Anyone got Guinea pigs?

[Bex&Bun]

My two guinea pigs Anouk and Barnaby are going to be parents soon.

Just wondering advice what should i do etc. Im not sure when she will give birth..

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

We have a quite a few members with Piggies.
I'm sure someone will be by to help you out.

 

[irishbunny]

I have three males piggers

What is it you want to know, and I'll try help you? Are you a breeder? I'd definitely advise against breeding them if they are your beloved pets. Everything I have read and researched told me your sow has a 1 in 5 chance of dying when giving birth. Plus there are so many guinea pigs looking for good homes, that unless you are breeding to show and improve the breed, you are better off not to breed them, since your just adding to the piggie population.

Gestation for piggies is around 60-70 days

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

unless you want back to back breeding, which is really bad on mum, take the father out before she gives birth. Guinea pigs can be fertile immediately after giving birth. If you "wait" till she gives birth it could be too late and she could be already pregnant by the time you take the dad out.

 

[Bex&Bun]

I had the male Barnaby de-sexed as soon as we knew their sexes (but obviously it was a tad too late). We don't want any babies at all, but obviously we will love and care for them.

Im just wondering if there are any clues as to know when the babies will be born roughly. As the two buns and two piggies live together and I dont want to really seperate them until its needed (as they really get along well and ANouk grooms our bun Daphne which is sweet). And when she has the babies what do I need to do?

 

[irishbunny]

Well it depends on how long ago they bred?
Also, guinea pigs and rabbits should never live together. It is very dangerous and they have different nutrional needs

 

[Sabine]

It all depends a lot on your setup. If you have a huge enough enclosure and the guinea pigs have enough spaces to hide where the rabbits can't go then it may all work out.
This is probably not very helpful advice but I remember once holding a piggy in a pet shop and I could feel little squirming movements under my hands. The staff insisted there was no way she could be pregnant. She had a litter two days later. It seems to me that a piggy pregnancy is more obvious and you may be able to tell from feeling her when the time comes (if you can't be sure of conception date)
I have only two male piggies who unfortunately won't bond. Good luck with your litter.

 

[Bex&Bun]

We have a large two story enclosure, which is open on the verandah so they can all find their own spots. Plenty of spots for the piggies to hide out. But honestly I watch them closely and ocassionally Willoughby will get in Anouk (gp) road and she will squeak at him and he moves quick smart! She's the boss, they've never bitten each other and the guinea pigs are the same size as our smallest rabbit. They snuggle together, eat fine together etc.

I didnt realise she was pregnant till I felt the big lumps. Shes a bit of a pig when it comes to food so I thought she was just fat!

 

[undergunfire]

Having rabbits in with guinea pigs is dangerous - but having a pregnant guinea pig with rabbits is even more dangerous. The most dangerous situation is about to come....little baby piggies living with rabbits. It's just not safe. I'd definitely separate the piggies and bunnies ASAP before it's too late .

 

[Bex&Bun]

Ok scrap this thread I was just asking advice about pregnant pigs but now all I feel like im getting is people telling me I dont take care of my animals. My two piggies squeak so much when they are seperated from the bunnies and I hate seeing them seeming sad. I am planning on housing them seperately when the babies are born I just dont want to seperate them until I need to.

 

[Happi Bun]

Disagreements online are a fact of life, especially in animal specific forums.
You either take the information other members provide or do not, but folks are entitled to their opinions.
No one is saying you are a bad caregiver to your animals.

Now about your pregnant piggie. During the last two weeks of pregnancy you should be able to see and feel the babies moving inside mom's stomach. She will be very plump, with her sides sticking out. Mother Guinea Pig's need lots of grass hay and alfalfa can be given as well.

She will need much more Vitamin C in her diet, more than the average pig, so lots of veggies and greens. Bell peppers (not to be confused with chilli peppers!) and oranges are high in Vit C and excellent choices along with other daily veggies. Separate the male pups from the female pups and mom at 3 weeks of age.

 

[Bex&Bun]

I just hate it, it feels like no matter what im doing its always wrong..

Her sides are sticking out but cant see/feel them moving just yet. After the weekend I might seperate them for a longer time each day to get them used to it. Otherwise im afraid Anouk may get upset.

Thanks for the veggie advice, i've got plenty of greens and Capsicum (bell pepper) and I have oat hay and lucerne (alfalfa).

 

[Anaira]

Hey, not sure if you realised, but even if Barnaby is neutered, he still needs to be seperate from girls for six weeks, as he could still get her preggers if she had her babies while she was still with him.


And I don't want it to look like I'm attacking you, but I did a lot of research on rabbits and cavies, when we got ours, and it really is not safe to keep them together, for a number of reasons, no matter how well they seem to get on. One reason is, that rabbits can get coccidios(potentially fatal) so a lot of rabbit foods have an antibiotic that fights that added to rabbit food, which are toxic to guinea pigs. And I think there is a bacteria that rabbits can carry, that doesn't harm them, but causes a fatal illness in guinea pigs. Also, the whole diet thing is completely different. Take some time to read this; it's one of the many articles I've found saying pretty much the same thing.

 

[Bex&Bun]

More than likely Barnaby mated with Anouk in the month they were togetehr before we found out their sexes.
Everywhere I live sells only a mixed rabbit/guinea pig food. I haven't seen anything different. There is only one store here that actually sells a different sort of hay than lucerne for them to eat. The guinea pigs get much more veggies than the rabbits, and the rabbits spend alot of time running about indoors. Not to mention that all were paired bunny/rabbit since they were tiny (before I got them).

I know that everyone is going to say differently but we like them together, they bond together and none show any agression. People have cats and bunnies, or cats and dogs or heaps of other odd combinations. They have plenty of room and at a different sleeping space for all four animals. I appreciate what everyone's saying but I love them more than anything and im not putting them in danger.

 

[Anaira]

Ok. I guess we'll just leave the topic then, and concentrate on the approaching bubbas. Have you taken her to the vet? He might be able to tell you when she's due, and how many to expect, and also give her a general health check. Might be worth doing, since guinea pigs do seem to have a higher pregnancy risk rate.

 

[Bex&Bun]

I took her to the vet about... 4-6 weeks ago and he didn't even think she was pregnant! lol, she got big fast! I will take her this week, from me feeling around it looks like she might have 2-3 babies.

 

[irishbunny]

I would seperate her now, from the boar and rabbits. Let her be on her own when she has the babies

 

[katt]

i haven't owned piggies in years, as i am highly allergic to them, but when i did we had one we took in as a rescue that was prego.

she ended up having 3 babies, all survived!

here is a good, quick website about it! and the hip bone test does work!
http://cavycare.info/pregnant.htm

and just for size comparison (and for fun)

this is Dove (the mom) when we took her in:

this is her about one weeks (i think?) before she gave birth:

and her 3 babies she had (the day they were born, maybe a day or 2 after, i honestly done remember)!

 

[Bex&Bun]

oh goodness they are cute as! Im cleaning out the cage today so i'll start seperating them and then give Anouk and Barnaby their own space. Also how early can you pick the babies up/touch them etc.?

 

[irishbunny]

You have to keep Anouk and Barnaby seperate