How to Breed a Guinea Pig

Owning a guinea pig is one thing, breeding it is another. When I rescued two male guinea pigs I didn't really know what to expect. I read all the books I could find on the subject, check them over, and thought I was giving them a loving home. What I didn't know is just how loving of a home I was giving them. Even though they both looked the same down south, they weren't. Three months into my new passion, I noticed one of them getting a little chubby. In panic mode I started some heavy researching looking for a reason for the weight gain. Needless to say it didn't take long before I realized that he was going to have babies, and that he was actually a she. Since then I have become more of an experienced owner, and I'd like to share with you some of the tips that I now know. Whether you plan of breeding, or have a accidental breeding you will be ready.

First off, if you do not want to breed your guinea pig, you should only have one male, or several females. It is very hard to tell which is which when they are young. At about 3 months of age, you can tell easier. With some males its obvious, with others it might not be obvious until they are 6 months to a year old. A male or boar guinea pig will not get along with other males. If you put two males in one cage, they will fight. However, you can place several females in one cage, and they will get along fine.

There are several types of breeders. A mill breeder is a person who breeds more then 50 females at a time. A responsible breeder is a person who is willing to keep and accept responsibly for every pup. A responsible breeder will also make sure that every pup goes to a good home, and not sell in bulk. And their is a backyard breeder. This is a breeder who breeds in their yard, not their home. Backyard breeders are also known for selling in bulk.

If you want to breed guinea pigs, you will need a male, and a female of course. It is very important to make sure your female is young. It is not safe to breed a female guinea pig after she is 7 months old. At around 7 months of age a female guinea pigs pelvic bones will fuse. After this happens it is difficult to give birth, and could result in death. It is not uncommon for breeders to own ten or more females per male. Females go into heat, every 14 - 21 days. The best way to make sure breeding is successful is to leave the female in the same cage as the male, and only remove her once she gets big. If you have a large enough cage, you can place several females together with a male. Keep in mind if you put three females in the cage with one male, you might have pups from all three at the same time. You can also place them together overnight, and repeat every 7 days for 3 weeks if you have the, in separate smaller cages. Guinea pigs need fresh veggies, and fruits especially when they are pregnant. You must make sure she has fresh water daily, feed twice a day, and given fresh vegetables and fruit once a day.

A female guinea pig is pregnant for 60 - 70 days. Usually a female will give birth to 2 - 4 pups but she can have 6 and even 8. You want to make sure she has a nice place to have her pups. Before giving birth she should have her own cage, where her babies will be safe. Not every male will harm or kill babies, but it is better to be safe then sorry. A hour or so after she has given birth you will need to check the cage to make sure there isn't any pups that did not make it. Don't worry, her babies are born with teeth, all their hair, eyes open, and able to run around within a few hours of birth. Their is no nest, so your not going to scare mom or disturb anything. In fact you can even hold the babies a few hours after they are born.

The cage you set up for mommy pig to have her babies is now a community house. You will need to make sure that the water bottle is low enough that the babies can use it. Even though they will feed off from mom for the first 2 - 3 weeks, they will also eat and drink after only 2 days old. At 3 weeks of age you can wean the babies, and at 5 to 8 weeks of age you can place them in new homes. Breeding guinea pigs is easy, and it is fun to see of the colors, and patterns your pups have. But keep in mind, there is plenty of unwanted guinea pigs out there. Do not over breed, and have a plan for these pups before they are born.