At Glory & Co., we believe that the health of an animal is the most important aspect of breeding cavies. Therefore, we have many very specific practices in caring for our cavies. Below you will see a few of our secrets - those we're willing to share!

Glory & Co. Caviary consists of a 10' X 16" wooden shed. It has been fully equipped with "grow-lights" and adequate ventilation. This past winter (2004), we insulated it. We keep "the barn" at a steady temperature of 60* in the winter and 75* in the summer.

Food, bedding, and other materials are kept in large plastic trash cans with lids, for easy access and to keep them safe from rain or other soiling.

Our feed of choice is ProForm Cavy Ration Pellets, sold only in British Columbia, Canada, and accessed by us at KleenMama's Hay Loft. We also acquire wonderful Orchard Grass Hay from KleenMama and free feed it. Vegetables and/or fruits such as carrots, romaine, apples, oranges, spinach, and green peppers (among others) are given daily.

Our breeding and/or community living animals are bedded on kiln dried Gem Pine Shavings. Show animals are housed on Barn Dry wood pellet bedding.

Our "community living" cages consist of two young sows sharing a 24" X 24" cage. These cages are equipped with toys, a platform (shown here), and a brick to keep their nails from getting long. Sows are bred when they reach a weight of 30 ounces, which is typically between 3 and 4 months. We believe that cavies do create bonds with each other and thus prefer to keep two sows together who will likely be bred to the same boar when breeding time comes.

When nearly ready to deliver, sows are moved to our 24" x 24" baby cages, which have 1" X 2" wire around the sides reinforced with 1/2" X 1/2" wire mesh to keep stray babies from toppling out onto the shed floor.

A few days after delivery, Mum and litter are moved into 2' X 6' cages with another mum and litter so that the mums can have some company their own age and babies have extra playmates. They also usually share each other's litter, which is especially nice for mums that put a lot into their babies. We try to breed two or more sows at the same time for this reason.

Shown in slight disarray: Pregnant sows are kept in a 2' X 6' breeding cage so as to promote exercize. We also sometimes keep breeding harems and/or nursing mums in these cages - we like to let our new mums share the joy of motherhood.

We wean our baby boars when they reach a weight of 12 ounces, usually around 3 weeks, or if they are small, they are always weaned by 4 weeks. Sows are allowed to stay with mum until they are sold or, if we plan to keep them, they are either placed in 18" X 24" show pens, or into community living with other young sows, at around 6 weeks of age.

Molly the GuardBunny!

Molly is a two year old broken sable point Holland Lop. She is litter box trained and has free roam of the shed, except on nice warm days when we like to open the doors so as to allow for extra ventillation. She is an escape artist at heart who is nearly impossible to catch on her jaunts around the neighborhood, so as an extra precaution, when the shed doors are open she is placed in her 24" X 30" outdoor cage.