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Original poster

Possible pregnant Guinea pig, any advice?

27 replies

clayre · 13/10/2009 13:28

We got guinea pigs, Gwen and Gabby, on the 18th August, 2 girls about 6.5 weeks old (apperntly). Gwen has grown slighty over the last 7 weeks But Gabby has become huge esp around the tummy which is now starting to get firmer and we can all feel and see little movements coming from inside huge tummy, it is likely that the babies are her brothers as he was in the cage with them in the pet shop.

What do i need to do or look out for any advice is most grateful, thanks
xx

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LilyBolero · 13/10/2009 13:29

Just look out for cute baby guinea pigs! Gestation is about 6 weeks, and the babies come out very independent, only suckle for a very short time, eyes are open, furred etc. V cute! Guinea pigs are the EASIEST things to breed!

ZZZenAgain · 13/10/2009 13:35

I#ve never seen newly born guinea pigs. They must be tiny.

Our girls were around that age when we got them. I never thought about them maybe being pregnant at the time. They were tiny little things themselves. That wasn't very bright of the pet shop to leave the males and females together really, was it?

Any idea what you will do with the babies?

Original poster
clayre · 13/10/2009 13:39

thanks, our book says gestation is between 67 and 72 days but when i google you get anything from 50 to 80 days so i think its just a matter of waiting!

Im a bit shocked that the pet shop left them together, i didnt realise they could mate so young but surely he should have known!

I dont know what i'll do with the babies, i'm a bit soft in the head and will possibly keep them depending on how many there is!

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seaglass · 13/10/2009 13:42

When they are born, sex them as soon as you can, and make sure you separate off the boys before they are 4 weeks old, or you'll have millions of little squeeky things running around!

Fennel · 13/10/2009 13:43

oh, very likely I'd say, we got our 9 week old "Rose Tyler" and she arrived pregnant from one of her brothers. We enjoyed the 2 babies so much we bred two more litters. Gp babies are adorable. Lots of people wanted the babies so it was no problem getting rid of them.

the boys can impregnate their mothers (and I suppose their sisters too) from 3 weeks old so you have to separate them young.

lljkk · 13/10/2009 13:46

They are not tiny at birth, they are born fully furred and fairly large, eyes open, very alert, moving around, and start eating solid food at 3 days old.

There's a lot of advice about caring for pregnant and lactating mothers, they need less stress and a richer diet than usual (read more here and here). The gestation period is 90 days, btw. Make sure they have hay at all times. I seem to remember bread soaked in milk is a recommended food for pregnant sows, but check on that.

It is very rare that males could get girls pregnant that young (either less than 6 weeks old), the usual separation age is supposed to be about 6 weeks. Perhaps they were a little older than you were told. More likely that they weren't sexed properly into correct ages, & one of the girls in the same cage was actually a he! Are you sure that your nonpreggo GP is a girl??

You can see videos of GPs giving birth on YouTube. Might be able to see vids on how to sex GPs there, too; there's a knack to gently getting the willy to pop out so that you can be sure what you've got.

lljkk · 13/10/2009 13:47

Oops! Sorry, meant 70 days on gestation.

Original poster
clayre · 13/10/2009 13:48

Fennel loving Rose Tyler, ours are named after Ben10's sister Gwen10 and Gabby is named after Gabriella from HSM!

"the boys can impregnate their mothers" do they have no morals?????

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Pyrocanthus · 13/10/2009 13:53

The gestation period's more like 7-10 weeks - we got 2 pregnant girls in August 2006, and they popped in September and October.

Double check that Gwen is a Gwen and not a...what, a Gavin? Otherwise you'll end up founding a dynasty. And be warned that only one of ours seemed pregnant at first...

The vet said that we should separate the girls before the babies arrived, but I don't know if this is correct, as when the time came to put them back together, the dominant one tried to murder the other one and we never got them back in the same hutch. The dominant one was very dominant before though, and they both seemed happier living separately but nearby. We couldn't leave them with a baby each because they both had boys.

Make sure you get the babies sexed by 3 weeks - boys can be sexually active as early as that, so if they're male they need to be separated from their mums and sisters, if any. They're quite independent by then. I think you're supposed to keep them until they're at least 6 weeks old, though.

The babies are gorgeous and the mums don't mind them being handled (though give them all a day or so before you do).

If you got them from a shop, go and have a moan. I turned down the offer of the shop to take our girls back and to sell the babies on our behalf, but pushed them into giving us a hutch and run because of what the vet said about separating them.

Will probably come back and bore you some more, but er, congratulations.

Pyrocanthus · 13/10/2009 13:54

x-posted with lots of people in my excitement

ParisFrog · 13/10/2009 13:57

ALL of our friends had GPs from our two ("Florence" became "Dougal" very quickly!). I was only little but I do remember the male GP being separated from the babies otherwise he tried to eat them

DebiTheScot · 13/10/2009 13:58

Can I have 2 of them?

You could turn it into a business!

Original poster
clayre · 13/10/2009 14:00

Pyrocanthus Thanks for your post, i'd rather read the same thing over again from people that have experienced it rather than googling and reading all sorts, poor you ending up with 2 pregnant piggies!

Gwen is def a Gwen (i think)

lljkk thanks for the links

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Original poster
clayre · 13/10/2009 14:02

Yeah Debi, i'll post them down with your xmas pressies, actually wonder if your mither fancies a pet?????????

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ZZZenAgain · 13/10/2009 14:09

when we got our second gp, she seemed to me to ACT a lot like a male. I was very suspicious and kept having a good look underneath to reassure myself. It seems she is a female after all, I am just not so sure that she knows that.

Ifthey are not so small at birth, that might be tough on the wee mums I'm thinking.

Have never seen baby gp. Ours were just seperated from their mothers not long before we got them I think

Pyrocanthus · 13/10/2009 14:12

Yeah, I must have given our second female such a complex by picking her up and looking at her bum all the time, before she too started to bulge.

They're small enough at birth. But perfectly formed, furry, with open eyes, long legs and large, translucent ears.

ZZZenAgain · 13/10/2009 14:22

LOL
OK saw some little gps being born on Youtube. How sweet!

I like this maze:
maze

DebiTheScot · 13/10/2009 14:40

hmm can't see my mither with a gp really

Original poster
clayre · 13/10/2009 15:37

UPDATE my mum is on the way to the vet to get them checked over!

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Original poster
clayre · 13/10/2009 16:32

UPDATE she is def pregnant has 3 maybe 4 babies inside her and she is in good health and about ready to drop!

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Pyrocanthus · 13/10/2009 16:55

Eek! As she might say herself.

Original poster
clayre · 13/10/2009 16:58

Oh and Gwen is def a Gwen the pet shop let her get pregnant

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Original poster
clayre · 14/10/2009 09:59

No babies today, the wait is going to kill me, have put a pic of gwen and gabby on my profile

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ZZZenAgain · 14/10/2009 11:16

aw how sweet they look. Hasn't your dd got lovely shiney hair?

Original poster
clayre · 14/10/2009 11:43

aww thanks, her hair is nice and shiney on that pic, it normally looks like a burst mattress!

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