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Small pets

Will guinea pigs mate at 6 years?

10 replies

VillyCazalet · 10/02/2015 17:20

An experienced person I know has advised that they won't reproduce at this age - is this correct utter rubbish or somewhere in between?!

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VillyCazalet · 10/02/2015 17:20

Missed a comma, hope you know what I mean!

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babyboomersrock · 10/02/2015 17:24

Please don't risk it - pregnancy/giving birth is very dangerous for older sows.

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readysteady · 10/02/2015 17:25

The females find it almost impossible to give birth the first time if older. Please don't risk it :(

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VillyCazalet · 10/02/2015 18:00

Thanks for your replies, yes I read about the problems if they haven't had a litter young, certainly wouldn't want to breed in any case.

I aquired this pair (had a thread, rescued from neighbour's) and they love spending supervised time together on the sofa! They don't do anything 'mate-y' !

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/02/2015 22:17

I did read (I'm sure I didn't dream it) that they won't breed beyond 5yo.
And boars give up the urge to squabble after 5 yo (nice of them Grin )

But YY, the risk to a sow is too high.

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fortifiedwithtea · 11/02/2015 03:46

I beg to differ, Old Boy had romantic urges well into his 6th year Grin Young Fatimus was very alluring. Regular readers will remember the time I found them doing the Conga under the dining room table Wink

Poor Old Boy could only be trusted with the sows when they shared a teatime (see photo on my profile).

Fatimus and OB shared lap time together. He used to snuggle his face into her fur, but as soon as he got randy they were separated.

We were lucky or not to have not had a pregnancy. However a sow's pelvic fuses after a year old and if they haven't had a litter already, its high risk.

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FernieB · 11/02/2015 09:42

Thanks 70 - only one year to go until my lads stop bickering then Confused

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 11/02/2015 11:50

Aww bless, Old Boy got his ladies in his older years (like a Mills and Boon hero. they're always 37yo and rugged, the heroine is always 21 and chaste) so he had catching up to do

I do remember a thread about one of the pigs wriggling into an enclosure to cavort and the waiting with trepidation until it was a relief that nothing resulted [phew] piglet wise.

GP3 was a bumptious young boy, released from his batchelor lifestyle to life with his two girls...................... but they told him to go whistle Grin, they've ""Been There, Done That, Have a Stall in Romford Market Selling the T-Shirts Wink ""

Maybe younger boars wear themselves out?
My first boar fathered two litters but didn't make middle age .

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 11/02/2015 11:51

Maybe boars get more mellow (but sows get more niggly? )

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sanfairyanne · 13/02/2015 11:52

mine would still try. one of mine had a first litter at 4.5 (long story, rescue piggy). really not ideal but she and babies were fine. the pelvis doesnt fuse apparently, bit of an urban myth, but certainly it is harder for them to birth. certainly though you would not want a poor aged 6 pregnant sow!

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