FOR SALE

**We will be attending the Nov 28th, 2009 cavy show in Lodi, California. We hope to bring the following for sale pigs. Please e-mail us if you have an interest in any of them.

*Unless otherwise noted, NONE of the longhairs for sale are in show coat.*

*NONE of our sows are pregnant right now and we do not expect anymore cavy litters until sometime in January and February 2010.*

*Excuse the photos! These photos do the pigs no justice! I decided to bite the bullet and just get pics of the cavies (quality be darned) I had for sale, hence the poor quality*

Selling off the rest of our Silkie Satins... FOR SALE would be:

2 boars: 1 Carrot Hill GA/Wht boar (Carrot Hill's Cyrano - VERY nice boar! 2.8 pounder; nice coat, sheen, type. $40); 1 TSW boar ($25)

4 sows: all TSWs (2 are mismarks) -- $25 each if they go together with one of the above boars

All VERY nice Silkie Satins. All are big and typey with nice coats and real nice sheen.

BREEDING PAIR: 1 Opal Agouti Silkie boar; 1 DE Cream sow. $50 for the pair.

SK's Black Hole - Coronet Black sow. In breeding coat. Less than 1-year-old. Nice coat & type; depth of black is so-so.

1 Silkie Satin Blue Roan boar - chewed and doesn't have enough roaning to be showable, so just a breeder. FREE

*this is a really bad photo of him! He is MUCH MUCH better looking in real life! He has better sheen than this photo shows. He has a good coat & nice type.*

SK's Guyliner - Silkie Black/White boar - chewed, so just a breeder boar. FREE. Carries dilute. Would make an incredible pet as he is SOOO SWEET!

*Nice coat & type. Out of a 2 Dilutes (mom is a DE Cream Silkie)*

1 Silkie Lilac boar - $10

1 Silkie Black boar - could be shown. Nice type & coat coming in. $10

 For sale in Texels is as follows:

SK's Pirate's Booty - Red/Wht boar; KSJ & Tim's Cavies (IL) lines - $20

(photo while he was in coat)

SK's Tails of Witchcraft - TSW sow; KSJ, Tim's Cavies (IL), Cutie Pie Acres lines - $25

(baby pic. I do not have any current photos of her.)

SK's no name yet - Red/Wht boar; younger brother to Pirate's Booty

*IN SHOW COAT* - $25

(he has more hair now. IN SHOW COAT)

*May possibly have a Teddy Silver Ag/Wht adult boar for sale. Proven breeder.*

Misc. Q&As that buyers may like to know

Please read this section over in case it includes any questions you may have. If none of the Q&As on here are what you were looking for, please e-mail us to ask your questions that may have not been answered here.

Do you ship?

Yes, we ship. We ship mainly on Frontier due to its reasonable shipping rates, but we can ship on other airlines such as Delta, Continental or any other airlines that come out of the Sacramento International Airport. Please note that international shipments would have to be carried out at the San Francisco Airport, which is a good 2 hours from us, thus would cost more in regards to our time & gas going to and from the airport. Before contacting us about wanting cavies shipped, please realize that shipping is costly. On Frontier, the minimum shipping rate is $125 PLUS $1 per pound shipped; Delta is $178.25 for 0-19 pounds and $194.35 for 20-44 pounds (in the United States; Canada costs even more); Continental's QuikPak shipping for pets is $149 for 0-9 pounds and $199 for 10-50 pounds. Also note that these are the prices that are currently posted on the website, and they are subject to change. If you are seriously interested in getting cavies shipped, we can look into what the actual price would turn out to be. Along with the actual shipping rate, you'll have to factor in the cost of health certificates (which at our current vet run from around $45 to $70, depending upon the number of cavies shipped), carriers (it's cheaper to send your own carriers to us for the cavies to be shipped in), the fee for our time and gas to and from the airport ($25) and the cost of the cavies. For shipments outside of the United States, shipping is much more expensive.

Are your cavies pedigreed?

We keep records and pedigrees on our cavies. Even though we keep pedigrees, some of the cavies we have bought only have partial pedigrees or none at all. All of the cavies used in our breeding program have both a name and an ear tag. Starting from September 2008, homebred cavies will have an "SK" on their ear tag in front of the number (i.e.: SK000). We also keep weights on our cavies as it's required for registration, and even though most of our cavies aren't registered (and most cannot be due to not being just ONE breed for 3 generations --as in ONLY Coronets, or ONLY Abyssinian Satins--;we only breed breeds to other compatible breeds, such as Coronets to Silkies or satins to non-satins.), we feel it's only fair to include such information for those who are interested in knowing the weights of the ancestors in the cavy's line or to be able to register the cavy or any of its future babies. We take pride in keeping records and pedigrees on our cavies. Plus, records are EXTREMELY crucial to keep when breeding ANY sort of animal! We also feel that the pedigrees are just as important -- though we don't avoid buying a nice cavy from quality lines who doesn't have a pedigree -- as it's good to know a cavy's lineage to better select our future breeding pairs.

How much do your cavies cost?

It all depends. We do not have any set in stone prices as it all depends on many factors, such as how badly we need to move cavies out, the quality (show or breeding), the amount of cavies being bought, show wins, etc. All we can say is it'd be very rare for any of our cavies to be anything over $35. We feel that we have very reasonable prices for our cavies, especially considering the amount of money we have put into them and obtaining our original starter cavies. There really is no estimation as there are just too many factors going into what we price our cavies as. We just hope you'll be happy with our cavies and find them worth their cost! :-)

What feed do you use for your cavies?

