Why We’re Raising 100+ Guinea Pigs to Mow Our Blueberry Orchard! 🐹🌱

[@parccarreg]

Hi everyone! If you're interested in learning more about our membership click here: kzbin.info/door/VqpsosXVKnXZZ5BBfzvtEgjoin

[@Vardune]

I have run free range Guinea Pigs in my yard for 25 years. I would suggest a change to your strategy. I would first fence in your yard/blueberry patch to keep out ground animals (dogs/coyotes/raccoons) by digging a foot down and extending fencing into ditch. To keep the hawks and eagles out you put some poles in and run some reflective material between them so that they will not want to risk flying through it. Put out plenty shelters in the yard. You will need to move these every week or two. If you are worried that the pigs will eat the trunks of the blueberry bushes then take the 1/4 square fencing and rap it around the base. It only needs to standing a foot tall. I have run up to 40 pigs and had to contend with hawks, eagle (just one), raccoons and dogs in the neighborhood. I never had to mow my yard the whole time. They kept the yard mowed better than I could do because they could do all the corners. And all at one blade at a time. They eat most of the weeds in the yard, dandelions did not stand a chance. They do not over mowed. I always had pellets to supplement there diet (vitamin C thing). Wish you a lots of luck in your endeavor. It is a fun project and just watching the piggies running around is a kick.

[@angelareimann6433]

Very positive report from someone who knows how it is.

[@SatumainenOlento]

Best advice!!!

[@wesh388]

Good tips

[@triciaamheiser785]

Coyotes and raccoons are not an issue in Wales. Dogs maybe, looks like their pup is teaching them what they need to know, though he's a great dog and a quick learner. The advice for hawks and eagles is warranted.

[@Vardune]

@@triciaamheiser785 I had a Australian Shepard and she was wonder with the guinea pigs. Never hurt one. Anytime I needed move the herd she was on top of it. The rest of the time she would ignore them.

[@dhawthorne1634]

Guinea pigs have a complex social structure and need to form colonies. Fortunately that means if they DO escape, they will generally stay together chatting away like teenagers in the school cafeteria, making them incredibly easy to locate and catch.

[@teklife]

i can't believe how adorable they are. another great thing about guinea pigs is they don't bite, and their cute little chirpy sounds are really endearing

[@lucheeese]

this is too cute

[@shanetuma3845]

​@teklife They absolutley do bite. I nearly had my finger taken off by my ex girls guinea pigs the first time I tried to pet them.

[@Undomaranel]

​@@teklife You really believe guinea pigs don't bite...? I'm not going to believe anything else you say, because that right there is ridiculously ignorant.

[@pietsnot7002]

​@@teklifel have a scar for more than 30 years that says otherwise 😂

[@sirdeakia]

And let's face it, the greatest advantage is that they're insanely cute

[@EliosMoonElios]

Wrong, the greatest advantage is that they're a delicatessen🍽🐹♥.

[@Chillllllbruh]

Supposedly delicious as well. I'd try it.

[@Diego20529]

Guinea pigs were domesticated thousands of years ago for the specific purpose of being a food source, just like many other animals. Thinking that eating guinea pig is weird is like saying eating cow or pig is weird. They are not "considered a delicacy in some cultures", but rather they were domesticated to be a food source in the place they are originally from!

[@grynte1]

But are they tasty!

[@dankang23]

@@Chillllllbruhtried some in Bolivia. Had to stuff my mouth and go to the bathroom to spit it out.

[@Grandmasterbass]

DUDE! Add the second cage in your process. 2 cages. While the pigs are eating, you set up the second cage adjacent to it. When you’re done setting up, you open a little cage door that lets them walk into the second gage with fresh grass. They’re over there eating. You break down cage #1, and relocate it to the next position while the pigs eat. Boom!

[@parccarreg]

Great idea!

[@Jimmy-mx4cc]

That's actually a ,,f, good I'd

[@gloriacoffey4651]

😊

[@conniepitts8392]

What do you do with the older females after they turn 2 or one and half they can't birth babies because there pelvis's fuse together not allowing birth to happen..

[@peter-robinson]

@@conniepitts8392they become dinner.

[@kristin5510]

I asked my dad if we could have a blueberry orchard… just without the blueberries and only the guinea pigs ☺️

[@parccarreg]

What did say!?!

[@whatilearnttoday5295]

You can. They're a commercial food crop. Peruvian's eat them.

[@kristin5510]

@@parccarreg sadly no guinea pigs but when I move out soon im definitely getting some!!

[@OliverGassner]

You think of a meadow

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

@@whatilearnttoday5295 In some countries maybe but in the state's their more akin to a pet. Of course ya know that don't you edge boy?

[@jeffreyblock16]

Poor dog has to tell other pups he herds Guinea pigs

[@parccarreg]

😂

[@HedgehogZone]

😂👍

[@DeborahThird-og1uo]

🤣

[@Desert-Dweller]

Oh the shame! 😂

[@lynnroberts76]

Oh wow - bad way to lose your sheep dog card!🤣

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

This was hilarious - I remember cavy herding as a kid. I only had 4, but that was plenty if they were outside. Pro tip (from my 12 year old previous self) don't feed their favorite food except when you are trying to recover them, then whistle like they do, place the food in a shallow tub, and they will run to find it.

[@parccarreg]

great idea!

[@brendaann727]

They are smart and so are you! It works with cats too. When I used to could keep my cats outside & it was safe with a fenced-in yard; I would still put them up at night because of owls, the predator that flies in from above. Just before dark, I would call them in and give them thier favorite food. It worked every single time!

[@sarahmeadows149]

The dog is so smart. It's amazing that the dog help you found the last guinea pig. I love the idea of the guinea pigs helping with gardening.

[@brainstormjessiegouge8611]

We used to have an 8x4 x 8" Cage we moved daily in the grass but after watching the racoons drag them up the trees to eat them it was too sad. Where I live they are eaten by racoon, ferret, foxes and birds of prey. Even though we brought them inside at night. I'm in the usa

[@brainstormjessiegouge8611]

Our cage was covered with chicken wire but it wasn't strong enough to keep out preditors. Now all my animals cages and my tiny house had to have hardware cloth wire to keep out the preditors.

[@AShakyLife]

If you have guardian livestock dogs it would probably prevent that.

