You should increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables given daily and also consider pet-friendly supplements. Dwyer, C.M., et al, The effect of maternal undernutrition on the growth and development of the guinea pig placenta, Journal of Developmental Physiology, 1992. I'm here to help you smash the EASY button on pet parenting. Why Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? - Clever Pet Owners 3 hours ago WebBaby Guinea Pig Diet The first week of life is critical. Compared to other rodents, guinea pigs (both in captivity and in the wild) will very rarely choose to eat their offspring. Make sure theres always enough food in your pregnant guinea pigs bowl. Most guinea pigs cages are designed for adult guinea pigs with a one inch space between the bars. 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 . One of the ways they do this is through "wheeking". In our research, we could not find a definitive age when guinea pigs are declared adults; however, they reach sexual maturity by four weeks of age. However, male guinea pigs shouldnt eat their young at all because guinea pigs are herbivores. The information on this website should not be take as a substitute for professional advice. Look quickly because guinea pigs are not happy being held this way. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made by my readers, but it doesn't cost you anything at all. Many living creatures eat other members of their species when necessary for survival. 5 Common Cat Behaviours And What They Mean. Yes, female guinea pigs do nurse their young for a few weeks after birth. The female pups can be weaned the following week at four weeks of age. They are able to express a wide range of emotions using different sounds and gestures. If a stillborn is not removed from the cage promptly, it might be eaten fairly quickly by the mother. We knew for sure that we had one male and two females, but it was still hard for us to tell with the fourth guinea pig. One of which is probably: Will your guinea pig eat her babies? So, if youve been wanting to know if guinea pigs usually miss their owners, we hope you have the answer now. You might even have witnessed them start to join in with social grooming by this point. So, what is the answer? 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. Can the male guinea pig stay with the mother and babies? Why Guinea Pigs Are Less Likely To Eat Their Babies? You can find a mentor by asking your local cavy club to put you in touch with suitable experienced breeders. Pregnancy is very difficult for guinea pigs, with at least 1 out of 5 of the mothers dying during birth. 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. They will understand. 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. Most species clean their offspring with their tongue and so do your little friends. It can be difficult to tell the difference between male and female guinea pigs under three weeks of age. This is pretty rare. Guinea pigs eating babies is a rare but possible occurrence. You need to be able to provide your guinea pigs with regular ample attention all the time. How Few Is Too Few? The body temperature of a guinea pig is between 101104 F (3840 C), so its ideal ambient air temperature is similar to that of humans, approximately 6575 F (1824 C). We were stressed out during this time because we did not want to have another unexpected guinea pig pregnancy. 11811 Shaker Blvd, #204, PMB 289Cleveland, Ohio 44120(216) 912-6291. Well be discussing more about this in todays article. In most cases, guinea pigs won't miss you if you decide to leave them in the home instead of taking them with you for camping. Plus, good breeders and rescues tend to handle their guinea pigs regularly, which helps to keep them tame. Over the next 2 weeks, decrease the feeding time gradually. Once they are one to two finger-widths apart, it wont be long untilbirth.. Guinea pig cannibalism may occur in extreme cases of starvation. (n.d.). This is for several reasons: You should find this post helpful: Can A Father Guinea Pig Be With The Babies? Although pet guinea pigs eating their pups is a very rare incident, it does happen sometimes. Make sure any seller houses male and female guinea pigs separately, or there could be a chance you'll take home a pregnant female. Sufficient nutrition, a mixture of alfalfa and timothy grass, keeps female guinea pigs hydrated and can prevent guinea pigs from eating their babies. Certainly not, they only remember their parents for a particular period. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140328-sloth-bear-zoo-infanticide-chimps-bonobos-animals, Your Guinea Pigs Pregnancy: The Stages of Pregnancy. Wheek: The shrill noise a guinea pig or other small rodent makes. A particular substance comes from the eyes of a guinea pig; they rub it on their hair when they are grooming. I love animals, and I have three beautiful boys. How To Prevent a New Mother from Eating Her Babies? Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? This is extremely taxing on the body of the female guinea pig and dangerous to her. As you find a toy for your little fur baby, you might be asking, do guinea pigs like stuffed animals? This is especially true for mammalian animals, who often form strong attachments with their young. Guinea pigs diet rests on grasses, herbs, hay, and raw fruits and vegetables. Start offering them shredded lettuce from the day their born. To help you, weve written more about how to tame a guinea pig here. They have small bodies and big eyes. After your guinea pig has given birth, shell clean up the evidence left behind to stop predators from tracking down their scent. They also live for several years, longer than most other rodents, so you can enjoy them longer than other pet rodents. Do Guinea Pigs Nurse Their Young? This Is What You Should Know! If you are unsure if the guinea pig is missing its baby, you may not be able to know if it is ill and needs to see a veterinarian. Do guinea pigs remember their parents? This can be startling and upsetting. To avoid the risk of your guinea pig, eating her babies, take these safety steps. Theyre filled with Vitamin C and other essential nutrients that guinea pigs need. Guinea Pigs make excellent pets due to their playful, social nature. The best items to put on the bottom of a guinea pig cage are absorbent,, Read More 10 Reliable Cage Liners for Guinea Pigs (What You Need to Know)Continue, Pet parents who consider housing their guinea pigs outside often wonder whether or not their pet guinea pigs can hibernate. (2010, July 22). Or house her with a neutered male to prevent future pregnancies. 