They need supervised time out of their cages each day to run around and exercise. Can Rabbits Eat Grapes Pros And Cons of Grapes For Rabbits. Its normal to be upset and sad. To understand why a guinea pig mother killing and gobbling up her offspring is so rare and why its still a possibility (although it is a long shot), you need to know a little bit about the dynamics of. Even though they share similar names, guinea pigs do not belong to either the dog or pig family. Interact with baby guinea pigs early and as often as possible so that they become used to humans. Dont be surprised if your pup lets out a little chirp as a means of asking for food! Guinea pigs are fragile animals at any age but especially during their early days of life. Do mother guinea pigs miss their babies when they are given away? We will help you to raise your baby guinea pigs to become healthy, happy pets. Rather, they belong to a rodent species called cavies. Start offering them shredded lettuce from the day their born. This is especially true if pet parents have not given their pregnant sow enough food. So, what is the answer? If it does occur, the reasons will probably differ slightly from that of other species, and its important to understand these reasons in order to try to prevent it from happening: Most female guinea pigs will never eat their live young on purpose. The pups will learn a lot from how to form social bonds, to which foods are safe to eat from the adults they live with. When your guinea pig is pregnant they need more food than usual, and its surprisingly easy to give them less than what they need. Or at least make it a less dangerous one, for you, the guinea pig mother, and the baby piggies. (Fun Facts). Once they are one to two finger-widths apart, it wont be long untilbirth.. A male guinea pig might seriously injure his babies because he is territorial and feels intimidated. By giving them enough time with their mother, you reduce the risk that she will reject them. Just like with taming older guinea pigs be patient and consistent. I've always been an animal lover, and I've worked in the pet industry. If you have a pregnant guinea pig, consider giving the her cage an upgrade, so she can take care of her pups comfortably. Guinea pig litters can contain up to eight pups, but two, three or four is more usual. What Are Common Health Problems in Guinea Pigs? Guinea pigs are not only kept as family pets, but like dogs, cats and rabbits, they are also bred for show. Piglet Okay, so it's not that clever. It's often the result of starvation, stress, inexperience, or trauma. Also, male guinea pig may kill the babies if he doesn't recognize them as his own offspring. 2 3 cups mostly green, leafy vegetables, Occasional fruit too much sugar can lead to obesity. How Many Babies Do Guinea Pigs Have? - Guinea Pig Hub If you bring home your baby guinea pig at seven weeks old, youll find all the information you need to raise them in our guide to guinea pigs as pets. What to Do If Your Guinea Pig Had Babies - YouTube Guinea pigs are social animals and may begin to experience depression-like symptoms when alone for too long. Whats your experience with newborn baby guinea pigs? You need to be able to provide your guinea pigs with regular ample attention all the time. Individuals will be starting to show their own distinct personalities too. You need to make the entire environment guinea pig-friendly. This little interaction will enable him warm to the introduction of a new cage mate better. Place the cage in a quiet, draft-free area your home that is out of direct sunlight. National Geographic. 11. This can happen if the guinea pig is not being fed enough timothy hay, pellets, vitamin C supplements, etc. Do Guinea Pigs Recognize Their Owners? (How to Tell) If a typical guinea pig male suspects that the babies are not his own (whether or not this is the case in reality), he may kill and eat them. In almost all species, males are inherently territorial. In general, most female guinea pigs who survives birth and delivery will and raise her litter without any issues. (Find Out Now). Pups from small litters are usually bigger than pups from large litters. Many people believe that male guinea pigs eat their babies as well. You can take some precautions to lower the risk of a guinea pig baby being eaten. This can hurt their health and well-being. A mother guinea pig can eat her babies if one of the babies is born dead. Its important to remember that guinea pigs are prey animals and they can get intimidated very easily. I personally dont recommend it and neither do vets and most responsible rescues and shelters.Accidents happen. Having your guinea pig give birth to a litter should be an exciting time. She needs more food and more nutrients to prepare her for the process of giving birth and nursing her babies. Lake Shore Veterinary Hospital offers the following helpful advice: If you touch her belly a couple of centimeters ahead of the anus, you will be able to feel that the pelvic bones have spread apart. Neutering is A LOT less risky for males than spaying is for females. Baby guinea pigs are able to digest solid food soon after birth; however, the majority of their required nutrients will come from their mothers milk. When the pregnant guinea pig is about to give birth, the male guinea pig must be separated from her because, within 12 hours after giving birth, she can become pregnant again. Do guinea pigs miss their babies? This way they can easily confuse their predator and a group of guinea pigs doing this is known as a stampede.. If you have an affectionate male guinea pig, you can introduce the babies when they are in the same cage. How long does it take for a baby guinea