What is the best age to breed guinea pigs?
The single most important breeding consideration is that female guinea pigs should be first bred before 7 months of age. If the first breeding is delayed beyond this time, serious (sometimes life-threatening) problems with delivery are encountered. Females should be first bred between 3 and 7 months of age.
Should I let my guinea pig get pregnant?
As with many rodents, the female guinea pig will be able to mate within a few hours of giving birth but should not be allowed to; she needs time to recover and replenish her metabolic reserves before becoming pregnant again.
Is breeding guinea pigs hard?
Breeding guinea pigs is not difficult but knowing when to breed them is crucial to the survival of the sow and the piglets.
Do guinea pigs get pregnant easily?
Guinea Pigs Can Get Pregnant Early and Easily When they are born, they are born with hair, teeth, and the ability to walk around. They can even eat solid food shortly after birth. Guinea pigs can especially sexually mature early for animals.
How many litters should a guinea pig have?
The guinea pig gestation period is 59 to 72 days. The litter size ranges from 1 to 8 pups, but a litter of 2 to 4 is more common. A female can give birth to up to 5 litters per year.
Can 2 female guinea pigs have babies together?
Mother Guinea Pigs and Female Playmates If the two guinea pigs are female, you will obviously not need to worry about the mother pig becoming pregnant again. If any of the piglets are male, however, it will be necessary to separate them from both female guinea pigs as soon as they reach the breeding age of 3 weeks.
Can you put 2 pregnant guinea pigs together?
Guinea pigs are social animals and should be kept in groups even whilst pregnant. If there are any signs that the pregnant sow is not getting on with another guinea pig, do not hesitate to remove the other guinea pig, but leave the pregnant sow in the hutch/cage she is in. Remove any other pregnant sows.
When can you sell baby guinea pigs?
eight weeks
Baby guinea pigs can then be rehomed to new families by eight weeks of age, as long as fully weaned and eating solids well on their own.
How many months is a guinea pig pregnant?
The guinea pig pregnancy duration is long – approximately 59- 72 days (the average is 65 days) – the duration decreases with litter size (i.e. the smaller the litter, the longer the pregnancy). The mean length of pregnancy for a litter of 1 guinea pig is 70 days; for a litter of 6 guinea pigs its 67 days.
How long should you wait between guinea pig litters?
Reproductive Fact File
| Breeding Age | Ideal Age for 1st Litter | Average Litter Size |
|---|---|---|
| Guinea pigs can breed as early as 8 weeks. So you must separate the male and female babies by this age. | Ideally, the female should be 6 months to 1 year old. The male should be at least 6 months old. | 3–5 babies |
How easy is it to breed guinea pigs?
Are guinea pigs easy to breed? The guinea pig’s heat cycle lasts 16 days. The period during which the female is receptive to the male and will allow breeding lasts about 8 hours. Female guinea pigs can come back into heat 15 hours after giving birth.
Should a guinea pig give birth alone?
Mother Guinea Pigs and Male Playmates A guinea pig can become pregnant just hours after giving birth, and so if her playmate is a male, it is best to separate the mother pig and her young from her playmate as soon as possible.
What is the name for a baby guinea pig?
pups
Baby Guinea pigs are called pups. Sows have a gestation period of 59 to 72 days and give birth to litters of three or four babies on average, although they can have as many as 13 babies at one time.
Why is my guinea pigs pee pink?
Guinea pigs can have dark orange urine normally due to pigments they ingest from their food. True blood in the urine can occur commonly as well and cause pink to red urine. Blood in the urine may be due to an infection or urinary stones in the bladder or kidneys.
Can 2 pregnant guinea pigs live together?
Under most circumstances, a pregnant guinea pig can coexist with other sows without difficulty.