Any tips for caring for pregnant guinea pig?

[RacingSnake]

At a chicken auction at the weekend, implulse sympathy purchased a pregnant guinea.

(I know, bad idea, but another person who had bought her might not have tried to look after her as well as I will try to ...)

We have several guineas but never a pregnant one.

She is rather large and fairly placid. Don't know anything about her ie if she has lived outside or inside, what kind of food she is used to.

Have put her in a cage on her own in an unheated room (compromise temperature?) with some hay and water and carrots. I thought better not put her with the other pigs until she has given birth and the babies are quite big, but have introduced them and they have snuffled round each other. Allowing DD to hold her on her lap and stroke her but discouraging too much carrying around.

Any tips?

My girls have both recently had pups.

Firstly she will get VERY big. Just when you think she can't grow any bigger she will, and just when you are convinced she will actually explode she will get ever bigger!!! I was convinced my girls would give birth any day, about 3 weeks before they actually did!!!

Pregnant and baby piggies are very easy to care for. You just need to treat her the same as the others, handle her carefully, making sure she has plenty extra food and veg. You are wise to keep her apart from the others though, as she will need to establish her place within the group, and as this often involves some squabbling it wouldn't be an ideal situation for a pregnant piggie.

Generally they make great Mums. She will probably give birth during the night, and the first you will know of it will be some baby piggies in the morning!!

They are born with all their fur, teeth, claws - just like a minature version of mum. Right from day one they will be running around squeeking, and mine were eating pelets and veg by day 2 or 3. They are about the size of a small hamster. You can handle them straight away, and they are just soo cute! Mum will feed them for about 3 weeks. They boys need to be moved at 3 or 4 weeks or you may get more piggies!!

Obviously you need to keep an eye for problems, but as long as all goes well they really do need very little imput from you (except lots of cuddles of course!)

AWWW how sweet...we've only got boys...I want some baby guineas now I've read that!

Thank you 123. Very reassuring.

She did have them in the night and there were 3 tiny pigs squeezing through the bars of the cage and escaping this morning. Have put them all in a small hamster cage with lots of hay. I was worried that all the upset and changes might cause her to abandon them or eat them or some awful, but she does seem quite placid. Will have to disturb her again this afternoon to improve cage facilities as new cage was a very temporary measure.

And yes, they are very sweet!

(But will bear in mind point about removing boys at 3 weeks - that was earlier than I had realised)