pig to walk? All of the babies are usually born within 30 minutes once labor begins. Do guinea pigs hurt their babies? - Your Wisdom Tips At six weeks old baby guineas pigs are fully weaned, and have stopped nursing from their mother. You don't have to be a professional breeder . Guinea pig babies are born quickly. Guinea pigs diet rests on grasses, herbs, hay, and raw fruits and vegetables. If The Male Doesn't Believe the Babies Are His. A great way to get help raising your first litter successfully, and in recognising potential problems quickly, is by enlisting the support of a mentor. Although guinea pigs need the presence of other guinea pigs, attention from human beings is also essential for their well-being. From the moment they are born they are unusually mature and capable of looking after themselves. ClickHEREfor a peek at my disclosure. New babies are born with teeth, claws, and fur. Yes, guinea pigs miss their owners. Newborn Guinea Pigs - What You Should Avoid - Guinea Pig Site If it is found that they experience sadness after their young have been weaned, it would suggest that we take extra care in handling this process. Since males can get any female guinea pig pregnant once they reach maturity - including their mothers - they're weaned and taken from their mother at three weeks old. Almost the only reason why a female guinea pig can kill her babies is that she is so stressed that her mind cannot handle the strain. Under normal circumstances, the sow will give birth and have a healthy litter of pups. In situations where one of your guinea pigs crosses the rainbow bridge leaving one behind, the guinea pig left behind might not be so receptive to a new cage mate. For example, they can eat blueberries, strawberries, tangerines, watermelon, passion fruit, melons, bananas, and many more. We spent some time coming up with cute guinea pig names for our babies and decided upon the following; Moose, Aspen, Moon and Finn! Once they die, she might eat them. Yes, guinea pigs do mourn. mypetguineapig.com may be compensated when users click on links and sign-up with their associated offers located in content or anywhere else on the page. As herbivores, they dont eat meat at all. They will continue to nurse from mom for somewhere between three and six weeks. Guinea pigs do not share a similar parent-child bond like that of their siblings with their parents. Yes, guinea pigs sometimes eat their babies. In this article weve answered some frequently asked questions about newborn baby guinea pigs like: Whether you have a surprise guinea pig pregnancy or a planned one, there are a few things you will want to prepare in advance to make sure you are ready when your newborn baby guinea pigs arrive. Why would a pet guinea pig eat its own babies? Simon or George More classic goodies. Guinea pig babies are actually called pups. Male guinea pigs (boars) usually mature sexually and can mate as young as 2-3 months of age. Three weeks marks the earliest point at which pups may stop nursing from their mother. And of course, when you run a finger over the area, you wont feel a penis! Every few hours for the first few days, you should hand-feed the baby guinea pig: mesh pellets or supplement powder, and if you have grown guinea pigs, also add a fecal . (And yes, its one of the more gruesome animal interactions in the wild.). (Find Out Now), 10 Reliable Cage Liners for Guinea Pigs (What You Need to Know), Do Guinea Pigs Hibernate? How long do guinea pig babies stay with mom? One under his chest and one under his bottom. This usually happens when pups are stillborn, or born to ill to survive. Do guinea pigs get in heat? Explained by Sharing Culture Some guinea pigs even put up great resistance to this. (Fun Facts). Cage size Will the baby guinea pigs be able to escape? Dont separate them from their mother too soon. An adult guinea pig will never deliberately harm or eat a newborn guinea pig. Other factors that make eating (or killing) the pups less likely include: piggies are natural herbivores and they have good maternal instincts (for rodents, anyway). Do Guinea Pigs Nurse Their Young? This Is What You Should Know! This blog will give you some helpful tips on how to make this a wonderful experience. Can the male guinea pig stay with the mother and babies? They will weigh as much as 2 kilos; most reside between 5 and 6 years, however some notably wholesome pets can reside 10 years or longer. i've been keeping this a secret for over a week now!! Breeding of guinea pigs is strongly discouraged. However, they will continue to feed on their mothers milk as well. Common diseases in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory infections, diarrhea, itching, and boils due to infection (often the neck, throat, or external scratches). A particular substance comes from the eyes of a guinea pig; they rub it on their hair when they are grooming. If your sow has eaten her own babies, you may want to consider changing her living conditions. Lets explain why guinea pigs may eat their babies. Equally, male guinea pigs shouldnt eat their babies because they dont eat meat. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com and other affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. 