Typically breeding after five or six months of age is extremely risky to the sow since the pubic symphysis fuses by 10 months of age, and sometimes earlier.
A sow is pregnant for 59—72 days about two months and typically has three piglets although 17 has been recorded. Unlike other rodents, guinea pig babies are born precocial.
This means they have teeth, fur, squeak , and run around just like the adults when they are born. They nurse within the first few days to get colostrum but also eat big pig food, such as hay, shortly after birth. If bred by five to six months of age, you have a good chance of a normal pregnancy and birthing process. But if bred later in life, whether by choice or by accident, you will most likely need to have a C-section performed on the sow since her pubic has fused to retrieve the piglets.
Hypocalcemia low calcium , toxemia eclampsia , mastitis, and uterine prolapse are commonly seen in pregnant sows. The fundamental underlying problem appears to be inadequate blood flow to the pregnant uterus. Sows showing any of these signs must be seen immediately by your vet. Because treatment is often unsuccessful, prevention of pregnancy toxaemia is of paramount importance. Pregnant sows should not be allowed to become obese. Fasting and stress must be avoided, especially in the last few weeks of pregnancy.
Pregnant sows must also be supplied with fresh water at all times and fed a nutritious diet. How we are working. Are guinea pigs easy to breed? How will I know if my guinea pig is pregnant?
How many babies to guinea pigs have? Do guinea pigs have any reproductive problems? What special changes do I need to make if my guinea pig is pregnant? They may be able to feel or see the babies moving.
There are vets who specialise in exotic animal medicine and surgery, including guinea pigs: your local vet can refer you to a guinea pig vet if necessary. The guinea pig pregnancy duration is long — approximately 72 days the average is 65 days — the duration decreases with litter size i. 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.
First litters tend to be smaller than subsequent litters. Females do become very big during pregnancy. Determining the presence of babies is important. It is also important to determine the number of babies in the womb so that you can be sure the mother has given birth to all the babies and is not having difficulties delivering them all helps to ensure no babies have remained stuck in the womb.
Breeding guinea pigs is a rewarding pastime. Just be sure you can find good homes for the resultant babies. As with real pigs, female guinea pigs are called sows and males are called boars. Sows can breed at the tender age of five weeks but this is too young. A sow should weigh a minimum of gm, equivalent to about three months of age, before being mated and should preferably be a little older than this. A female guinea pig's oestrus heat cycle lasts 16 days. She will only be interested in liaising with the boar for about eight hours during this time.
Female guinea pigs get on quite well with their boar-beaus, so the easiest way to manage the romance is to leave the couple together until you are sure she is pregnant.
You can probably tell when the sow is in season as, during this time, she will regularly curve her spine downwards to elevate her rear end.
In addition, you may find that she regularly mounts other female guinea pigs that she is living with. If you have a harem of females, a happy boar can service the needs of up to ten sows.
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