After giving birth, the mother guinea pig is likely to eat the placenta but can end up eating her babies by mistake. By six weeks of age baby guinea pigs are self-sufficient and fully weaned. Make sure theres always enough food in your pregnant guinea pigs bowl. The act of cannibalism in guinea pigs is usually the mother trying to protect the rest of her litter from predators. Its normal to be upset and sad. (n.d.). CLICK HERE to check the price. They need supervised time out of their cages each day to run around and exercise. If the mother is experiencing starvation , she may eat her offspring as an ultimate last resort. 2 3 cups mostly green, leafy vegetables, Occasional fruit too much sugar can lead to obesity. By giving them enough time with their mother, you reduce the risk that she will reject them. My mission is to teach others useful tips and tricks about these cute creatures. But, if one or more of her litter is stillborn, she may eat it. Or at least make it a less dangerous one, for you, the guinea pig mother, and the baby piggies. Give the orphaned puppy the same amount of water and evaporated guinea pig milk. the babies are doing so well and are so healthy.#guineapig #babies #cuteSong: Sapphe. 5 Common Cat Behaviours And What They Mean. The standard litter can range from one to six little pups, with an avg. What Should I Do if My Guinea Pig Eats (Or Kills) Her Babies? It's often the result of starvation, stress, inexperience, or trauma. The importance of understanding whether or not guinea pigs miss their babies cannot be overstated. The two main reasons why Guinea pigs may eat their babies is a result of hunger, or insufficient feeding. The larger the litter, the smaller the pups will likely be. Individual size is generally linked to litter size, so the more siblings there are in a litter, the smaller they are each likely to be. Guinea pigs eating babies is a rare but possible occurrence. Keep in mind that guinea pigs are not the best choice to raise other female guinea pigs babies. This is just enough space to allow the guinea pigs to escape. Aggression between two newly introduced guinea pigs is very common and If your guinea pig is finding it hard to deal with the change of a new cage mate, try engaging him in more interaction with you than ever before. They are basically saying . Its better to have a cage that is much larger than a cage that is too small. (n.d.). I've always been an animal lover, and I've worked in the pet industry. Make sure that your guinea pig babies are able to reach the water bottle sipper. AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE Preview / Show more . If you are considering getting a guinea pig, ensure you can provide them with the social interaction they need. After three weeks, baby guinea pigs can be separated from their mother and placed with other guinea pigs or their owner. 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. 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. This is called precociality. Guinea pigs cannot survive alone. Although, some green beans and always bring us back together. A baby guinea pig is called a pup. If The Male Doesn't Believe the Babies Are His. Pet owners know that keeping a guinea pig as a pet is a wonderful experience. You can also ask your vet for advice and support. It may take some time for him to become comfortable with you. Also, female guinea pigs eat their young if they are overstressed and afraid because they cannot handle the situation. Copyright 2023 mypetguineapig.com. Although they spring out with open eyes and fully furred, piggie pups are still small and fragile at first. 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?) A particular substance comes from the eyes of a guinea pig; they rub it on their hair when they are grooming. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/i-think-my-guinea-pig-might-be-pregnant-what-should-i-do/, Pregnancy toxemia in Guinea pigs. So, pet parents should be cautious and prepared when dealing with pregnant sows. Just like big farmyard pigs! While it is certainly possible that guinea pigs may experience separation anxiety after their babies have been taken away, there is no definitive evidence to suggest that this is the case. The best time to breed guinea pigs is before the female turns 7 months of age. Wanna Give Your Piggies the 5 STAR Treatment? If it has not happened within the first 24 hours, it is very unlikely she will attempt to do it later on. (Fun Facts). It was fascinating to watch our new mom clean up after her newborn baby guinea pigs. Wanna read something more boring than watching paint dry? You have entered an incorrect email address! This is especially true for mammalian animals, who often form strong attachments with their young. Give herenough food as she needs nourishment, so never have her food bowl empty. If youre not looking for a specific breed or sex of guinea pig, rescuing one from a shelter is a great way to meet your new pet. To avoid the risk of your guinea pig, eating her babies, take these safety steps. One under his chest and one under his bottom. 