subject: 3 Important Points To Think About Before You Breed Cavies [print this page] 3 Important Points To Think About Before You Breed Cavies
While it is not easy to do, guinea pig breeding is highly satisfying if you have the right frame of mind. It is highly enjoyable seeing your guinea pigs produce offspring, and to see those pups mature and grow.
If you are considering breeding these beautiful creatures, here are some essential things you must consider before taking the plunge:
When You Should Breed
Although they are capable of producing offspring virtually from birth, this is generally considered too early to mate them, and can endanger your animals. You must wait until they are old enough before you mate them.
As a general rule, you should wait until your sows are 5 months old before mating them. Pregnancy can be very tiring after this age, and can also lead to medical complications, so this is considered to be the upper limit. Males can be bred from 4 months of age.
Mating, Pregnancy, And Birth
Guinea pigs will naturally mate. Because of this, it is important to keep boars and sows in separate cages until they reach an age where it is safe to mate them.
When a female gets pregnant you should remove the boar from her cage for the rest of the pregnancy. It is OK to leave her living with other females because they will help to care for her and her babies, which is quite beautiful to behold.
Looking After The Pups
Newborn guinea pigs like to have ample space to run about in. Because of this, it is important that you put sow and babies into a big enough cage. You should be ready to get a bigger cage if they outgrow their current one.
Watch the pups for the first few days after the birth, in case the mother rejects any of them. If this happens, it becomes your responsibility to raise them - a challenging but extremely satisfying task.
