English self

Oct 5, 2021

6 min read

Description of the guinea pig breed “English Self”

Selfies are a short-haired guinea pig breed and are often confused with American guinea pigs. Unscrupulous breeders sometimes even pass off monophonic Americans as selves. Also, Agouti guinea pigs do not belong to self, although the two breeds have external similarities. It is not for nothing that selfies were singled out as a separate breed; we will consider their distinctive features below.

From the history of self-guinea pigs

The self-breed is a rather old breed, its history begins in the 19th century. It is believed that the first self were bred in England, which is reflected in the name of the breed. Many animal lovers liked these animals with such a pleasant color, so the new breed quickly spread throughout the UK, and then beyond.

Interestingly, in the Western Hemisphere, primarily in the United States, it is believed that the breed of self was bred from them, therefore these pigs are called American self there. If you come across the phrase “American self” somewhere, keep in mind that we are talking about an English self. Such is the confusion!

The first selfie club appeared in Great Britain in 1929, and it still functions today, having received international status today! It is called the English Self Cavy Club. It is this reputable organization that develops exhibition standards for the self breed.

Today, selfies are one of a dozen guinea pig breeds that have received official recognition in most countries of the world.

Features of guinea pigs breed English Self

So, the main difference between selfies is a uniform, uniform coat color. If in agouti pigs each hair is dyed in three colors, then the hairs of the self will be of the same uniform color along the entire length. The coat grows backward, from the nose to the rump, and its length does not exceed 3 cm. The coat of healthy individuals is shiny, with a characteristic glossy sheen. The color of the hairs on the feet should match the color of the main coat.

Another feature of this breed of pigs is a special physique. Selfies are real tough guys! They have well-developed muscles, broad shoulders, and a large head. In profile, the body of the English self looks like a soft, gentle mound, rising smoothly up first from the nostrils to the shoulders, then flattening on the back to smoothly descend down from the sacrum. The top view is a flat “brick” rounded at the corners.

Selfies usually have a pronounced “Roman” nose, with a hump, in the form of an inverted “C”. The ears are large, lobe-shaped, hanging down.

A specialist can usually determine the sex of a selfie by the shape of the muzzle — in males and females, the shape and size of the head is often different. The average weight of a selfie is about 1000 grams. Males are usually larger than females. Selfies reach their peak of development (and weight) by 1.5–2 years.

Maintenance and care

In terms of care, selfies are very unpretentious animals. This guinea pig is perfect as a first pet for both novice breeders and children.

Most importantly, having brought a new friend to your home, take care of a large and spacious home for him, because it is in the cage that guinea pigs spend most of their life. How to choose the right house for your pig, read the article “ Guinea pig cage “

In addition to the spacious house, the pig will need three meals a day. The main diet of these animals is vegetables, fruits, fresh grass or hay, and special pellets that can be bought at the pet store. Read about how to feed your guinea pigs in the Nutrition section .

Selfies are very active guinea pigs, especially at a young age. They need a lot of room to move. A spacious cage is a basic need, but even it cannot fully satisfy the self’s need for movement. Therefore, if possible, guinea pigs should be allowed to run around the room at least once a day. In the warm season, they are happy to run on the grass, at the same time and have lunch.

Selfie colors

Among the English self in England, several more subspecies are distinguished, depending on the color of the eyes, the color of the ears and the color of the pads on the paws.

The following are the show standards for the various colors of the self adopted by the English Selfie Breeder Community:

beige self (Self Beige). The coat is beige, medium saturation, the eyes are dark ruby, the ears and paw pads are pink or beige;
black self (Self Black). Such a pig should have everything black — eyes, ears, paw pads and hair;
self buff buff, buffalo (Self Buff). Buffalo skin color without a hint of lemon or apricot color. Downward petal ears, eyes as dark as possible (ruby), Buff or pink ears and pads;
chocolate self (Self Chocolate). The coat should have a deep dark brown color. The eyes are dark with a reddish tint, the ears and paw pads are dark brown;
Self Dark Eyed Cream. The coat is a delicate creamy shade, similar to condensed milk, without a yellow or lemon shade. The eyes are dark with a ruby tint, the ears and paw pads are pink;
Self Pink Eyed Cream. The coat is a delicate creamy shade, without yellow or lemon shades. The eyes are dark ruby, the ears and paw pads are pink;
Self Dark Eyed Golden. Bright golden color, no red or yellow tinge, the eyes are dark, possibly with a tinge of ruby. Ears and paw pads are golden or pink;
Self Pink Eyed Golden. Bright golden color, no red or yellow tint, dark ruby eyes. Ears and paw pads are golden or pink;
lilac self (Self Lilac). The coat is muted smoky gray without beige blotches, the eyes are dark ruby, the ears and paw pads are pink or lilac;
red self (Self Red). Saturated auburn color of coat, eyes, paw pads and ears are dark;
saffron self (Self Saffron). The coat is a delicate sandy shade, the eyes are pink, the ears and paw pads are pink. Saffron selfs are very similar to buff (buffalo) selfies, the only difference is in eye color. Buffs have dark eyes, while saffron selfs have pink eyes!
Self Dark Eyed White. The coat is snow-white, the eyes are dark with a tinge of ruby. Ears and paw pads are pink;
Self Pink Eyed White. The coat is snow-white, the eyes are tinged with ruby. Ears and paw pads are pink.

The classic representatives of the breed are chocolate selfies. They are distinguished in a special way, since they perfectly convey the color to the offspring.