does anyone know anything about starting a guinea pig rescue?

Question

i love guinea pig so much i really want to do more to help them out, i would love to rescue them?
i have a big garden with plenty of space?
i just need to know if anyone else has done this?
and how they did it?
are finding it?
and is it very expencive?
if anyone know anything about it please drop me some addvice?
thank you

Answer 1

I know someone who does something similar. This friend has a big plastic undercover which is held up by metal poles. Inside she has rows and rows of cages, with approximately 3 - 7 guinea pigs in each cage. She had a few that ran wild and a few which she kept in a room inside her house (those that were sick or new born babies). Getting started is the most expensive thing as you have to buy the undercover area and all of the hutches. Then you have to have enough money to buy food (chaff, pellets, vegetables), hay and generally maintain the well being of the hutches and the guinea pigs. The problem with having a rescue is that you don't get to have individual time with your piggies and your piggies don't get to have floor time as there are so many of them. Having a big garden is a good start. The question is, do you have a level backyard and do you have enough money to start the rescue and then maintain it (remember you have to clean the hutches out weekly, this will take up alot of time)? Maybe you could do it as a group, with a bunch of friends. You may have to think of fund raising techniques. Good Luck and Have fun.

Answer 2

Here is a list of websites to get you started:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=guinea+pig+rescue

I don't know where you are so you will have to narrow it down.

It might be a good idea to volunteer for a rescue first, either as a foster or at a shelter if there is one nearby. That way you can learn the ropes and later decide if you want to strike out on your own or continue to work under the rescue.

Answer 3

Well they do not do well in that kind of setting. You need to have space to have individual cages. Communities of 2-5 females can live together but if you have males with them you will have young pigs having babies and older females dieing from fused pelvic bones. A bit more research on guines pigs may be needed. I have been rescuing them for about 2 yrs now.

Answer 4

well...this is a difficult task........It is expensive and takes a lot of time and hard work! You'd need to seprate male guinea pigs from female guinea pigs....get cages....buy a lot of food and timothy hay. There would need to be a lot of space and somewhere for them to play....you would need to supply water daily. Instead, why don't you go to a guinea pig rescue and help out on weekends and on your free time? Look up "guinea pig rescues" on google.com and maybe you could go to one and help out or maybe even get a job there!!!
good luck (-:
I love guinea pigs 2!!!

Answer 5

GO to http://guinealynx.info/ and ask this question in the forum. There are a lot of rescues there and they cold be more help to you!

Answer 6

I dunno if it would be a good idea to do one of those things in your backyard since there are other animals that can prey on them, like cats, snakes, birds, etc... Even if you enclose it, snakes could probably get in....

Edit: lol, nevermind, I thought you meant one of those free range rescue things. ^_^;;

Answer 7

Good advice above, but I wouldn't keep them outside--they don't tolerate heat well.

Answer 8

i found a dead one in my yard...wierd.