[@HedgehogZone]

True but dogs are a big committment! Its like adopting a child in some cases (huskys😉).

[@debwilliams611]

I would say invest in a commercial zero turn mower, cut your grass in half an hour, and save yourself the work of livestock care. We cut our 3 acres of grass in 1.5 hrs. Just a thought from Canada

[@sunilgovale390]

.

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

Guinea pigs are just so likeable. In the Andes, it is common to keep a couple living free in the kitchen, where they live on vegetable scraps.. In Spanish, the word for guinea pig is "cuy", which is pretty much the sound they make. In my opinion, anything involving lots of guinea pigs is a good idea.

[@dawnvalfre]

@@tomjeffersonwasright2288 the Gpigs kept in Andean kitchens is bigger than the pets we see in the US and they are a staple food in those villages.

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

@@dawnvalfre In the Andean town I lived in, they were mostly pets, and about the same size as guinea pigs I had in the US. They cook up very small. They were sold already cooked at the market, but mainly for celebrations or holidays. They said that in "old times" they were more common.

[@rebeccataylor6577]

Cavies too. I used to be a member of cavy club and go to shows when little. We had a wire run with wire mesh floor so whole unit plus cavies and bowls could be lifted and moved.

[@theDurgaLove]

Who wants excrement in their kitchen?

[@Rosebud2503]

Yes, they are a food source in the Andes.

[@bp8652]

I used to do this with my pets until one died of heat stroke. They overheat quickly. You should add some shade cloth and an extra water source.

[@lazyidiotofthemonth]

I think the worry is more cold than heat where this farm is.

[@TomK32]

@@lazyidiotofthemonth Don't worry about the cold, they don't grow a winter coat but keep moving all day and huddle together during the night. Just make sure they have a safe space that's dry and without wind. I keep my four piggies and the winters just north of the Alps can be really cold.

[@lazyidiotofthemonth]

@@TomK32 For Europe sure,by Upper Midwest standards the alps are pretty balmy. most days in the winter its warmer in Moscow than it is where I live. basically I can expect the entire month of January to be subzero(fahrenheit, so -20 or less celsius all January)

[@fortmacmom3122]

This is Wales. The one day of summer a year is unlikely to be too much for them….😂

[@Weeks25]

Doesn’t look very warm there to me

[@Aedony]

Also, from someone who has kept guinea pigs for ... like 10 years or more in an outdoors.. you may wanna reconsider the safety of your outdoor cages. With them its usually not about keeping the guinea pigs in (most stuff will) but keeping predators out. And even a leaping cat can get through that top net. Marder will go much further than cats and can squeeze through the upper (not so fine meshed) part of your fence easily. They can dig too. If they are outdoors at night, they would also need some warmish hut with a bottom filled with something that doesn't get as wet as just the ground. I've seen people use portable chicken coops on wheels, maybe take some inspiration from that. One other thing is, .. if you have a big group of males they very likely become aggressive towards each other. They can bite hard and deep - into each other. I've seen some very nasty wounds. Just be aware and check regularly. You may have to split males up or give some away if that starts to happen.

[@brandyjean7015]

I'm curious, what is a Marder?

[@annemckervey9023]

@@brandyjean7015 A little carnivore. Very similar to ferrets.

[@Aedony]

@@brandyjean7015 a marten. Marder is german, sorry :D

[@sillyface6950]

They have mesh over the top that wont keep out larger predators but will work for smaller ones and birds. But they also said they had an electric fence to stop foxes, so that will stop things like cats.

[@zabelmartin2728]

Super project! But the time you saved in 'blueberry-season', you have to spent in the rest of the year to take care to guinea pigs (incl. nutrition $) i hope you have found an similar solution for this problem like for your 'mown-problem' !! Go on!! Martin from Germany

[@ariannareed6938]

Vet student here, love your video! You probably already know this but don't forget the importance of vitamin C in their diet (they require 25-50 mg per day)! The little pirates are surprisingly susceptible to hypovitaminosis C (also known as scurvy) if they do not have an ample dietary source. Hay is needed to keep their teeth in check. If you notice your little ones having dental issues, you may want to supplement some tougher Timothy hay in with their softer grasses to ensure they can properly grind their teeth. Looks like you are taking great care of them! :)

[@parccarreg]

Thank you! Yes we are aware. Interestingly we do not supplement with vitamin C. Their diet is almost entirely from pasture or trees. My theory is that they are getting all the vitamin C they need because the forage they get is fresh.

[@andyv2209]

@@parccarreg they are not, what you showed them to eat does not contain the amount they need even if you doubled the amount.

[@parccarreg]

​@@andyv2209They are all in very good condition. They've been breeding and producing healthy litters for over a year now. So either the vitamin C dose requirement is wrong in our context, or they are getting enough from the food we give them. Over a year you'd expect to see issues. I can't see how they'd have such good litters if their nutritional needs were not being met. Of course we'll continue to observe. What I do know is that most GP keepers are not providing fresh pasture, tree leaves and bark on a daily basis.

[@andyv2209]

@@parccarreg vitamin c supplements are not that difficult to add. You will if you really care about their health and well being. If not, whatever, don't.

[@caninesteins]

Everything that we feed guinea pigs is just a replacement for their natural diet of native grasses - as long as they get plenty of fresh green grass year round they will likely be fine. (Veterinarian). Free fed long strands of grass will grind teeth.

[@WhichDoctor1]

Honestly, if you'd just waited till nightfall you'd have probably found all the escaped Guinea Pigs back in their little house of their own accord

[@tlock77]

Really? 😊

[@WaitWhat99]

Hey mate, we used to do the same thing. Scrap the tractors. Fence the whole orchard and let them reduce the whole orchard evenly. Much much easier. They’re excellent live-stock. Keep the females for the orchard, eat the young males (yes, they’re actually very good food source). But after 2 years we moved to using geese instead. Very very effective with keeping the grass down, not damaging to shrubs and bushes, self sufficient and in larger numbers can (for the most part) look after themselves. Meat is excellent. Eagles and snakes don’t bother with geese like they do with GPs.

[@WhichDoctor1]

they said at the beginning that they already tried geese and ducks and it didn't work

[@victoriavickers33]

when given such a large area animals tend to prefer one area so you will get a very uneven approach with large areas untouched.