Ever since we started our adventure into the cavy showing and breeding world, we have mainly used Mazuri Guinea Pig feed. We have tried different feed brands throughout the years, but always went right back to Mazuri. Ever since mid-May 2009, we have been using Templeton Guinea Pig feed (which is locally milled here in California) and both we and the cavies are enjoying its quality and cost. It has 20% protein and has no corn in its formula, and we have had very good results with it so far. And you can't beat its price at around $16 for 50lbs! ;-)

What other items (such as supplements, hay, etc.) do you give your cavies?

All our cavies, show pigs included, are free fed quality Orchard or Timothy Hay from one of the local feed stores (Douglas Feed in Granite Bay has awesome Orchard Hay!). Our cavies are also occasionally given alfalfa/timothy mix hay cubes to munch on. We do not normally use any supplements to mix into our cavies' feed. As an occasional treat, the cavies do get some Omolene. They are all regularly given veggies, mainly Romaine Lettuce. Other additional veggies and fruits fed include carrots, apples, watermelon in Summer, pumpkin in Fall, cantaloupe, yam, parsley, cilantro, etc. We do not use any form of Vitamin C supplement in the water. Majority of our cavies are hooked up on an automatic watering system, but a few still have water bottles (mainly the Critter Canteen bottles).

Do you treat your cavies for parasites such as mites and lice?

Yes, we regularly treat our herd for mites and lice. We use either Revolution (applied topically, usually in the bald spot behind the ears) or Ivomec Pour On (applied the same way as the Revolution). We were mainly using Ivomec Injection for swine and cattle before (give topically, not by injecting into the skin.), but after finding out the Pour On was almost the same (though is 0.5% Ivermectin and the Injection is 1%), we decided on the Pour On as in the end we'd be getting more bang for our buck. The reason we regularly treat the herd for lice and mites is because we frequently go to cavy shows and those are perfect places to bring back the blood suckers.

Do you keep a waiting list?

We've had no need to keep one as we really haven't had anyone that was truly interested in being on one. From what we've learned and dealt with, we have decided that there is just no reason to have one because 1.) most peoples' minds are always changing; 2.) most likely by the time we have what the person wants, she or he has already found another cavy to fit the bill. If you are truly dead set on a certain cavy, just keep contacting us and reminding us about that cavy you're dying to get or get pups out of. :-) If you are trying to keep up-to-date with our current litters and/or for sale cavies in the breeds and varieties you want, you're most likely to be the first one to get such! So unless the need arises, we do not keep a waiting list.

Which do you find makes a better pet: a boar or a sow?

Each cavy has her or his own individual personality. It can be hard to classify which gender is better as it all depends on the individual pig. From our own personal cavy experience, majority of our favorites have been boars. They tend to be much more lovable and happy to accept cuddles and kisses (and give piggy kisses back!). Of course, we can say the exact same about the sows too. Basically, to simplify the answer, it all depends on the pig. But if we had to choose, we'd say boars. Just go with whichever pig you personally prefer and who seems to "click" with you. Cavies are wonderful pets and as long as you get the ones you want, you should be very honored to be a cavy owner! :-) Oh, yea, one thing to remember: cavies are herd animals. It's best to get at least two of the same sex! And for the record, almost all of our boars (who are not in breeding) are living with another boar cagemate. The "boars will not get along with one another" thing is mainly just a myth, at least in our experience! We've had boars growing up together, boars that were introduced as adults and the whole shebang. As far as if they'll get along or not, it depends on their personalities. Some just plain out hate each other, whereas others will be best friends from the get-go! If you're wanting to get two that will get along, it's best to already get a pair of boars or sows that are already getting along together. But if you're going to introduce two cavies to one another, it's best to do so in neutral territory.

What are those metal things in your cavies' ears?

A pet buyer question. :-) If you've seen any of the photos on our caviary website, most likely you've stumbled across photos of some cavies with a piece of metal in the left ear (or in a few, in the right ear as well). Those are called ear tags and are required in the LEFT ear of any cavy who is or will be shown in an ARBA sanctioned cavy show. Even our cavies who are just breeders have them too. If the cavy has two ear tags, one in each ear, that means she or he is registered. The registration tag goes in the RIGHT ear. We are not required to ear tag the ears of those who will not be entered into a show, but we ear tag them for our records and pedigrees. No, we do not need to ear tag them to know who is who; we do it because it makes record keeping so much easier to have an ear number to place in the "ear #" spot on the pedigrees and records. Trust us, we know everyone by her or his name! :-) We know you're probably wondering if it hurts or not. It depends on the pigs. Some squeal, others do not let out a peep.

I really want one of your cavies as a pet, but I was wondering if you can remove the ear tag for me?

We admit that the ear tags are not exactly aesthetically appealing. Unless it's inserted wrong or causing the cavy problems, we do not remove ear tags. If they are inserted correctly, they are a PAIN to remove! It's much less stressful for the cavy to just leave it in. As long as it's where it should be and not causing the cavy any trouble, there is no need to remove it.

more Q&As coming soon!

last updated: November 24, 2009

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