9. However, they will continue to feed on their mothers milk as well. 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. Calcium can be found in alfalfa hay or alfalfa-based pellets, timothy hay and oranges. This little interaction will enable him warm to the introduction of a new cage mate better. If youre going to be away for an extended period, you may also want to consider finding a friend or family member to care for your guinea pig in your absence. If separated from their parents, they may become anxious and depressed. 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. Male guinea pigs (boars) usually mature sexually and can mate as young as 2-3 months of age. This can happen if the guinea pig is not being fed enough timothy hay, pellets, vitamin C supplements, etc. Guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing, so they will potentially even be able to hear you coming from down the hall. We read that the bedding needs to be changed daily. Having your guinea pig give birth to a litter should be an exciting time. When I'm not writing, I enjoy kickboxing and work as an animal trainer. 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 . It is okay for you to handle the pups during the nursing period. Rather, they belong to a rodent species called cavies. B., Auditory spatial responses of young guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) during and after ear blocking, Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1978. Baby guinea pigs feed on their mothers milk but soon they will need lots of alfalfa hay thats rich in calcium. The guinea pig fathers dont play any role in taking care of the litter, and can do more harm than good (sorry piggie dads!). The babies shouldn't be separated from their mothers for at least a month. Guinea pigs can eat a lot of different types of fruit. A guinea pig baby can show mating behaviors at about three to four weeks of age. Guinea Pigs do best when living with at least one similar companion, and pets that live without another Guinea pig sometimes become lonely and depressed. Another challenge that people face is that they may not be able to tell if the guinea pig is sick or not. 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. (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. I've always been an animal lover, and I've worked in the pet industry. This is one of the biggest reasons why a sow will engage in filial cannibalism. Even if guinea pigs cannot express emotions the way other pets like dogs or cats do, it doesnt mean they dont miss their owners when left alone for long. For example, guinea pigs are born with their eyes open, and their ears which look huge at the moment can already hear. Do Guinea Pigs Recognize Their Name? (How to Teach Them) However, they can seriously injure them when they recognize that the babies are not theirs, also because they are intimidated and territorial. How Do Guinea Pigs Reproduce? (Breeding, Complications & More) Pups from small litters are usually bigger than pups from large litters. Some have lengthy, silky hair, and others have brief, tough coats. Once all the serious aspects of baby guinea pig care are in hand, you can turn your mind to more fun tasks, like picking their names. Theres no fixed moment when a guinea pig stops being a pup and becomes an adult. The best thing you can do is provide adequate and proper nutrition to the new guinea pig mother. 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. Preview / Show more . If your guinea pig becomes acquainted with someone they don't trust, they may become quiet or hide when that person is nearby. But, can guinea pigs eat them? Guinea pigs are less likely to eat their own young than other varieties of rodents because a baby guinea pig reaches maturity quickly. 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. For guinea pigs to reproduce, a male guinea pig needs to fertilize the female. Do Guinea Pigs Miss Their Owners? If guinea, Read More What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Eat? Any guinea pig lover would approve. But most people think of it as being around four weeks old, when they reach sexual maturity. 11. The above is important because it allows the mother to continue feeding and grooming her young. At worst, it can cause her to reject them. For the first 2-3 weeks , they will rely on their mother for milk. They are not cannibalistic because they are starving. (What You Need To Know)Continue. The extra calories should be provided until she stops nursing her newborn babies. Baby guinea pigs are unique in that they are born with their eyes open! And make sure that the guinea pig mother is not present. A mother guinea pig can eat her babies if one of the babies is born dead. What about baby guinea pigs for adoption? My first piggy some years ago did a big dance of joy each time I came back home after some days of being away. Guinea pigs don't wheek in the wild. When you decide to introduce baby guinea pigs to an adult guinea pig, follow their behavior (monitor them for aggression) and respond quickly. Pneumonia can occur with torticollis and can be fatal. Approach them face-on, so they can see you coming. Between then and reaching their full adult weight several months later, you might hear them being described as juniors. The act of cannibalism in guinea pigs is usually the mother trying to protect the rest of her litter from predators. How Can I Prevent Guinea Pigs From Eating Their Babies? A male guinea pig might seriously injure his babies because he is territorial and feels intimidated. 