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. (Find Out Now). Although, some green beans and always bring us back together. To do this, we learned it is best to wean the males by removing them from their mom and sisters cage at three weeks and moving them to a separate cage. Lets explain why guinea pigs may eat their babies. It's so rewarding to help pets look and feel their best. Your pregnant and lactating guinea pigs should have access to alfalfa hay in the last weeks of their pregnancy. *Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. An adult guinea pig will never deliberately harm or eat a newborn guinea pig. Theyre filled with Vitamin C and other essential nutrients that guinea pigs need. Like babies of all species, cute baby guinea pigs are tiny and winsome. If she is pregnant, her chances of suffering from some illness will also increase, which will tempt her to eat a lot. Rather, they belong to a rodent species called cavies. Guinea pig babies are born looking like mini versions of their mama. Try to provide your pet with the extra company as much as you can, even if only for a short period of time. The mother may eat her babies if one or more of her litter dies, or she is under a lot of stress. Babies grow fast. When can baby guinea pigs be separated from their mother? Wed love to hear about your experiences in the comment section below! However, you should err on the side of caution. Piglet Okay, so it's not that clever. If you keep a male guinea pig with the mother and babies, introduce them slowly, so there is no aggression between the two adults. Yes, guinea pigs miss their owners. Breeding and reproduction of Guinea pigs All other pets Merck veterinary manual. Guinea pigs are also notorious communicators, and they start vocalising from babyhood. There are, Read More 7 Alarming Reasons Why Guinea Pigs DroolContinue, What fruits can guinea pigs eat? Also, they should have unlimited amounts of timothy hay and water all the time. This can hurt their health and well-being. Guinea pigs are not capable of "missing". Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Guinea pig pregnancy seems short to us, but in fact it lasts a remarkably long time for their size. One reason why a guinea pig mother might eat one of her pups is that she is extremely malnourished. You will get a kick out of their eagerness to chase each other around and play, and maybe even start popcorning. (And yes, its one of the more gruesome animal interactions in the wild.). Stress can cause guinea pigs to eat their babies, and stress-induced cannibalism is also very common in guinea pigs, and unfortunately, quite unavoidable at times.Do your best to keep them well fed and give them plenty of rest so they can stay calm. Some times, she shows me her displeasure if I have been away overnight and my neighbors fed her. Common diseases in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory infections, diarrhea, itching, and boils due to infection (often the neck, throat, or external scratches). Housing your guinea pig is not particularly difficult, as there are a large variety of hutches and cages commercially available. Guinea pigs definitely can eat clementines. The babies shouldn't be separated from their mothers for at least a month. The causes are different for each species. (Find Out Now)Continue, Choosing the right materials to use a as a cage liner for your guinea pigs cage can seem daunting especially when youre a new pet parent. Baby guinea pigs feed on their mothers milk but soon they will need lots of alfalfa hay thats rich in calcium. The litter size ranges from 1 to 8 pups, but a litter of 2 to 4 is more common.A female can give birth to up to 5 litters per year. These colorful, chore charts will help you keep track of when to feed your fuzz butts, clean their cages, and much more. Another challenge that people face is that they may not be able to tell if the guinea pig is sick or not. We read that the bedding needs to be changed daily. We were stressed out during this time because we did not want to have another unexpected guinea pig pregnancy. This often happens when owners of female guinea pigs discover an unplanned pregnancy and arent able to care for all the babies. And all the behaviors theyll need to carry out for themselves instead of having performed for them by mom like grooming will be well established. (Find Out Now), Filial Cannibalism (and 7 Reasons Why Some Animal Moms Dine On Their Babies). If your sow is in a very small enclosure, this could cause her unnecessary stress. 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. Raising an orphaned guinea pig is not very difficult because mothers feed guinea pig pups only a few times per day and then leave them alone. 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 . All of the babies are usually born within 30 minutes once labor begins. In order to have a peaceful pregnancy and birth, there are some things that you can do: Many people underestimate how much space a guinea pig needs, along with other types of rodents. The size of the pups is often relative to how many pups there are in the litter. Newborn guinea pigs weigh between 60g and 115g. Having your guinea pig give birth to a litter should be an exciting time. They use them to form social bonds and initiate mating, attract the attention of herd members over great distances, communicate sadness, and sound the alarm. Guinea pig pups are essentially born ready to go: their eyes are open, they have hair and a full set of teeth, and they can run around on their own. In this article, we will focus on some important aspects of caring for guinea pig babies. They are cheerful and love to run around, squeak, eat, play, and poop. Although guinea pigs occasionally sneeze, frequent sneezing is a sign of pneumonia, especially in response to climate change. As a whole, guinea pigs do not eat their offspring, but it can happen. Its understandable to feel that way. Never again hear the dreaded sounds of your guinea pigs angry squeaks because you forgot to clean out their cage or feed them on timefor the fourth day in a row. It can be a little surprising to witness, but its completely normal and nothing to be alarmed about. 