Develop your garden.

Livestock Gardens

Keeping any form of livestock requires careful consideration. You must ensure that your garden or plot of land will adequately meet the needs of the animals you are planning to keep.

There are many choices, some of the more usual are chickens, hens, goats, and rabbits. The following brief guides are design to help get an understanding of the basic upkeep and care requirements for your livestock gardening plans.

You should also seek professional advice from suppliers in your local area, they will be able to help you with any specific questions that you may have.

Keeping Guinea Pigs

The guinea pig makes an excellent pet, and they are fairly easy to care for. Although you should remember that looking after a guinea pig is much more than just feeding and cleaning up. They need you for company especially if they live on their own.

Guinea Pigs (Cavies) can live for up to eight years. So it is quite a considerable commitment if you are deciding to keep one.

Guinea pigs are very sociable animals by nature and so it is best to have at least two. Two females (sows) will get along well, but two males (boars) may fight. There is more chance of them getting on if they are raised together from a very young age and have no contact with females. A male and a female will get on, but be prepared for babies! You can have a single Guinea pig, but make sure you provide it with lots of attention.

Guinea pigs should not really be kept with rabbits, as they require different feeding. Rabbits also tend to be more aggressive, and guinea pigs may suffer in living conditions like this.

Choosing a guinea pig

You should be able to purchase a guinea pig from breeders and good pet shops. Be sure that you research the requirements that your guinea pig will need to survive, there are many books, and you can get professional advice from local vets, or friends that keep guinea pigs as pets.

A quick list of things that you will need:

Hutch

Newspapers and wood shavings to line the hutch floor

Heavy earthenware dish

Water bottle

Hay

Guinea pig food mix

Guinea pigs can either live indoors or outside and this must be decided before the purchase of a hutch.

If the hutch is to be used outdoors:

The hutch must be weatherproof with an overhang to stop rain getting in. It should not rest directly on the ground; most outdoor hutches come with legs attached. The hutch should be positioned in a sheltered place, away from strong sunlight and winds. The doors must be secure to stop cats and other animals getting in.

Other more specific caring advice should be researched fully before you make your purchase.

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