Newcomer Tips

Photo of Chevalier, courtesy of Mystic Dream Cavy Stud

The cavy fancy really are a friendly and supportive group of people. All groups in society have ways of doing things, expectations, systems, beliefs, both written and unwritten rules about what is acceptable behaviour. Attempting to join a new group for many is a daunting experience. So I have asked members of the cavy fancy to help me write this blog by providing some tips for newcomers. 




DO
  • Do download Matt's ebook, a must.
  • Do join this forum. The Australian National Cavy Fanciers.
  • Do research the breeds on Australian websites. Find something you like and are passionate about. You will do better and stick with it longer if you have a real passion for the breed. 
  • Do understand, that the following breeds are not currently available in Australia: Lunkarya, Skinny, Baldwin, Teddy, Swiss, New Zealand Plume, Bonnet, Panda and Tweed. Likewise for the tan/fox/otter colour pattern. The Ridgeback breed has a working title but as yet is un-standardised.
  • Do understand that there is no 'easy' breed but self are on the easier side in terms of the ratio of self's and satin's  that you 'could' put on the table compared to marked breeds.
  • Do make contact with your local cavy club and attend a show or two just as a visitor, to get a feel for how they operate and meet some of the members.
  • Do get to know members of your club on a personal level. You will likely find they are very supportive. I can't emphasize this enough, form friendships before attempting to buy.
Photo courtesy of Bewitching Cavies
  • Do visit a few different breeders caviary's and see how they have theirs setup. This includes taking note of their housing, the feed they use, watering systems etc.
  • Do make sure you have your setup ready prior to buying your first cavies. You don't want to get your new purchase home to find out that you aren't ready. 
  • Do understand that cavies definitely do not morph or change into the opposite sex. If it is born a sow it will always be a sow, born a boar, always a boar. There are no exceptions to this rule. 
  • Do get to know the breeder personally before you attempt to deal with/buy from them.
  • Do be patient and ask to go on waiting lists. You may have to wait for suitable animals to be born. This may be agonizing for the impatient but is well worth doing.
Photo courtesy of Naryco Cavies
  • Do be grateful and prepared to work your way up. You wouldn't go to a horse stud and ask to buy a champion quality racehorse that is a descendant of  "Black Caviar" because your child enjoyed riding a pony. In the same way, don't ask for cavies that are above your entitlement. You will embarrass yourself and risk offending community members. 
  • Do understand though, it is a case of "buyer beware." Do your research and know your stuff to avoid being taken advantage of.  If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.
  • Do understand that a cavy can look like a certain breed without genetically being truly of that variety. In this manner you can pay a lot of money for a cross-bred animal that will never give you purebred pups to show.
  • Do ensure that when you buy, it is from an active club member who has their stud registered with the ANCC. You can easily check by looking on the stud register.
  • Do buy from members of the fancy that you trust and have faith in. You shouldn't need a dozen photos. If they tell you it is of breed or show quality, you should be able to trust them.  
  • Do be a genuine buyer. This involves paying a deposit in advance and having the ability to promptly collect the cavy you have purchased.  
  • Do understand you are more likely to be able to acquire boars then sows. You may need to show your boars first before being able to purchase sows.  
  • Do be courteous and offer cavies back to the original breeder before moving them on. Most will decline and be happy for you to on-sell it but if you dont offer, you may offend someone you could possibly get more/better quality cavies from in the future
  • Do become familiar with the breed standards and use them as your guide, always.
  • Do register your stud with the ANCC.
  • Do keep accurate and detailed records for your stud.
  • Do get a cavy first aid kit together they are great to have on hand.
  • Do be sure to find a cavy savvy vet in your area, in case you need one.
  • Do double-check, if you are unsure about the suitability of a product for your cavies, jump on the forums and ask.
  • Do supervise young kids when they're handling the cavies, if they drop a pig they may break it's teeth, legs or worse.
Photo of Drifting Snow, courtesy of Mystic Dream Cavy Stud
  • Do make sure that your cavies daily requirements are met. Fresh food and water is important. Be sure to remove any fruit and vegetables each afternoon that haven't been eaten.
  • Do remember to remove the boars from your litters at 3-4weeks of age so they doen't impregnate their mother & sisters.
  • Do ensure your cavies get enough vitamin C as they cant produce it themselves.
  • Do learn how to trim nails & teeth if needed, particularly ones that are kept in hutches. Outside pigs wear their nails down naturally and have logs etc to chew on.  
Photo courtesy of Bewitching Cavies
  • Do look for good quality breed stock that is suitable for the table to get you started ie grooming etc. but dont expect to win Best in Show and don't whinge when you don't get anything. 
  • Do make sure that anything you put on the show table meets the standard, is pest free (re. dipped/treated,) has nails trimmed, boars have clean vents, is groomed based on breed specifics and is in showable condition, including of appropriate weight.
  • Do learn to listen to criticism. Yes, we don't like to be told we are doing something wrong, or one of our cavies isn't good enough to show, but you need to be able to accept criticism to be able to improve your animals and practices.
  • Do remember members of the fancy have already made mistakes, their advice is there to prevent you from making the same ones they did. Believe it or not, they are on your side, and are trying to help you, not demean you. So just keep an open mind and try to take their advice on, with this in mind.
  • Do exhibit general show etiquette, don't go around making discerning comments about other people's entries. Be polite and respectful at all times.
  • Do present your cavy on a show-board of appropriate size, larger ones are necessary for long-haired breeds.
  • Do stand at the table when a class or breed that you are interested in is being judged. It helps you look at animals in an appropriate way to assist with you selecting animals to purchase.
  • Do take photos if you like. This is acceptable if done respectfully. However, if a child is going to be in the photo, do the right thing and ask the parent(s) if they don't mind. 
  • Do remember cavies that you paper will forever carry your stud name. It is your reputation and you should endeavor to protect it.
  • Do have fun and enjoy the process.  



