Guinea Pig Pregnancy Info
The gestation period for guinea pigs is 62 to 70 days. The greater the number of babies
the mother is carrying, the shorter the pregnancy. Most pregnancies are non-problematic.
Guinea pigs are more prone to heat related death in the latter stages of pregnancy. They
have been known to abort the fetuses if an alarming incident occurs. Pregnant females
should not have major changes in their diet or housing late in pregnancy, since this can
result in stress-induced toxemia. If you must pick up a pregnant guinea pig, be sure to
securely support her hindquarters.
No changes are visible in appearance or behavior during the first four weeks. The last two
to three weeks, the mother to be will become quite "plump" as the babies will comprise
more than half of her body weight. You can see and feel the movement of the babies
during the last two weeks. During the last few weeks the mothers protein and calcium
requirements increase. Adequate fiber may prevent hair thinning, a common occurrence
in late pregnancy, so providing adequate hay becomes very important. In addition,
pregnant females will need twice as much vitamin C to help prevent toxemia.
The mother will not build a nest prior to the birth. Towards the end of the pregnancy you
will want to separate her from any other animals to avert any mishap and make sure she
has a clean place to take care of her young. Give her some extra soft bedding to use and
keep the environment draft free and quiet.
Mothers rarely need any help unless they are older and this is their first pregnancy.
Females reach puberty when 3 to 4 weeks old and should be bred for the first time
between 3 and 6 months old. As females age, the hipbones grow closer together if they
have never given birth. Any guinea pig over six months of age who has never had a litter
is at great risk if she becomes pregnant. In these cases, a caesarian section is usually
necessary.
The birth process under normal circumstances usually takes place in the daytime and lasts
for a maximum of 20 minutes. Average guinea pig litters have 2 to 3 babies. The first
baby should appear after 5 minutes of labor. The time between the birth of each baby is
usually between 3 and 5 minutes. If the labor extends longer, be prepared to rush her to
the clinic. She could die of exhaustion. She will remain sitting while the babies emerge
underneath, head first. She will pull the amniotic sac off with her teeth by reaching
between her legs. As the babies appear she will clean them off. When all have been born,
the placentas will appear (the mother will usually eat the placentas). As long as
everything seems to be progressing, do not interrupt the mother during the birth.
Guinea pig babies are more completely developed at birth than most pet species. They are
born with their eyes open and can consume solid food within a few hours of birth. The
young are generally weaned at 2 to 3 weeks of age.
Don't know a thing about baby piggies and her birthing them either.
