Guinea Pigs

[grahamsokel]

well as most of you know i am part of a chinchilla rescue.well i went out on tuesday to collect a chin that was coming in and came home with the chin and 19 guinea pigs a friend has taken 6 of the babys and my sister 3 more so i am left with 8 adults and 2 tiny babys.
I am sure 4 of the females are preggy and probably the one with the babys will be again as she was still in with a male.
does anyone know if it will be safe to introduce all the females together even though they are preggy?and will the other females be ok with the 2 babys.At the moment i have got them in 3 x 4ft 2 story hutches with the hatches blocked off so i can use them as 2 hutches but it would be nice to give them 8ft of floor space instead of just the 4 ft in each of the hutches

pics
First male female pair the female is the one that is mostly white

same pair showing other side of male

next pair male is the white one

same pair

[/quote]


Male in with the group

and again

Black and white female

white female

mum with babys

babys

babys again

 

[Phishy25]

Awwww so cute! Wish I was closer because I could have helped you rehome a couple !

 

[kewskills]

they are cute i have had some before noisy little buggers

 

[cuticom]

Its better to not keep pregnant females together, there has been some instances of ones littering, triggering the others, resulting in dead premature bubs. Try and read up what you can about lethal babys at least one those sows is a roan and if the father of the babies is a hidden roan you have a 25% chance of lethals. If the babies are females and not pregnant they can stay with the older sows, but the pregnant sows will need to be seperated with dividers. I'm happy to help with any problems, I've had pigs for 6 years as a pedigree shower and started breeding pedigrees three years ago.

Oh one other thing, please please seperate females from males, the female could easily be back bred with a male in the same cage.

 

[grahamsokel]

Its better to not keep pregnant females together, there has been some instances of ones littering, triggering the others, resulting in dead premature bubs. Try and read up what you can about lethal babys at least one those sows is a roan and if the father of the babies is a hidden roan you have a 25% chance of lethals. If the babies are females and not pregnant they can stay with the older sows, but the pregnant sows will need to be seperated with dividers. I'm happy to help with any problems, I've had pigs for 6 years as a pedigree shower and started breeding pedigrees three years ago.

Oh one other thing, please please seperate females from males, the female could easily be back bred with a male in the same cage.

From what i have been told these groups they are in they have lived in for 2 years and every baby has been born alive so i doubt there is any lethal gene.
I seperated them males from the females as soon as they got here as i do know about breed back get plenty of chins in having had breed back after breed back
the pics of them was before they went into hutches
i am not a complete novice to guineas as i have always had them for the past 30 + years i have just never bred them.The reason i asked about mixing the females is that i was told it would be ok by a breeder that shows and judges his own

 

[cuticom]

The baby's may have been born alive, but it dosnt stop them being lethals. I have a friend who rescued a lethal, shes still going good after two years, but thats with extensive vet bills etc. Just curious how you know every baby beens born alive? not trying to be rude, but that is an amazing run of luck in having so stillborns etc.

Lol just wanted to check you knew what you were doing, good on ya for taking em in.

 

[grahamsokel]

Just curious how you know every baby beens born alive? not trying to be rude, but that is an amazing run of luck in having so stillborns etc.

Lol just wanted to check you knew what you were doing, good on ya for taking em in.

I asked if they had had any problems with them in the past and she said no we have never had any babys born dead and all the females have been fine.
She has been activly involved in the breeding of the guinea pigs untill she had to have a double hip replacement.hence the reason once the son was not about she couldnt cope

 

[seffieuk]

Oh I love piggies used to keep them years ago......my girlies all lived together very happily, even when they were pregnant (didnt know about this lethal thing in those days ) We never had a still born or one die shortly after birth. Mind you they didn't live in a hutch, they had a 8x6 pen. They are by nature a herd animal (sure that isnt the correct term) and shouldn't be living by themselves. The males who are not going to be bred from can be castrated at very little cost and the ones who are going to be used for breeding should have a bunny for company. Well done for saving them, wish i was closer - would love to have helped you with them

all the best
seffie

 

[cuticom]

Rabbits are not good company for guinea pigs, one misstep and they can easily kill the pig, female bunnies can also tear their hair out for nesting. Males can happily live together I've had herds of 8 plus boars together no probs, none were neutered, the only reason they were separated was because one was special needs and had got worse, and then there was something wrong with the feed and I lost another boar and another is still recovering.

 

[grahamsokel]

None of these will be used for breeding once they have these babys and i already have the males booked in for next week then i will be introducing them into trios for rehoming any babys will be rehomed in male pairs or if females they will stay with the adults.
I have never in all the years of having my own guinea pigs kept them with Rabbits and wont be starting now

 

[cuticom]

What do you mean by booked in next week? are you having them all neutered? neutering dosnt effect aggresiveness, only the ability to breed....

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i'm gonna bet a quarter that graham's getting the boys neutered to prevent any further breeding. he runs a rescue and that's what rescues do.

 

[Amunet]

OMG I want one of the babies!
I would love to own a guinea pig one day. They're just so adorable.
Fiance's mother used to have this long haired one and it was adorable when hey had to give it a bath.

 

[grahamsokel]

What do you mean by booked in next week? are you having them all neutered? neutering dosnt effect aggresiveness, only the ability to breed....

I am getting all the males neutered so that they can eventualy go back in with the females to be rehomed
If you found a rescue prepared to rehome for breeding it isnt a good rescue.

i'm gonna bet a quarter that graham's getting the boys neutered to prevent any further breeding. he runs a rescue and that's what rescues do.

LOL you would be rich if you got money the amount of times i had said that

anyway i have been out to watch a Dachshund Champ show today and when i got back i have 2 more babys

 

[pica_nuttalli]

shhh! you'll ruin my plan!

man, i am absolutely in love with that 1st male. he is just so pretty