Urgent advice about unexpected new guinea pig

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Out in the garden a little while ago I heard our piggies squeak so I went over to their run with some greens. There looking at me was a little ginger and white pig that hadn't been there when I put them in this morning!

Clearly our two girl pigs aren't two girls. One that I thought was a bit greedy seems much slimmer now.

Problem is - what do I do now? Cassiopeia Cassandra the now presumed boy is chasing the baby away so I've put her him into the hutch. The breeder who we got them from is going to check its identity tomorrow but after reexamining it am fairly sure its got a willy.

We don't have a spare hutch - got an indoor cage, so someone can go in there and the other/s can go in the hutch. do we need to keep them separated? For how long? The older pair are really attached to each other

To really complicate matters we go on holiday next week. Although tis very cute i don't know what to do.....

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

def won't take baby away from Mum!! I meant do I need to separate parents. Sorry prob not being clear - am all in a flap!

[catweazle]

When we had baby guineas both parents looked after them

[flack]

Put the male back in after 2 days (female won't be in heat then). They're safe together for a week or more, in mean time get appt. with vet to get him neutered. The breeder really should have figure out it was a male, their willies pop out if you squeeze their tummies just so.

[flack]

Or could she have been pregnant when you got her? Have you had them less than 2 months?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Had them for 4 months. Breeder is supposed to have a fab reputation and has been breeding for a long time. she was really puzzled when I phoned so i think she has made a mistake.

Thanks for advice about male - was wondering what to do about keeping him out. now that hes in his own space the baby is much calmer and cuddled with its Mum rather than continuously being pushed away and chased by male.

We go away tuesday though for 2 weeks, I hope they can fit in an emergency neuturing. I'm worried that if I keep the parents apart for too long they might fight when reintroduced.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I am a bit startled and amazed still - can't get over the fact that this morning we had two guinea pigs and now theres a baby running round - fully formed and alert - even trying a nibble on a leaf and yet its only hours old. Its just gobsmacking.

[fishie]

aren't they amazing and those great big back feet. you'd better find out what gender the baby is too or there might be incest!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

oh don't! I'm a bit worried it might become like that star Trek episode - 'the trouble with tribbles'!
Fortunately we are back before the baby will be 3 weeks old. We are going to go out at the weekend and get another much larger indoor cage so that friend can keep the parents separate if its still needed and baby can go into that if its a boy. Told dd if it is a boy then we will rehome the baby. If its a girl we might keep it provided daddy is happy when neutered.

And i thought keeping pigs was simple.

[stuckinthecorner]

OK Im no expert but the same thing happened to me and this is what the vet recommended.

Seperate Dad (not baby), but keep within sight, smell, hearing of each other.This will help with reintroduction

Supplement Mum with bran mixed with warm milk

Baby will try to eat immediately but is depedent on milk for first ???4??? weeks

Sex baby early as they get sexually active very quickly and shag anything....

even after neutering will need to stay seperate for a few weeks just to make sure

If baby is a boy will need to reach certain size prior to being done...mine got very frustrated and nippy we found a similar sized soft toy helped .

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Brilliant - thanks, thats great

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

ok - think its going to be ok

Daddy is currently on his own. Will try reintroducing tomorrow and observe.
Mummy and baby well.
Daddy being snipped on monday.
Friend is experienced and has spare cage so she will juggle as neccessary when she has them on tuesday.
Will take baby to vets at 4 weeks to sex. If its a boy we will rehome - if its a girl we will keep.
Will rehome the next batch if the daddy managed his wicked way yesterday.

Does that sound like a good plan?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

re-introducing the daddy is based on flacks suggestion but if people shout 'no' then won't!

[jenpet]

We had a similar situation - were sold 2 "girls" and then after 6 months one had 2 babies. We separated mum & dad for a couple of days, but when dad went back in he immediatley tried to jump on mum again. Eventually dad was rehomed with a friend, and mum and daughter (thankfully daughter!) lived happily together...but you need to find out what sex baby is, I believe they reach sexual maturity at about 4 weeks....

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

They are astonishing creatures arent they!! oof.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Have tried reintroducing daddy back to mummy but she immediately went for him teeth bared. had to separate them and got nipped in the process.

phoned the breeder and she says its really unusual and suggested dividing the run in half so they can see each other. So I wired in some spare wire mesh we have. Unfortunatly they then spent several minutes trying to get to each other. So now theres a plank of wood between them too. They are wheeking to each other a lot. Tried again this evening and she started threatning him.

so its a bit of an 'oh dear situation'. Fortunately my fab friend is primed for all of this when she looks after them (and I realised today that the daddy will need a post op visit and shes having to do that too). Breeder is happy to take the daddy back if we need her too but I don't want to reach that stage.

[hairycaterpillar]

Our GP's never managed to get back together after having babies. The mum just rejected the dad and would attack him if placed together. We had them in seperate cages.

Guess thats the strain having kids can have on a relationship

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

oh dear - was just hoping she had a bit of pnd. I guess she really wants an 'only'!

We don't have the space or funds for multiple cages so poor old cassanova might need a new home then. Will wait til after our hols and decided. Fingers crossed that baby is a girl. It looks like a girl to me but then so did cassanova.

I love my pets but sometimes they can be a bit headache making!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

doh.
I'm such an idiot.
Took Casanova to the vet. They've had a really good look. He is really a she after all.
I swore blind to the vet that we've had them for four months but I did a search on here for when I posted about getting them. We've only had them for two months.

What happened to my poor brain? I was utterly convinced we got them at Easter but it turned out we got them at half term!

Got to go back and get Cassie - am taking the baby with Mum so hopefully they'll be able to tell me what baby is.

So... why are the two girls fighting then?

[wohmum]

oops -but at least you get to keep them both! no idea why they are fighting , but maybe Casanova is a bit jealous? or just unsettled?

we got ours at half-term too !