[@catrice1296]

Hmm idk why ive never considered guniea pigs an edible animal. I mean i guess technically tons of animals are considered edible with just varying risks attached like diseases and parasites. But hmmm didnt think of that one before.

[@catrice1296]

Btw idk why i hmmm-ed in a freaking comment. I just noticed and well just please ignore it. Idk when i picked up that habit.

[@susanlittle-zq3fr]

They are the national dish of Malta ​@@catrice1296

[@twilightingX]

Might be easier to just fence the whole orchard and just free range them. They can be trained to call in at night with food. It wouldn’t cost a lot. Just posts and sheep netting and a strip of that wire at the bottom. It would also be more permanent. So you could bury a bit of the bottom of the wire. So no more escapes.

[@AShakyLife]

@@twilightingX I love that idea. Much less labor intensive. Even if you lose one here or there. Keep a guardian dog with them and win/win!

[@parccarreg]

no can do as the GPs would eat the blueberry canes in the spring / summer

[@dawnvalfre]

@@parccarregDogs can be trained too😊

[@southurnstar]

Why not fence off the whole perimeter and along the edges of the garden beds? Then you can free range them during the day and call them in at night. You would just need to put pvc pipes 1m or so apart for fast hiding from predators

[@JoyCopperMoth]

​@@parccarregwhat about just fencing the rows instead?

[@robertkeay9087]

My family were using 2 guinea pigs (aka furry locusts) to mow the back lawn back in the 1970s. I knew the world would catch up eventually 😁

[@rosalindcormier4384]

I love the imagery of Guinea pigs as furry locusts lol

[@LiquidFire13]

Imagine being the only guinea pig that couldn't figure out how to escape 😆

[@parccarreg]

Hahaha!

[@honeybunch5765]

That's my male Yorkie. 😂The female is an escape artist, but he doesn't have her intelligence.

[@elizabethlen9784]

Or the only one smart enough to stay within the safety of the cage!!

[@alisongilbert8902]

Great idea! Muscovey ducks actually live off grass too, they may be another option to try, and they don't need ponds or bodies of water to breed like ducks do. They're very hardy, and friendly ❤️

[@andresamplonius315]

Solo faltarían unas llamas para hacer un "trío peruviano" con los patos criollos y los cuyes. Las llamas es sabido que son útiles para espantar a depredadores como zorros o perros. Sugeriría un próximo vídeo mostrando algún platillo con los cuyes. La práctica en la crianza de Cavia porcellus se basa en la selección de los mejores ejemplares (mayor peso, crecimiento más rápido, mayor número de crías por camada, etcétera) para reproductores. Los demás son para el consumo. Hay que recordar que pasada la edad óptima la carne de los ejemplares ya no es tierna y no resulta tan agradable como la del ejemplar joven. Acá en YT hay numerosos vídeos que abordan la crianza, claro que en castellano.

[@riverrainbow]

@@alisongilbert8902 muscovies are fantastic mowers, I was thinking that they might be worth a try, if the guinea pigs didn't work out. I'd disagree about not needing bodies of water though, they are waterfowl so they do love water and they do still need it for their health and welfare, and they do fly, which could be a challenge!

[@falsename2285]

my muscovyies do not fly. do LOVE the pond, and eat EVERYTHING whether you want them to or not. Very broad diet, so youd have to fence them off the berry bushes.

[@riverrainbow]

@@falsename2285 mine haven't eaten any of my fruit...yet. Other breeds of duck I've had in the past have though!

[@falsename2285]

@@riverrainbow oh they love raspberry and gooseberry, other than that they have no acces to my stuff, they will also eat fallen grapes.

[@johnoleary528]

Glad you were able to retrieve them all. What a superb dog! 😊

[@Jamieleesquirtus]

This is absolutely wonderful..im a fairly new Guinea Pig parent (my cleaning clients children chose using the internet, way too much, over taking care of the pigs they begged for) Ive learned HOW MUCH WORK they actually are but ive also learned about all the disrespect they truly get (abandoned, surrendered, abandoned because they can't surrender them because all the places have too many surrendered guinea pigs) So to see this, its absolutely wonderful!! Everything on this earth serves a purpose in one way or another!

[@fishnet_stockings8834]

This is a good idea bc Guinea pigs are always given up for adoption bc they’re kind of difficult pets marketed poorly, but I did cringe when they were all dumped on their sides in the bin- they have very fragile backs

[@Kirmeins]

Oh yeah, I know what you mean. Guess that's the difference between keeping a couple as pets or a 100+ as lifestock. Plus, I don't know about fragile backs. My boy once did an accidental backflip while jumping out of my hands. Landed right on his back in a pretty scary way. But he didn't even look sore the days after, he wasn't fazed by me after it happened and he wasn't hiding things either (he tends to be rather obvious about hiding discomfort - usually means he'll hide in his hut and sleep a lot and make little noises when he thinks I'm not looking).

[@teijaflink2226]

They didn't rescue any guinea pigs though unfortunately but bred lots of Guinea pigs, I really hope they keep them if the experiment doesn't work out instead of dumping the problem on a poor shelter like most people do (or just dump the poor piggies outside).

[@natatherden1769]

@@teijaflink2226 pretty sure they use them to produce manure also

[@Mouse_Metal]

@@Kirmeins They have fragile bones compared to how heavy they are. One of my pigs broke his pelvic bone recently and I have no idea how it could happen. I didn´t drop him or hit him with the door accidentally. He loves to jump on the roof of his house, so he might just slip when jumping down and injure himself. He is also pretty old (5,5 years) and nobody told him he is supposed to be lazy and stop doing the stuff young piggies do, like jumping up and down his house all the time. He was given another type of house with round roof, so he can´t jump on it anymore.

[@wraith1320]

@Mouse_Metal It makes me so sad when animals get old, and they don’t understand why they can’t do all the things they used to. 🥺 It’s heartbreaking. They can’t understand it at all. People don’t like getting old and losing their vitality either, but at least we know what’s happening and have lots of things we can still enjoy when we can’t be as physically active anymore…

[@pilkyish]

What a great dog you’ve got there. I’m interested to hear and see more about your venture with these creatures, and what enterprises you come up with using them. Subscribed👍🏻

[@parccarreg]

Thanks! He's a very good boy ☺️ Glad you liked the video

[@dothedo3667]

​@@parccarregIs he a certain breed or mixed?

[@parccarreg]

@@dothedo3667 he is a mix of collie X grey hound X german wire haired pointer.

