INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Physical signs of pregnancy are hard to detect, and often only become apparent towards the end of pregnancy. Nevertheless, you may notice your guinea pig begin to eat and drink more, and their belly begin to grow see Tell if Your Guinea Pig Is Pregnant. Do not apply pressure to the abdomen as you may cause a miscarriage. Be aware that young guinea pigs will begin to eat more as they grow anyway. Small litters do not cause the belly to enlarge significantly, and will not be as noticeable. All guinea pigs enjoy burrowing down in hay, but do not nest specifically because of pregnancy. If you suspect your sow is pregnant, take her to the vet to make sure. The vet will feel her abdomen to check for the presence of fetuses and may use an ultrasound. The vet should be able to give an estimated due date. Feeling the abdomen needs to be done by a professional because it is easy to mistake the bladder, kidney, or even an enlarged ovary for a foetus. Rough handling may cause miscarriage. The ultrasound, is a non-invasive procedure and can confirm the pregnancy. The ultrasound will also be able to confirm how many pups there are, and how many of them are alive. Either the sow was already pregnant when you purchased her or one of the other guinea pigs she has had contact with was a boar. Pet shops are notoriously bad for sexing guinea pigs and may have mis-sexed one of your guinea pigs. Get an experienced vet to check the sex of all your other guinea pigs. Pet stores also often house both sexes together, and some breeders do not separate the sexes early enough so it is possible the sow was already pregnant when you bought her. Sows should be over four months old, and under seven months old for their first pregnancy. If they have been pregnant before, they should be under two years old. If your pregnant guinea pig does not meet the age requirements, talk to your vet about a pregnancy plan. For young guinea pigs, this may include supplementing her diet with Critical Care of a similar product. For older guinea pigs, this may include her carrying out her pregnancy and birth housed at the vets, as she is more likely to need intervention. This is because sows who are too young are at a greater risk of vitamin deficiencies during pregnancy. Sows who are too old are at a greater risk of the pelvis not being 'elastic' enough to expand during the birthing process Sows who are overweight are at higher risk of toxemia. If your sow was overweight before she became pregnant, discuss with your vet what her diet should be during pregnancy as this is obviously a bad time to restrict her diet. Dalmatian and Roan guinea pigs carry a lethal gene recessively. If one parent is of these breeds, for each pup there is a 25% chance it will be born lethal. There are other hereditary diseases that can affect guinea pigs, so where possible check the parentage of the pregnant sow and the boar who fathered the pups. If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. If you are not prepared to care for them yourself, a more experienced guinea pig owner may be willing to take them or you may make the decision to have them put down. Lethal guinea pigs are white in colour (not albino) are born blind, usually in both eyes, have crooked or deformed teeth, are often also deaf and often suffer from internal deformities particularly to the digestive organs. These pups may die within a few days of birth, or may live for several years. If they do survive the first week they have a shorter than normal life expectancy and will require large amounts of medical care throughout their lives.

SUMMARY: Look for symptoms of pregnancy. Have the pregnancy diagnosed by a vet. If the pregnancy is unexpected, determine where the sow became pregnant from. Determine if the sow's age makes it a high risk pregnancy. Determine if the sow's body condition makes it a high risk pregnancy. Determine if the sow's or boar's breed makes the pups more vulnerable to hereditary disease.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You'll need to think carefully about what your planting conditions are like when selecting which purple flowers to grow. Think about the type of soil you have, the average temperatures your area experiences, and what you want to get out of your flowers. The following steps list out some common purple flowers that are grown in rows. For stunning, long lasting flowers and a heavenly scent, lavender makes an excellent choice for mass planting. In the fields of France's Provence region you'll see fields of them growing in neat clumps. You'll need a Mediterranean type climate for lavender to really thrive but the plants will grow in US zones 5 through 9, which means that they can survive temperatures that drop down to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-28.9 degrees Celsius). If you are in zone 5, try the hardy variety Lavendula angustifolia (English lavender). Lavender requires really well-drained soil such as chalk or sand; avoid growing in clay or poorly drained soil. If you are keen to get oil from your lavender, Lavandula x intermedia yields well. Lavandula stoechas is a good choice if you are in zone 7 or warmer. Zone 7 means that temperatures do not drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-17.8 degrees Celsius). Irises are easy to grow from bulbs in zones 4 through 9, which means that they can handle temperatures that drop down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34.4 degrees Celsius). They are also drought resistant. These flowers will make a good choice in an area with lots of deer, as deer generally avoid eating irises. If you grow bearded iris you may get a second flowering period later in the season. You'll see the foliage year-round but it can look a bit messy. These plants will need dividing every few years. If it's early color you want in your field, rows of tulips or hyacinth are ideal. These will return year after year and require little attention. They do, however, need a well-drained soil and possibly a protective mulch to help shelter the bulbs over winter. Keep in mind that if you grow these flowers, you'll have a bare field for much of the year unless you plant another crop above them. A field of sweet peas is a joy to behold and the scent is divine. Sweet peas are usually annuals but there are perennial varieties. Lord Anson's Pea is a purple perennial. Most varieties will require support and you may need to help train them up their stakes. Sweet peas are great for taking cut flowers as the more you cut the flowers, the more they produce. The plants will look very messy by late summer and need clearing away after blooming. The field will then be bare for the rest of the year unless you plant another crop. Before you plant an entire field of one variety of plant, it's an excellent idea to test out your local conditions by planting 'pilot' plants of the same variety. This means planting a small number of the plant you intend to grow and seeing how they thrive in your conditions. For example, if you plan to grow a field of lavender, try growing three plants of the variety you are considering. You might also grow two substitute varieties (or a different plant species altogether) just in case your first choice doesn't thrive quite as you wished.

SUMMARY:
Understand that you will have to consider the quality of your land when picking out flowers to grow. Consider growing lavender. Take irises into consideration. Think about growing tulips or hyacinths. Grow sweet pea if you would like a sweet-smelling field. Test out the flower you plan to plant in your field.