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Buying From A Breeder

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Jessi

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I have been enquiring about a couple of young pure bred guinea pigs. Their owner is a judge at shows which I felt encourage by. I felt that buying from here was a much better option than a pet shop. However he has just told me that he owns over 50 guinea pigs. Is this something that should put me off or is this common for showers/breeders? Thanks
 
Have you ever considered rescues?

I'm not sure there's even such a thing as a "pure bred" piggy to be honest, it sounds like a guinea pig farm to me :(

If he's claiming pure bred there could also be inbreeding and that would likely cause a lot of health problems.

I would definitely avoid, even if I wasn't pro rescue.

Where abouts are you based? If you add it to your profile it could help us find somewhere for you to get piggies :)
 
I have been enquiring about a couple of young pure bred guinea pigs. Their owner is a judge at shows which I felt encourage by. I felt that buying from here was a much better option than a pet shop. However he has just told me that he owns over 50 guinea pigs. Is this something that should put me off or is this common for showers/breeders? Thanks

Hi and welcome

Please be aware that we are a strictly pro-rescue non-breeding non-showing forum.

If you want to make absolutely sure to get only healthy/fully quarantined, properly sexed and guaranteed not pregnant as well as carefully bonded piggies that are used to handling and human interaction for a smooth and problem-free start, then go rescue! You will get support throughout the settling in period and will always have the rescue to fall back on if you run into trouble during the lifetime of your piggies please contact one of our recommended good standard rescues that really provide all of the above mentioned.
Of all the places you can get piggies from, our recommended rescues are by far the safest places with lots; they are the places we can guarantee for that you are in safe and experienced hands - and so are any piggies at any stage during the rescue process. We have them all checked carefully. You will be surprised at what a variety of piggies there are in rescue!
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

Please be aware that while there are tight regulations for shows and showing criteria, there are actually none for how guinea pigs are kept at the breeders'. Welfare in breeding and rescue is often lagging far behind due to there being no control. Anybody in this country can call themselves a breeder or a rescue; there is no licensing and no control. The results are accordingly.
I can guarantee you that any piggies from such a crowd are going to be on the nervous and skittish side as breeders are not investing time on turning show piggies into cuddly pets. I have adopted the odd ex-breeder piggy over the years, but they have all been on the nervous side and taken a lot of time and patience to bring round. My experience is sadly not at all unique.
I have had over the years what you would call pure breed piggies and mongrels of all descriptions. The pure breeds have not been any healthier, longer lived or better behaved/cuddlier than my cross-breeds - in fact it has been often the other way round!

Please take the time to read these guides here; you may find them very interesting and helpful:
Quick Information Bundle For Wannabe Owners
 
In Italy the serious breeders are only 3-4 in the whole country and they belong to an association with strict rules. Of course if you want to pure pet they give you a certificate with written the genealogy of the names of parents and grandparents. They guarantee there are no inbreedings and that the females don't have more than a certain number of pregnancy in life.
Anyway I would not choose a pure pet... look at the pure dogs and cats: they are filled of troubles and always to the vet... a cross is healthier, although he is not good for the show. A cross is always a surprise, a good surprise! One of my piggie was signed by the vet as an Abyssinian and now... surprise! She does not look like an abyssinian... her face is abyssinian but her fur is extremely long... And the peruvian is not a real peruvian, but she is amazing as well...
And they seem to be very strong.
In Italy there is only ONE official rescue... In UK you have a better choice, therefore my advice for you is to visit one of them. If not, at least ask for a written pedigree and a written certificate of the first check up with a vet. Here the rescue gave me also the result of poo analysis.
Another thing: you should know that the piggie will go on eating ONLY the vegs he learnt to eat the first days of his life. Be sure that the breeder or the shop educated the piggie to eat correctly, otherwise you will find in my old situation, with a piggie who didn't eat anything good and of course fell ill very soon. A rescue guarantee a good and healthy style of eating.
 
@Jessi My first pigs were from breeders so I have a bit of experience on what they're like.

First and foremost breeding pigs is all about making money. There's no way anyone could have 50 pigs and value them as anything other than money making machines. Because of this, and as I didn't know better and assumed that as they had a lot of pigs they obviously knew alot about pigs, I ended up with 4 in a 2 story hutch. 4 boys...

It didn't end well, one had to have his eye removed because of fighting and they eventually all ended up living separately.

If I had gone to a rescue and ended up with fighting boys then I would have had their help to resolve it.

Or even better, I wouldn't have had fighting boys as they would have either bonded them for me or supported me with it.

Plus, giving an unwanted/unloved pig is the best feeling ever. When you can always try to rescue first.
 
I agree with you that having 50 guinea pigs does sound off putting.

I got my two delightful sows from a rescue. One of the rescues on rescue locator on here. It means that they were health checked and definately not pregnant. Also by taki g them I freed up amrescue space more more guinea ligs so a win win situation.

Hope you find some lovely guinea pigs to join your family.
 
Welcome to the forum.

Great replies above. As you will appreciate, as a pro rescue and anti intentional breeding forum we are not going to recommend that you buy piggies from a breeder. I would also recommending contacting a local rescue and adopting piggies. I have some absolutely beautiful piggies who have all been adopted.
 
If you live somewhere where you have the option of rescue, I would look into that. There are a lot of guinea pigs that need homes. That said, there are some countries and locations where rescues are abundant and some where the option is not available or really difficult, so I sympathize there (and honestly, mine are from the pet store because there is only one rescue in my area that only adopts out bonded pairs and because of the age gap of my pigs, I am always wanting a solo pig to bond with a pig at home. We started out with a same-age pair, but unfortunately one dramatically outlived the other and since then we have never had the option to take on a pair at one time.)

The purpose of show breeding is to produce animals with proper show conformation and not necessarily to produce good pets who are friendly, accustomed to being handled, etc. With fifty pigs, it is likely that there is not much time to socialize the babies (or the parents) before you bring them home. With some species of dogs, etc., when you buy from a breeder you are at least getting genetic testing common to the breed, for things like hip dysplasia, etc., but to the best of my knowledge there is no genetic testing for issues available for guinea pigs. Realistically, this breeder is either mass-breeding for profit or breeding for show conformation (which leads to lots of left-over pigs who aren't show-quality who are then sold as pets.) Which doesn't mean they won't be nice piggies... just that I doubt this breeder is spending much time with the pigs before they are sold, or with their parents, for that matter. That said, I honestly think that most pigs out there are the product of breeding for profit or accidental breeding or backyard breeders with no real clue what they are doing, whether you are getting them from a pet store, from a breeder, or from a rescue (because prior to coming to the rescue, those pigs likely came from one of the above sources first.) So, in short, if possible, I would try to rescue. If it's not possible (and I totally get that in some circumstances the option is just not available!) you will be looking at breeders or pet shops and I'm not sure there's a huge difference between the two options in terms of the care of the animals involved.
 
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