[@percival23]

Thinking out of the box to solve a problem will ALWAYS have unexpected problems, mistakes etc. It's good that you show that in your video so others don't get discouraged because they see it's all part of the process.

[@ellenmadsen7308]

Just the sheer fun of raising Guinea pigs makes this a tremendous project.

[@JLa_802]

IDEA BLAST! Add extra panels to the sides by cutting them into smaller sections and cable tying them together. The cages can then be moved accordion style through the narrow rows. It could cut movement time and allow the cages to curve around the slight bends in the rows. Also, spike the cages down with hooks, or cut the bottom row or two of horizontal weld off so the bottom is spiked and can be pushed into uneven ground. More prep work, but it saves the time of finding lost pigs.

[@jengod4185]

Everyone loses gueneapigs when they first put them out, I think. Don't you love how they call and tell you where they are.

[@WournosFromTwitch]

Some 35 years ago I read a Donald Duck comic, where he was a gardener and had gotten a "fancy" job trimming the grass of some posh stables. He had all sorts of trimmers and mowers. When asked how he would go about trimming the grass outside the stables with sleeping horses, he pulled out 6 or so rabbits on leashes. I never thought I'd see anyone use similar equipment IRL. 🤩

[@gushunter6709]

I manage a meadow with Guinea pigs for conservation, and likewise have an aversion to power tools after 20 years in forestry.. This made me chuckle, as youre encountering all the same issues! I use sand to make sure the ground is level, so they cant get under runs - saves on escape recovery time. I like to move them on rather than free roaming in a field, as it gives me more control over where and when to mow for the botany (Orchids). I like how youve done the math for it! Our piggies are central to the whole house composting regime too. Theyre just little veg processing/compost generating units. ;)

[@NorthernWisconsinandStuff]

12:23. The look on that dog's face! He's thinking some dogs get to live on a beach. Some get to travel in little baby buggies. And this is my lot!

[@remcovanvliet3018]

If you build a pvc pipe frame around the pen, and put a sheet of wire mesh on the bottom, it'll be even easier to drag over to the next patch, and it doesn't leave them any opportunity to crawl under the fence.

[@JoshuaThompson-zy4tw]

Then they can't eat the grass

[@susanhaney3437]

They can get their legs caught in wire mesh. I had a guinea pig die that way.

[@mcraw4d]

Attaching metal conduit pipe to the bottom of the fencing would help add some weight to help keep it settled to the ground. It would not add so much weight that it would impede the daily relocation either.

[@parccarreg]

Great idea thanks!

[@milliewilliams6418]

Or even some pvc pipe, lighter than the metal and probably cheaper.

[@johnblyth9787]

Mesh on bottom of cage, large enough to allow grass to be accessible, but small enough to hold guine pigs. Also the plastic drum ends as a hide would get hot in middle of day. Timber with air holes and perhaps insulation of some type. A second false roof with a foot gap and a foot over hang all round should work. I love your approach of little machinery and regenerative / nature way of maintance etc. Hope your little helpers can work .

[@TheUnicorn2104]

Being permanently on mesh hurts most mammals feet. I don't think that's a great idea

[@charleswalters5284]

Ideas are good

[@savoiewilliam4193]

​@@TheUnicorn2104if its alway moove on fresh long grass they should make a natural cussin by passing troug the botom mesh

[@Southerngrl]

Wow. Love this idea thanks for sharing. Ur dog’s def a keeper, and ur wife 2. What I rly enjoyed is the way ur comment section turned into a free brainstorming thread for ur project. Ty for doing regenerative farming. We need more of this on our planet.

[@LexYeen]

Here's a thought: Low fencing around your berry rows, with slots for pasture dividers down each pathway and a set of three dividers - so you can keep the herd contained on each end while you're changing up their pasture arrangements. Also gives you somewhere you can employ passive (e.g. unbroken copper strip/mesh perimeters) slug/snail control measures around your plants!

[@johnnewton3837]

Kia, the dog's reaction is just great. Well ďone with the training you gave it. 😊

[@debrakwilliams48]

In America, we have Dollar Tree stores that sell extremely cheap items for $1.25 each. I was working on a project and bought 4 laundry baskets. They were smaller than a regular laundry basket, and extremely lightweight. One day, one of my roosters got out of his fenced in area. I grabbed one of the laundry baskets and placed it over the rooster to capture him. It was small enough to keep him from moving around. And it allowed me to reach under to capture him easily. I have used it twice on him with great success. An idea to consider when capturing guinea pigs. Just make sure its lightweight.

[@whereswendy8544]

I did this same thing with 2 guinea pigs on my lawn, just for fun, over 30 years ago. It is so cool to see this vid. Glad to see your doggie became a Pointer!

[@AbiHeyneke]

Abi here, from the video. Caio is actually 1/4 (German Wirehaired) Pointer! But he is also 1/4 Greyhound. So I think he has some internal struggles! 😂

[@KellyNsGrotto]

Oh they got you trained so fast. The morning wheeping demanding you feed them. ❤❤❤

[@KellyNsGrotto]

Please consider additional shade for the babies. ❤

[@parccarreg]

Indeed! They have trained us very well :)) Yes will keep them safe from hot and cold

[@Jagermonsta]

i had a small herd of GP's escape a few times when i was quite young. we had a cattle dog and she was excellent at rounding them up into a bush and making sure they didn't escape as i tried catching them. thanks for reviving a few old memories for me, i miss those lil piggers, and Rusty too. cool idea! good luck going forward

[@Branwhin]

You've got such adorable wee lawn-mowers! Guinea pigs are such cute little fuzzballs. I hope you're able to work out any challenges and the piggies have all the delicious grass they could ever want! Cheers from the middle of Canada.

[@heidieho4470]

Thanks for sharing. I love that your dog learned to be gentle. So smart. Peace

[@Knit333]

Had my guinea pigs outside untill rats started digging holes underneath the wire and entered the cage at night. As long you do not feed your piggies pellets outside that probably will not happen. But still... keep an eye out for fresh dug holes.

[@parccarreg]

Great point! We've already stopped feeding them pellets in the house as we realised the feed was attracting rats. Definitely not going to give them pellets in the field!

