How long are guinea pigs pregnant?
A guinea pig’s pregnancy duration is 59 to 72 days or approximately 2 months. The average guinea pig pregnancy lasts about 65 days.
How can you tell if a guinea pig is pregnant?
The only way to tell if your guinea pig is pregnant (other than with an ultrasound), is if she has an enlarged abdomen. They literally look pear shaped when pregnant.
Here is a photo of one of my pregnant sows:
How many babies do guinea pigs have?
Guinea pig litter sizes can range from 1 to 6 pups, with the average being 3.
Abortions and stillbirth are common with guinea pig’s. From my experience with my own 2 females, the one gave birth to 3 pups of which 2 was alive and 1 was stillborn (you could also see the stillborn one was significantly smaller than the healthy 2 pups).
My other female gave birth to 4 pups of which 3 was alive and 1 was stillborn.
Do guinea pig’s nest before giving birth?
No, guinea pig’s do not build nests, so the time of delivery can be difficult to predict. It can happen any time during the day or night.
Guinea pig pups
Newborn guinea pig’s are born full of hair and can run around almost immediately. They should nurse for at least 2 to 3 weeks, although they start eating on their own pretty soon. Pups usually start eating solids, like their mom, at 3 to 4 days old, but I swear our guinea pig pups were nibbling on a piece of hay at 1 day old (literally the day they were born).
When can baby guinea pig’s be separated from mom?
Guinea pig boys should be separated from mom and other females at 3 weeks old. Guinea pigs reach sexual maturity surprisingly fast.
Guinea pig pregnancy tips:
- Males should be removed before the female gives birth, because she can become pregnant again a few hours after giving birth.
- Pregnant sows need extra calcium and Vit C.
- Alfalfa hay should be given to pregnant females along with their normal hay.
- Also feed a selection of fruit and veg daily.
- Reduce handling a pregnant sow, especially during the last 2 weeks of pregnancy.
Reduce stress. Do not give a pregnant female a bath as this may cause too much stress.
This was the very 1st glimpse we got that something might be happening, a baby head peeked out from within the hidey.
And soon they started taking over…