DON'T
  • Don't just go and buy the first cavies you see. Resist the urge to impulse buy. Research and learn who breeds the best of these breeds and get in contact with them.
  • Don't buy poor quality cavies. If you want to do well, place an order with a top exhibitor and wait. It is better to wait longer and start with good quality animals. 
  • Don't buy too many different breeds first up. Start with one or two breeds maximum and be successful with those, before moving on to include other breeds. 
  • Don't breed simply for the sake of breeding. 
  • Don't breed specifically for the pet market, gumtree, pet link etc. 
Photo courtesy of Bewitching Cavies
  • Don't buy/breed more then you can afford to feed and keep in appropriate conditions. Good animal husbandry is vitally important eg. always having clean water and the time to clean cages as needed, the space to keep them where it is well ventilated etc   
  • Don't give your cavies salt licks, exercise balls or wheels. They don't need them and they can in fact be dangerous.
  • Don't expect registered breeders to sell you showable stock, more-so of the marked variety.   
  • Don't become a "tyre kicker" and agree to sales, deposits, pick ups etc and then fail to follow through. Breeders will soon run out of patience with you and warn others to steer clear of you. This type of behaviour can permanently affect your ability to buy good quality stock.  
  • Don't expect reputable breeders to "hold" a cavy for you based on an "I'll think about it" or a "maybe." Genuine buyers don't hesitate. If you snooze, you're likely to lose.   
  • Don't buy guinea pig related products, from pet stores etc. They're over priced & over rated, most equine products as in feed, treatments etc are the same, much cheaper and you get more for your money.  
  • Don't trust so called "registered breeders" who advertise guinea pigs for sale continually, sometimes before they're even born, these are referred to as backyard breeders. These 'enterprises' are not worth supporting.  
  • Don't think that just because a person lists themselves as a 'registered breeder' on gumtree that they are. Or that just because a cavy looks like the breed it is supposed to be, that it is. Way too many newcomers to the fancy are getting ripped off by rogue operators.  
  • Don't breed from sows under 500 grams of weight. Although they can reproduce earlier, they simply haven't matured enough physically.  
  • Don't ever give your cavies penicillin. 
  • Don't keep boars together, they will fight eventually and the results can be disastrous.  
  • Don't 'sex' your cavies too early, this is where you can make a mistake. Check again at 4 weeks and then again before you sell them. 
  • Don't chat at the end of the judging table when attending shows, it can be distracting for both judges and participants. 
Photo courtesy of Naryco Cavies
  • Don't show a cavy that you have entered into the show to the judge prior to that cavies class being judged. If you want the judges opinion on specifics speak to them afterwards.  
  • Don't get overly concerned with points etc. when starting out. Just enjoy the experience of showing and learning. 
  • Don't paper every cavy born at your stud. Cavies should only be papered if they are up to standard and if you would use them in your caviary. If they aren't "good enough" for you, then don't paper them for someone else. The only exception to this rule is breeding quality marked's which may not be "show quality" but are suitable "breed quality" and can be sold papered for breeding.  
  • Don't touch peoples cavies without permission from their owners and never touch another exhibitors cavy while it is on the show table. 
  • Don't talk about the animals that are being shown on the table, or the exhibitors who are at the table. Even if you think you are being constructive, it is very poor form and against the rules.  
  • Don't say nasty things about other exhibitors, or their animals at all, to anyone. It makes you a bad person, and it will get back to them. Be a nice person and have a fun time, at the end of the day, we are all sharing the same hobby
 
 
 Thanks go to Matt Gardiner, Veronica Micallef, Dave & Cheryle Van Gelder, Kat Harper, Jessica Patterson, Vicki Mitchell-Taylor, Amanda Dark and Kathryn McKay for their help compiling these tips. 

No comments:

Post a Comment