[@Knit333]

A​nd slugs love pellets as well@@parccarreg

[@FaenumVena]

@@parccarreg just be aware that guinea pigs cant synthesise vit c the same way we cant, and grass alone will start causing deficiency like scurvy. you can give them peppers to combat this as they are very high in vit c.

[@Aedony]

I had rats stealing the food of my guinea pigs at night. Both sides didn't seem to bother though.

[@03adrian88]

If you get overwhelmed by grass, try laying down rubber mats on were the grass grows the thickest. Rubber mats can block sun light.

[@carlstepanian]

I really like your experiment. Makes me wanna live a more simpler and natural life, away from the city. Keep going, very inspiring idea and refreshing at the same time. God Bless from Quebec!

[@parccarreg]

Thank you!

[@natatherden1769]

I hope you can find a little project for Quebec city. Maybe growing herbs on your window sill or tomatoes on the verandah. I even saw one person in a flat who kept quail for eggs. The quail were in a small aviary against one wall of the verandah with ramps inside it so they went all the way up to standing height

[@HawthorneHillNaturePreserve]

I think the riding mower is looking like a better option 😊 but I like the creative ingenuity on display and the fact that you’re not afraid of hard work!

[@J.Battles]

Just when i was thinking you should train your dog to locate the guinea pigs, he did it on his own. Such a good boy! If you heavily reinforce that behavior, then you won't have to search for escapees nearly as long next time. Very cool. Looks way more fun than most science experiments!

[@danielhurst8863]

Here is a tip to improve your mobile pen. Zip tie a 6" to 10" extension to the bottom of each side that faces outward. Think of it like the flaps of a cardboard box if you set the box down and moved the flaps outward. These extensions will do two things. 1. It makes it much hard for any animals inside to escape. You can tamp around the flaps to push them down, and inside of having to get under a small opening, the animals will have to travel 6" or more. Very few will escape now. 2. It will cut down on the predation. Many animals can quickly dig under your mobile cages, by extending the sides out, the animals are hitting the wire and not the ground and will have a hard time digging into the cage. The length of your extension should be determined by how much ground predation your animals are exposed to. More predation, longer flaps.

[@chaucerchau2833]

Looks like the idea is to have the pens edge to edge between the blueberry rows, so that the piggies can get to all the grass. No room for extra extensions

[@numbereightyseven]

Or, folding the extensions inwards. Then there's not 6 inches of uneaten grass. The GP's will eat the grass between the grates.

[@_..Izzy.._]

Woah, your dog did amazing with spotting the guinea pig! I would've taken the chance and immediately trained him. Praises and treats. Loved the video and your overall working moral(?)!

[@12345Timeout]

I have done this for years in my back garden orchid. Use and recycle plastic bottles to protect the trees and let them do the work. I only use a 40cm high fence as pigs don't jump. 4 years in and it's working ace. Also the biodiversity they attract is ace.

[@parccarreg]

this is a future experiment! Protect the blueberries and let them freerange!

[@VictorHHH7]

The sound they make is so endearing and they look so cute

[@frenchcanadian1007]

Hi, You Two. I just stumbled on your site on my television, watching KZbin, so this is my first viewing. The guinea pigs are amazing. So wonderful what Kyle did, to let you know where the last missing guinea pig was. Dogs are so smart and wonderful. I was watching the next video where you are cleaning up a compost stall. I have only watched these two videos. I couldn't find it to leave this message. I enjoy hearing you "ramble on" and walk out of the picture. It is entertaining and informative, and just the way a video should be. You cannot talk too much or walk around and about too much. People who turn off by your style of doing things (I don't know because these are the only two videos I have watched so far, but I will continue viewing your videos) just have never lived or even been on a farm. Thank you for your videos and I look forward to watching a whole lot more. Marcel from Saskatchewan. :)

[@parccarreg]

Thanks so much for the encouragement! We'll keep it up!

[@lindastevens6861]

It’s working I’m glad they were catchable Good experiment 😊

[@TheOriginalFreak]

You could try using a thick chain, loosely secured allong the bottom of the enclosure edge. This will help with "holes" and should be a very heavy weight chain. I'm not certain how intent on burrowing under the cage these fellas are, so just a thought, not something I've used in practice, especially with Guinea Pigs.

[@KateMedland]

Could you explain why they need to be male? Is it to prevent mating if they escape? It's interesting to see how quickly your dog learned! Perhaps he didn't realize at first that he couldn't also catch them. We will have to try goats where we live, or perhaps sheep. Far too cold for too many months for it to be practical here in Canada. Interesting though! I've subscribed to see how things progress.

[@parccarreg]

Yes exactly, we don't want them breeding in the wild if they escape, and prefer to have control. Yes he's a very good boy! Thanks for subscribing!

[@lornacy]

​@@parccarregVery responsible 😊

[@charleswalters5284]

Can't keep a mixed herd. If there's girls around, the boys will fight. If there's boys around, the girls will tolerate only one, and will pick on him.

[@lararabb8888]

Goats are browsers- meaning they would prefer to eat anything but the grass. They will not work in an orchard setting. Sheep can work because they mainly eat grass.

[@Weeks25]

@@lararabb8888I agree Goats prefer tree leaves and bushes. Grass alone wouldn’t sustain them.

[@okami3186]

Such a good dog you have to find that last guinea pig! That poor thing is united with his siblings! I look forward to see more of your content. Good luck with this grand project.

[@parccarreg]

Thank you!

[@jenniferm3572]

So cool you guys! It’ll be interesting to see how well they do. Best wishes to you guys 👍👍

[@clearlieme]