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. It is important to note that guinea pigs can get attached to their owners and may experience signs of separation anxiety when they are not around. 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. (700 to 1,100 grams), according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW). Guinea pigs and other rodents do not eat their babies because they are hungry. Under normal circumstances, the sow will give birth and have a healthy litter of pups. And within a few hours nursing should be established. Guinea Pig Facts | Live Science Now, lets begin at the beginning. They are born precocial, which means they already have teeth and fur, and from their earliest moments they can see, hear, and move about. Why Do Guinea Pigs Sometimes Eat Their Young? As mentioned already, increased stress will make it much more likely that your guinea pig will eat her offspring. Ive wondered it myself. Theyve learned all the skills they need for independence, and theyre ready to leave the nest. The Best Pet Health & Care Advice from Real Vets | PetMD. Provide Your Sow with a Stress-Free Environment, Remain Vigilant During the First Twenty Four Hours, Keep The Babies With Their Mom As Much As Possible, Can You Put A Baby Guinea Pig With An Older One? From the moment they are born they are unusually mature and capable of looking after themselves. Some times, she shows me her displeasure if I have been away overnight and my neighbors fed her. Guinea pigs are not capable of "missing". https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/i-think-my-guinea-pig-might-be-pregnant-what-should-i-do/, Pregnancy toxemia in Guinea pigs. Make sure that your guinea pig babies are able to reach the water bottle sipper. Pups from small litters are usually bigger than pups from large litters. That way she doesnt have to deal with the stress of more pregnancies. This usually happens when pups are stillborn, or born to ill to survive. If it has not happened within the first 24 hours, it is very unlikely she will attempt to do it later on. 10. Unlike many other animals in the animal kingdom, guinea pigs are not self-sufficient. Since their gestation lasts just 59-73 days, a female guinea pig is capable in theory of bearing five or even six litters a year. Normally, they could be 3-6 inches long. Guinea pigs mature quickly and will begin to nibble the hay, pellets and veggies fed to their mother within 24 hours. A female needs to give birth for the first time before the age of 7 months. You can expect your pup to wander curiously about their world during this time, but their legs are still a bit clumsy and theyre apt to suddenly plop down as they explore their environs. Keep the male guinea pig separate from his female partner to keep her safe and reduce the stress. In general, the color of Abyssinian guinea pigs is associated with congenital eye defects and digestive problems. Try to provide your pet with the extra company as much as you can, even if only for a short period of time. So, I took some time to do some research on it for you. This is a question that has long been debated when it comes to guinea pigs. My name is Tim Rhodes and I'm a guinea pig enthusiast through thick and thin. Guinea pigs cannot survive alone. Guinea pigs may be Darwinian in their process toward motherhood, meaning only strong individuals can survive and reproduce more, To eliminate competition, guinea pigs are reluctant to share their enclave, especially when other male guinea pigs are around. What Are Common Health Problems in Guinea Pigs? Yes, guinea pigs do eat their babies. 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. 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. Lots of small animals (think rats and rabbits) have reputations for being prolific breeders. Guinea pigs make eleven different call types. Make sure your pig has a lot of food. Home - Guinea Pigs - Do Guinea Pigs Miss Their Owners? Hi there! Guinea pigs are tailless rodents that weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 lbs. Just simply focusing on your guinea pigs and trying to chat with them every day can go a long way. If you have decided youre ready to take the plunge and welcome a new baby guinea pig into your life, take a look at our article Where To Buy Guinea Pigs to start your journey. Why would a pet guinea pig eat its own babies? We noticed our guinea pig babies began to eat mamas food within a few days of birth. (Find Out Now), Filial Cannibalism (and 7 Reasons Why Some Animal Moms Dine On Their Babies). Do Guinea Pigs Recognize Their Owners? (How to Tell) However, in captivity that shouldnt happen at all because responsible pet owners keep them separate from pregnant and lactating sows and their babies. 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. Your guinea pig can definitely use more interplay with the loss of its buddy. During pregnancy your sow will need lots of energy and vitamin C, so make sure her hay doesnt run out, and offer a larger helping of fresh fruit and veg every day. Also, after delivery, the mother guinea pig can eat babies accidentally, while eating the placenta. How to Take Care of a Female Guinea Pig With Babies - wikiHow As they grow, baby guinea pigs will require extra calcium to help their bones develop properly. However, this would put a huge amount of strain on her body and her mental stamina. Baby guinea pigs for adoption are usually a little cheaper than guinea pigs for sale, and often come with a clean bill of health from a vet. https://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html, I think my Guinea pig might be pregnant, what should I do? Cute Guinea Pig Names 200 Unique Names To Choose From, Cow Names Over 400 Amazing Names For Your Cattle, Giving your litter the best start begins before your sow is even pregnant make sure she has a clean bill of health from a vet before she is mated, and buy a.