9. mypetguineapig.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Explain to them that they have not been replaced or that their babies have replaced your guinea pig. She is more likely to eat her babies as she can confuse the placenta and the babies. Guinea pigs make the best mothers and give puppies the best chance of survival. As a whole, guinea pigs do not eat their offspring, but it can happen. B., Auditory spatial responses of young guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) during and after ear blocking, Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1978. Guinea Pigs May Lick as a Sign of Affection or Grooming. https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheUniverseReflected The all natural Piggies Choice Hay Racks are available finally! Cage size Will the baby guinea pigs be able to escape? The sow eating her pups may be starving. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? Female guinea pigs have a Y-shaped opening close to their anus. On the other hand, if it turns out that they dont form any attachment to their young, then we can rest assured knowing that there isnt anything we need to worry about. If you carefully run a finger over the area, you should be able to feel the shaft of their penis under the skin. Well, your guess is as good as mine guinea pigs sure miss their owners when theyre absent for so long. However, male guinea pigs shouldnt eat their young at all because guinea pigs are herbivores. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140328-sloth-bear-zoo-infanticide-chimps-bonobos-animals, Your Guinea Pigs Pregnancy: The Stages of Pregnancy. You can certainly handle a little, because it wont make their mother reject them. In the meantime, the best thing you can do is provide your guinea pig with plenty of love and attention, so it doesnt feel lonely. Pups from small litters are usually bigger than pups from large litters. This page is stuffed full of information about how to care for your baby guinea pig. But, fruit should only be given as an occasional treat. The extra calories should be provided until she stops nursing her newborn babies. Interact with baby guinea pigs early and as often as possible so that they become used to humans. Guinea pigs eat their babies not because they want to kill them for food but for other reasons. The best thing you can do is provide adequate and proper nutrition to the new guinea pig mother. Newborn guinea pigs can open their eyes after they are born. What is a Group of Guinea Pigs Called? Keep the male guinea pig separate from his female partner to keep her safe and reduce the stress. 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. Well chart the milestones of their first days and weeks, and find out what to expect if you discover your female guinea pig is expecting. Guinea pigs are peaceful creatures. Soak guinea pig pellets in water from the first day of life. Show some tender feelings towards your guinea pig. Female guinea pigs (sows) typically mature sexually at 2 months of age (55 to 70 days). Pettijohn, T. F., Attachment and Separation Distress in the Infant Guinea Pig, Developmental Psychobiology, 1979. New guinea pig breeds are formalised by the American Cavy Breeders Association, who also oversee breed standards and competitions in the United States. 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. It is important to make sure that the pups begin nursing within the first few hours of birth. How long does it take for guinea pigs to be born? A typical guinea pig pup weighs between 60 and 115 grams and measures close to 3 to 5 inches long. Every baby guinea pig needs its mothers milk, which provides enough nutrition during the first crucial days of their lives. Can Rabbits Eat Grapes Pros And Cons of Grapes For Rabbits. No. At three weeks of age it was still hard for us to tell the difference between the males and females. Check out these most popular guinea pig products on the market: Last update on 2023-02-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. (2010, July 22). [9] They will still need to nurse, though, for three weeks before they are ready to be removed from their mother. Three weeks marks the earliest point at which pups may stop nursing from their mother. Caring for a guinea pig can be challenging if you are unsure whether it is missing its baby. Sometimes, male Guinea pigs will eat pups if they were fathered by another cavy. Although pet guinea pigs eating their pups is a very rare incident, it does happen sometimes. Whereas there are over 13 Guinea Pig breeds, English, Abyssinian, and Peruvian Guinea Pigs are the most well-liked. Its natural for you and me to humanize the behavior of animals. As mentioned already, increased stress will make it much more likely that your guinea pig will eat her offspring. Filial cannibalism is when animals eat their own offspring. The Midwest Guinea Pig Habitat is the recommended size (minimum of 8 square feet) and has deep sides around the edges that make it difficult for the baby guinea pigs to crawl out of. When you do approach the a baby guinea pig, be careful to move slowly and gently.