So I have some tips and thoughts after over a decade of guinea pig ownership (also have a Biology degree: but NOT a vet): • Guinea pigs are prone to vitamin C deficiency. They get scurvy. You should probably supplement accordingly if you aren't doing so already. • People might hate me for this one, but; we never had an issue with bumblefoot on wire floor cages. HOWEVER I attribute this to two things: 1. The wire was placed on thick lawn like this daily, and wiggled slightly to push the grass through the gaps. 2. They always had access to a solid-floored bedroom. So, we used something like those typical pet store hutches with the timber bedroom on wheels, and attatched wire run, that you can wheel-barrow around as needed. Except a family friend built a mega one for us that 6 year olds could stand up inside. Kept our large yard mowed. Fixes gap issues that always occur on uneven ground, which are not just an escape risk but here in australia it put them at risk of snakes and I imagine puts them at risk of rats in most places. That design also makes moving the cage quicker and easier. HOWEVER cleaning those timber bedrooms thouroughly is nigh on impossible, and I imagine construction would cost you more than your current set up does. •I suspect from your design you have already, but check out CnC cages. You might be able to speed up cage movement if you can unclip the corners easily to attatch to the "next" length of run, herd the pigs down to the new end and remove the old end to carry over and repeat with your next row instead of dragging. • I'd be wary with your plan to only use boars. Your pigs look quite young, and we would sometimes have a boar turn on the others and need to be housed alone (or neutered and in with the sows) at around the age of 2-3. I say sometimes, but we mostly kept sows so statistically I would say 1/4 of our boars would do this. GPs can and will k¡ll and even eat each other. Additionally, the boars are prone to quite severe constipation and issues in the... groinal region in their older age. This will severely effect their quality of life if not regularly treated. I'd consider it equivalent to fly strike in sheep, but less preventable. • Be careful not to over-breed your sows, if you are only separating the boars for grazing. They should have their first baby by 7 months of age (otherwise their pelvic bones can fuse), a 6 month break between breeding, and be retired from breeding at 2 years of age. They super duper do NOT self regulate. Basically, yes Guinea Pigs have been farmed before but they have not been bred for that purpose for a long time. GPs bred for Cuy are generally larger than those in backyards. They also weren't traditionally kept at this scale, as each household kept a small herd in their kitchen and a households needs wouldn't necessitate this number. It also means there are limited guidelines for their husbandry at this scale, which in an anarchical sense can be a boon but also means that recommendations for herd gender ratios, breeding standards, health standards, disease prevention etc. are hard to come by and not necessarily well researched.

[@clearlieme]

I am in no way advocating these tips as perfect Guinea Pig care, but I'm all for improving an animals life in much as can be done for their situation/purpose. When I have Guinea pigs again they are going to mostly live indoors in a big CnC cage with fleece blankets and all the fancy trappings of fancy Guinea pig life. But that's because they will be pets, and not farm animals. Guinea Pigs are EXTREMELY clever and honestly some of my GPs have been as clever as some dogs I've met: toilet trained, free roaming, come when called, can do tricks on command. Regular little members of the household. But so are plenty of farm animals and the planet isn't vegan.

[@parccarreg]

Thanks for your comments! I can't respond to all your points right now, but know that we've considered all of this. Stay tuned for further videos

[@clearlieme]

@@parccarreg I look forward to it! :)

[@englishhomestead]

This is the kindof crazy ideas I love KZbin. Props to you for trying your idea, I love it and want to know how it'll go. Keep at it. I've subbed.

[@oneperson5760]

What an excellent dog!! Good praises to him!

[@aaronpaul5990]

I would suggest to add a sturdy frame outside the wire so it can be more easily moved at the moment it flexes and bends and takes up time that you could be done with .... then the top will not keep out any significant predator something were a flap on that frame made out of the same wire mesh might help. Another fun thing is that if there are already existing borrows from rabbits or similar animals the guinea pigs will go in there so i dont know how burrow free you can keep your orchard but you definitely should look out for that.

[@tray2637]

Animals are always more work. If you are interested in decreasing the amount of work and not do mechanical repairs then get rid of the Lawn mower and weedeater and switch to a scythe. If you get rid of the lawn mower you can compress your row distance. You could probably plant another row between the existing rows and double the size of your blueberry patch. Increasing the number of plants will decrease the sun reaching the ground an create a canopy that will decrease grass growth. Find some place that has surplus cardboard and lay it down to kill the grass. Find a tree trimming company that will give you would chips and use those to cover the cardboard. The cardboard and woodchips will buy you at least 5 years of no mowing and you can always add more. In the spring plant a low growing crop plant that will sprawl out around the blueberry plants. You might try pumpkins or some type of squash that will stay low to ground create large leaves to shade the grass and also produce a crop for you.

[@gaileverett]

I have used a scythe. Never again! Backbreaking, exhausting, and dirty work. Not to mention dangerous.

[@tray2637]

@@gaileverett k

[@LaurieValdez-zk3dy]

I Adore them all. Thank you very much Philadelphia USA 🇺🇸

[@fishmut]

Naww you got a fantastic herding dog there , he was telling you there it is , great job from him.

[@AK-xo9wm]

Such a good boy!!! 12:20

[@MegAllen-z8m]

Are your blueberries very low level? Mine are quite tall, about 4ft, and not very leafy at the bottom. I've had guinea pigs in the past and they don't tend to chew bark if they have other options. They aren't great climbers so don't chew above about 8 inches.... If your plants are low level / immature maybe you could enclose them rather than the pigs?

[@gaileverett]

Looked to me like he has high bush varieties.

[@wiseandfunfox]

You need foldable flaps on the sides of your pen, that can lay on the ground, then folded up when moving. They won't be able to escape then.

[@parccarreg]

Not a bad idea, we're just trying to reduce complexity to save time when we move the crates cages

[@CarwynHenigan]

This was tried in New Zealand at Yealands Estate vineyards. Although it worked in the test block keeping grass and weeds down, the hawks and falcons ate them all. You will need to put some deterrent in place to prevent them coming down to ground level.

[@TheCog1983]

3hrs to mow per week, with a ride on mower, 10x rows in a 1 acre plot ? yikes man, doesn't seem accurate, seems excessive.

[@parccarreg]

Do you know what you're probably right. Looking back at my calculations, I think I overestimated the mowing time a bit much as I usually include some other mowing jobs at the same time. The guinea pigs will almost certainly take up a lot more time and we totally expect this. Will definitely document in the videos to come

[@callumsymons7991]

​@parccarreg definitely overestimated. A 2acre plot at my parents used to take about an hour. You don't have guineau pigs at the end though. What were the issues with sheep/goats?

[@charleswalters5284]

​@@callumsymons7991goats escape and they both eat up your blueberry bushes

[@finariamoorenga6934]

@@callumsymons7991I’m sure the long narrow rows made it tricky to pen the sheep effectively/efficiently. As for Goats, there would be no blueberry bushes left after they went through.

