared enough to own pedigrees and breed purebred lines imagine what a miss-matched, muddle guinea pigs would be! The same could be said for any species really, dogs, budgerigars, horses. If everyone just cross-bred and pet owned we would undoubtedly of lost the purity of many great lines. So there really is something to be said for the animal elitists.
The confusing part, is the in-between. We agree (at least for the most part) that we are aiming to own animals that meet their breed standard. The question is, how do you get there. Ask one breeder a question and the answer is likely to be entirely different to the next breeder you ask. Easy, you are thinking - ask a good breeder, a reputable breeder. Well, even amongst the most reputable breeders, opinions are varied. What to feed your cavies, what medication to use, whether a sheltie to texel pairing is wise or an abomination, how acceptable it is or isnt to include 'pets' in pedigree lines, whether vitamin c should be added to their water or not. The points of contention are almost endless.
Whilst driving home from a visit to a stud and contemplating such things my friend Tash declared "That's it! I need to speak to the boss. Who is the boss of this business?!" We both dissolved into fits of giggles. Good question, if only it was that simple.
There are those within the fancy whose opinions are greatly valued and devotees of these people tend to stick together. There are cliques who often have similar opinions and work together as a team, sharing stud boars, passing sows to each other, breeding very close lines and supporting each other. Then there are those like Tash and I, newbies, stuck pondering which paths to take, whose word is wise and trying desperately to learn as much as we possibly can without offending anyone.
The question of integrity is huge within the fancy and my earliest observations have led me to believe this is partially because there is no governing body, collating the information on pedigree papers. No central database confirming validity. The accuracy of these papers is staked entirely on the breeders honesty. It is up to the breeder to decide which animals are worth papering and which ones are not. An ill-informed or ill-intended stud owner could in the space of a few matings destroy a line that is the culmination of generations of breeders devotedly working towards the pursuit of perfection. It is also up to the individual to ensure the papers are an accurate and true record.
This individual responsibility means that as a breeder your reputation, your honor and integrity is absolutely everything. It forces people within the fancy to become detectives. To just assume, would be foolish. You need to do your homework. Almost anyone can register a stud name, buy papered stock that may not be up to scratch, commence breeding and selling and just like that, there is dirt in the water. This dirt, so to speak, tarnishes the gene pools and if it remained unnoticed, could do significant damage to the quality of the breed rather quickly.
It seems to me, that this is partially the reason breeders are so suspicious of newcomers. They didn't put hours of love, blood, sweat and tears into caring for their cavies only to have someone who knows nothing about anything come along and ruin their hard-work. You don't waltz on into the fancy with hands out, loudly declaring "I'd like to get two texels, three merinos and some peruvians thanks. They need to be in coat, pedigree, papered, oh and make them all sows, too thanks!" and then wonder what all the deafening silence is about as breeders from across the country glare at you in unison.
So how does this answer the initial question of who is right, or who knows more? I don't have an answer for that and I don't think there is one. I suppose it comes back to the two ears, one mouth theory. Listen more, speak less. Make informed judgements for yourself based on the information that you obtain from those you trust most. Above all else if you cant be patient, honest and respectful in a fancy where integrity is everything I suspect your time in the cavy fancy would be particularly unsuccessful and rather short-lived.
I write this blog in the hope that other newcomers will perhaps tread a little lighter, wait a little longer before breeding and take the time to contemplate such things. It can be overwhelming and even a little scary to join a new group. I think sometimes good intentions are misinterpreted and certain breeders are seen as being hostile when really they are simply protecting something that they love very much. Keeping that in mind makes the cavy fancy a friendlier place to be.
As Tash and I are blessed with opportunities to visit studs and meet breeders we are finding that there are some truly wonderful people within the society. Warm, welcoming, clever, funny, passionate people, willing to spend their time to share their knowledge. So it is definitely worth the effort to take the time and get to know each other. At the end of the day, we are all aiming for the same goals, even if we take different paths to get there.
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