Aiden says,
" Hello! Welcome to our 'Piggery'!"
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Several Piggies are for sale, plus
New litters "soon": Cissie x Iggy (peruvian) Sakura x Sasuke (coronet) Dora x Chop'r (coronet) Blackberry x Chop'r (silky/coronet) Hailstorm x Ozzy (peruvian/satin) Punkin x Ozzy (silky/peruvian) Avril Lavigne x Pete Wentz (peruvian) |
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RIP Rosetti (aka Stetty Pstetty) I lost Tetty this spring (2009). He was my first piggy, and we went to lots of shows and fairs for fitting and showing. He would share carrots with me and liked to nibble whatever book or magazine I was reading. He also liked to ride around in my hoody and always sang to me. I miss you, Ted. Many of our Coronets can trace their pedigree back to him. Tetty was 5 1/2. AllieK |  |
We raise long-haired cavies (guinea pigs, that is): Coronets, Peruvians, and Silkys. The long-hairs pose a challenge for any breeder. Since these breeds are judged on their beautiful long coats, extra care must be taken to keep them 'show shape.' Their hair has to be worked and wrapped every day to keep tangles out. Often, special bedding is used to decrease the possibility of tangles and coat discoloration. They also need to be trained to sit quietly on a show board: a burlap-covered 16" X 16" X 4" raised platform. The presenter will groom and pose the animal on this board and carry it up to the judging table to wait its turn to be judged.
A long-haired guinea pig's show career is relatively short compared to other breeds. The coat is at its best at approximately 8 months of age. Most pigs are retired before they are a year old, as the coat's quality starts to deteriorate (thinning, frizzy, split ends, etc.) by this time and is harder and harder to get and keep at its show-best.
When a show pig's career is over, it's really OVER. The sad day finally comes when all that beautiful hair has to be cut off in preparation for their next life stage: the breeding pen. The excess hair impedes mating, so off it comes!
Long or short hair?
If you are considering getting a pig for a pet or for show, don't let the long hair scare you! The hair of the long-hairs: Coronets, Peruvians, Silkys, and Texels, continues to grow throughout their lifetime, but is easliy trimmed for pet and retired show animals. Having raised nearly every American breed of cavy (there are 13), we really like the temperment of the long-hairs the best.
If you are considering getting a young long-hair to show, don't be intimidated. They are a lot of work, but also a lot of fun! There are also lots of breeders out there who are more than happy to help out. After all, the more the merrier!