[@cinhow8843]

If you build the guinea pigs covered hutches on wheels to live in, you can make the bottom of the cage waist high, which will save your back. Then, their waste will fall through the wire floor of the cage for easy removal, or directly onto the spot you want to fertilize. This saves a lot of money since you don't have to buy hay, etc, to line their ground enclosures. The mesh will protect them against predators. We raised guinea pigs in Oregon, where the climate is similar to Wales, and they lived outside year around, even in freezing temps and snow. It wouldn't be hard to also make them an exist ramp from the hutch when you want to release them into the pens in the field.

[@Lillyboo65640]

Guinea pigs shouldn't have a wire base in cages. Their feet & nails can get caught in the wire and end up injuring or damaging them. Also leaving the piggies out in freezing & snow weather or hot weather is cruel as they are susceptible to extreme weather conditions which will do damage to their health. They may be classed as expendable but they still feel stress, pain & fear.

[@andyv2209]

wire mesh is horrible for their feet. dont do this. they have claws, they need dirt or such.

[@jamespisano1164]

I appreciate you're trying eco friendly means of managing your farm and taking care of your animals.

[@elivean]

Well.. that will depend on what he does with the animals. Taking care of animals is less relative than people make it sound.

[@jamespisano1164]

@@elivean I think I know what you mean. You watched the video, do you think they're being exploited or just "used?" Goats do the same thing for properties on a bigger scale. I've seen it live and it seems fine. I didn't see anything wrong in this video. I mean, if you have a horse that works "for" you that you feed and care for is that hurtful? Maybe the horse gets ridden at a riding school. My point is just because an animal is being "used" doesn't mean they're being hurt. I've also seen beavers "used" to restore an ecosystem. I hear you and appreciate your comment. I've been a vegan for years and can prove mammals have the same consciousness as preadolescent children so I believe I care about them as much as anyone. I guess I don't know enough about Guinea pigs to know for sure. I certainly don't believe in elephant logging or riding or the Navy's use of dolphins in war operations, etc. What about farmers "using" honey bees? (Granted it would be better if there were more varied pollinators.)

[@vivienoblivion3543]

It pained me deeply to see the guinea pigs get thrown around so carelessly in the bucket like that…poor piggies. Very easy for them to get hurt this way.

[@yesun3987]

The dog is too cute. He had a nervous look, like he might have captured it and realized he might hurt it so instead just sat waiting for you to show you it was ok and he found it. Precious.

[@elund408]

I have to wonder why it takes so long to mow 1/2 an acre a third of which is blueberries I could mow an acre lot in about an hour. I also question your daily time, does that 20 minutes include the 8th day moving all the pens back to other end of the row? getting the water to the pens etc? If you free ranged the lil piggies would they gird the blueberry plants? you also need to take into account the time and expense to keep them housed 4 months of winter when you would not be mowing. Just doesn't seem sustainable to me.

[@teijaflink2226]

I'm bit confused too, my dad owns an old probably 20 year old lawnmover and it almost never breaks down, at least not that it takes that much time. This seems like so much more work to me as they are living animals but a pretty fun idea.

[@mikedefelice33]

I'm a month late, but also came looking for this reason. My almost half acre takes maybe 45 minutes if its thick. Three hours a WEEK confuses me.

[@Earthismadeoflayers]

This is brilliant, Ive kept telling people to get guinea pigs to mow their lawns for years, but they just dont get it. I had guineapigs free range for years never any issues with health or feeding even through winters. You can put wheels on your cages and leave them out no need to collect every night.

[@jumper123910]

Great Video, Great Idea. What do you do with the ever growing population of females? I suspect novelty pet shops would happily buy dead frozen females I know I could use 1 or 2 larger females a week (frozen, they must be frozen to kill any parasites) as they would make great snake food (they must be thawed, before being fed to snake, I only have pythons) slinky (Diamond Python) is about to get a rat latter today. What do you do with them in the winter months when you don't need mowing? I'm in Australia and if I put a Blue Tongue lizard in with them the Lizard will clean up the bugs as they are omnivores, If they don't get on (the Blue Tongues will prefer longer grass for protection I can put them one cage ahead). I suspect all up it maybe faster and cheaper to just mow, but I'm following with interest as I hope to be proved wrong as it's a fantastic idea.

[@parccarreg]

great question - we'll use the females to mow other areas of the farm that are not too close to the males. We don't want to create motivation to escape and breed

[@charleswalters5284]

​@@parccarregone male guinea pig escaped in the lab and got 24 females pregnant in one night

[@dawnvalfre]

@@jumper123910 Gpigs are very fatty so while they can be fed to snakes and large lizards they are not a good option for routine feeding.

[@SusanG-qv2wr]

My first reaction while watching was two words: "Rabbits. Australia." The ecological danger to Wales and Britain far outweighs your desire to spend less time mowing. Bravo for including the escape and recapture footage. And for only putting males out. Please do not take the chance of a pregnant female ever escaping. And if you haven't seen pictures of the Aussie Rabbit Fence feet deep in dead rabbits, look it up. Good luck with the farm, but please rethink the Guinea pigs!

[@jessicahagan1221]

Outrageously adorable and awesome experiment! What an amazing dog. I hope you share more of this journey!

[@polespinosa4858]

If I'm not mistaken, guineapigs are free ranged in their native land. They will return to their house at night. You can try with pregnant mamas, babies will follow suit.

[@MissMooge59]

Hi, love your idea, I have over 100 mostly free ranging guinea pigs which just roam around my whole property grazing the lawn. Due to drought we ran out of lawn inside the boundary so the piggies started going out onto the very large berm surrounding our section and grazing that. We were concerned about local dog walkers but they respect the piggies and keep their dogs controlled. On most days there will be up to 50 outside munching away. They don't go any further than the roadside and very quickly retreat if there are any threats. They have become some what of a tourist attraction with many visitors coming to our small town stopping to take photos. My suggestion would be to allow your piggies out to run free, they will come back to their housing at night if you call them. You may need to train them to come to your call. Mine have inbuilt clocks and are always waiting at 3pm for vege time. About an hour after that I give them pellets and hay and they settle in for the night. I live in Blackball New Zealand so we do not have the amount of predators which you may have in Wales. Falcons and Hawkes would be the worst but we don't see the often. Piggies can also see them with 360 degree sight and run for cover. These are exceptionally intelligent animals and surprise most people I speak to who come to watch them. Good luck. Regards Margaret Newcombe.

[@dshares]

All that extra work (raising, feeding, housing, etc) is more work than machines.