10. The bond between a mother and her baby is crucial for the babys development. Donnelly, T. M. and Brown, C. J., Guinea Pig and Chinchilla Care and Husbandry, Veterinary Clinics Exotic Animal Practice, 2004. While carrying babies, the guinea pig mother needs extra energy. The guinea pig fathers dont play any role in taking care of the litter, and can do more harm than good (sorry piggie dads!). Always consult your vet if you think a baby guinea pig overly small, or failing to thrive. In a pet situation, the male may be in the same guinea pig cage as the female and her newborns, and there is no way for the mother to move the pups away from . This is why you should do everything in your power to make your female piggy feel at ease. In this article, we will focus on some important aspects of caring for guinea pig babies. Do Guinea Pigs Recognize Their Owners?: 10 Tips You Need Now Its just as important that your baby guinea pig also spends most of their time with other guinea pigs. Sufficient nutrition, a mixture of alfalfa and timothy grass, keeps female guinea pigs hydrated and can prevent guinea pigs from eating their babies. At first your guinea pig baby may seem afraid when you pick him up. If your guinea pig consistently has enough extra food, the chances of her needing to eat her pups drop to near zero. Guinea pigs are different from many other species; they are born with teeth and fur, and almost immediately they can see and walk around. Male guinea pigs have a donut-shaped opening. Firstly, please provide them with plenty of toys and treats to keep them occupied. Talk to him with a soft voice and pet his head. If you want some more information on guinea pig interactions, check out these posts: The Truth About Single Guinea Pigs (Is It Okay To Just Have One?) What Should I Do if My Guinea Pig Eats (Or Kills) Her Babies? Before making this assumption, consider the following possibilities: Unfortunately, the evidence of your sow eating her babies might be obvious. Guinea pigs can eat their babies if they lack nutrition. When they dont respond to her attention, she tries cleaning them more and more vigorously, until eventually she ends up damaging them. The size of the pups is often relative to how many pups there are in the litter. Some guinea pigs are more likely to nuzzle or groom people or other guinea pigs. Pettijohn, T. F., Attachment and Separation Distress in the Infant Guinea Pig, Developmental Psychobiology, 1979. We placed an additional water bottle in the cage so that we could position it low enough for the babies to reach it. Regarding animal parents, there is no greater love than that of a mother for her young. Want to know more? It may take some time for him to become comfortable with you. Its understandable to feel that way. The answer to this question is not entirely clear. I also enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking and camping. Theyre sweet, juicy, and tasty. But, theres some things you can do to help your fur baby return to a comfortable atmosphere, and to prevent this from happening again in the future. However, this would put a huge amount of strain on her body and her mental stamina. (n.d.). Guinea pigs are social animals who rely on their families for support. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? (The Surprising Truth) Its also the age of the youngest baby guinea pigs in pet stores. Make sure theres always enough food in your pregnant guinea pigs bowl. Newborn Baby Guinea Pig Care - family-medical.net How Can You Prevent Your Guinea Pig from Eating Its Young? After three weeks, baby guinea pigs can be separated from their mother and placed with other guinea pigs or their owner. You cannot do any harm by touching your adult guinea pig or its babies. It is famously difficult to sex baby rodents, so the easiest way to be sure which of your pups are girls and which are boys is to ask a more experienced mentor, or a vet, to help you. Guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing, so they will potentially even be able to hear you coming from down the hall. Theres a few traits unique to piggies that probably explain why they usually dont feel the need to eat their babies. The gestation period is about 59 to 72 days or about two months. Weaning age depends on several factors including the pups weight, the mothers milk supply, and the number of siblings. Try brushing your pets coats regularly as this can create soothing and pleasant connecting experiences. Guinea pigs and other rodents do not eat their babies because they are hungry. This process includes eating the placenta and, while she does this, there is a chance that she will mistake one of her babies for the placenta. The sow needs this time to focus on nursing her living babies, and you need to create an environment that will allow her to do this. Guinea pig babies are born very quickly. The advantage of choosing the Midwest Habitat Plus is that it offers up to 8 square feet of space, its very affordable, and you can transfer your male guinea pig to a different section early. It is important to make sure that the pups begin nursing within the first few hours of birth. Your guinea pig's individual personality will likely play a big role in this. So, its possible for their mother (especially if shes inexperienced with babies) to kill them with too much force. If you are a new guinea pig parent or have an unexpected pregnancy like we did, you too may have lots of questions about newborn baby guinea pigs. If the mother is experiencing starvation , she may eat her offspring as an ultimate last resort. In the meantime, if you havent seen enough sweet pictures of baby guinea pigs yet, then why not visit our compilation of favorite guinea pig videos. This article has been extensively revised for 2019. Show some tender feelings towards your guinea pig. Guinea Lynx :: A Medical and Care Guide for Your Guinea Pig. Merck Veterinary Manual. (2014, March 28). They need to stay with their mother guinea pigs and suck their milk, but they will quickly become active. They are born precocial, which means they already have teeth and fur, and from their earliest moments they can see, hear, and move about.