[@parccarreg]

100% correct. We want them for all of their benefits not just the mowing

[@snowdoniaescape]

With you there, machines don't bring any extra benefits only costs of fuel and parts. Plus so frustrating when they break down.

[@kainazgul4308]

I love this idea! Thank you for sharing this video, it was a lot of fun to watch the pigs running around. Kyo (sp?) is such a good pup for helping with the round up.

[@theboringchannel2027]

DUCKS will do a better job of weed control and NOT eat the blueberry bushes either, so they can weed between the plants, which is more beneficial than just the rows.

[@CheriseChattoway]

I believe they mentioned they already tried ducks while filming their large flock of ducks...

[@GradualTurtleSpeed]

Yes he said the only issue with Ducks is that they don't mow the grass, which is what they want

[@WMeier-kd8hz]

Thank you for the honesty and taking the time to search and rescue

[@riverrainbow]

Good dog!! (Also wondering why all the guinea pigs in the pens have to be boys? Is it just to keep sexes separate? )

[@jonny1943]

It was mentioned, they want to stop them from uncontrolled mating.

[@jonny1943]

It was mentioned, they want to stop them from uncontrolled mating.

[@riverrainbow]

I did hear that but they could have all females outside or at least some pens with all females, so thought there could be another reason.

[@chrisheitstuman6360]

I had the same question. Why couldn't they all be females? Are the males better at grazing all the grasses? Or simply not risking having a pregnant female outside that might deliver a male?

[@joybreegaming8781]

@@chrisheitstuman6360if they’re all males and you accidentally mistake one of them you have 5ish more guinipigs if you have all females and make one mistake you will have 500-1000 more guninipigs. Same problem with having some all female pens

[@evibertolait8262]

finally!! feeding tons of greens to my piggies - and most people underestemate how much they do eat- I plan to use them to keep the spaces between my raised beds short.

[@sonyakeiko1]

I like the idea of guinea pigs to mow the grass but I would like to share a few things I hope you can improve. The spine of guinea pigs is very fragile. Please allow them time to come out of the bucket instead of turning the bucket over so they may fall on their back. I recommend supervising the guinea pigs outdoors more often so that you can catch the flaws sooner than later. Finally, I don't think dogs are a good option to be around guinea pigs. My feeling is that mowing the grass this way is not worth it if one guinea pig dies. I would like to see humans do less damage in their pursuits even ones that are with good heart and meant to be better for the environment. My own experience, I spent many months saving amphibians but when it came down for choosing an environmental restoration team to improve amphibian habitat and realized it isn't worth it if any gophers are killed. The firm I chose does survey for wildlife in the area and has methods to not harm any and do minimal harm to the land. As soil is moved to make improvements, I'm keeping insects in mind and trying to be careful not to disturb the soil too much. I am also interested in what you're doing. I may know or be more sensitive to the health of guinea pigs because I've had a couple as pets for years. You may want to take one into your home as a pet. Thanks.

[@tlock77]

Soooooo many people are going to copy you (possibly)! ☺️ Which means more [hopefully] happy, free living, well taken care of guinea pigs! And what a good, good boy for what seems like he was making up for his mistake and helping you find the last guinea pig without harm that time! 🐾🥺

[@PrivatePilotTobi]

Just buy a reasonable mower 😀 Owning 1ha land, I can't imagine all that repositioning of the fences, taking care of the guinea pigs, etc is less effort than mowing with a professional machine.

[@scottlife1697]

Just a thought about helping prevent escapes, would cutting the horizontal off the bottom of the pen so you have a row of pins projecting from the bottom that can be pressed down into the ground to give a bit more margin for inconsistencies in the ground.

[@PikaRaichupikapika]

6:01 please don't dump them like that. You could've broke their backs.

[@candyanek5814]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@allenbrown8158]

I am retired, but things that made us good money on our small holding, was dog kennels and cattery, growing hay and selling the bails, horse grazing and shelter, B and B, a camping field for tents, and we also set up a grass cutting and ground clearance tree pruning and tree felling business, and some landscaping work, some of these may be of help to you, good luck to you its a tough life .

[@holly1991]

this is great and all but it just rubs me the wrong way when you handle them like that. guniea pigs are very scared creatures and can literally have a heart attack if theyre not handled with enough care. try not to be rough with them, especially tipping a bucket upside down to take them out just isnt the right way to handle them. they are helping you by grazing on ur land so treat them with respect.

[@BradMakula]

Very cool! My overengineering brain is already thinking of ways to move the houses to the rows and put the pens on rails 🤣🤣🤣 Cute lawnmowers!

[@TheYummyMummyChannel]

I’m shocked that you handled them so roughly and as for having your dog around whilst they were loose, that’s just stupid! No wonder you lost one

[@FamilySmith]

WHAT A GOOD BOY, CAYO!!!!! Sweet thing! Great endeavor! Very fun to watch!

[@musiclives43v3r]

What a lovely experiment and I'm glad to see the thought and planning towards the piggies welfare throughout the whole thing

[@maggiesnana551]

Except that guinea pigs shouldn’t ever be exposed to rain or wet ground. They will develop fungal infections in their feet, which leads to open sores & bacterial infections (called bumblefoot). Respiratory infections from the rain as well. You’ll lose many of your herd. They’re also very heat intolerant & will pass extremely quickly from heatstroke. I applaud your “thinking outside the box” (but, in my opinion) you’ve chosen the wrong animal.

[@_Mad_Max__]

we used to do the same with our guinea pigs, even same pen size. What we also had to learn the hard way is that they are quite evasive. They typically dont run far, but they do. What was helpfull, we removed the bottom cross braces of the fence. That way you are left with "spikes" at the bottom. After rearanging you just go around and press all sides deep in the soil, sealing of potential holes.

[@emptychallice]

You've got a good dog there. Looks like they are willing to guard the pigs. :)

[@MedullanAutononomous]

A couple suggestions. Brace the cage on the top so it is a rigid rectangle with handles on each end. Then you can pick it up and move it very easily. Also cut the wire at the bottom so that there are "stakes" built in. This will allow you to secure it to the ground after moving it. If this experiment works out it may be worth digging channels between the rows that will fit the cages. This could help insure that even the smallest piggies can't get out. Also be sure they are getting enough vitamin c in their supplemental food. And be sure to find some good crockpot recipes for all the extra meat. I recommend tacos.