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If one or two guinea pig pups seem to suddenly vanish from their cage, it doesnt necessarily mean theyve been eaten. Many people believe that male guinea pigs eat their babies as well. Lets explain why guinea pigs may eat their babies. Within twenty-four hours they can start to eat grass, produce, hay, and pellet feed just like adults. If this happens, you should immediately remove the dead babies and dispose of them appropriately. Newborn Guinea Pigs Pups Care, Feeding, Vaccines, and More - The Big Zoo When I'm not writing, I enjoy kickboxing and work as an animal trainer. You cannot do any harm by touching your adult guinea pig or its babies. They look a little bit awkward as they begin to move around. When your guinea pig is pregnant they need more food than usual, and its surprisingly easy to give them less than what they need. We hope you found this article helpful about what to expect when expecting newborn baby guinea pigs! Extreme Stress -. Also, female guinea pigs eat their young if they are overstressed and afraid because they cannot handle the situation. 11. When you do approach the a baby guinea pig, be careful to move slowly and gently. Or at least make it a less dangerous one, for you, the guinea pig mother, and the baby piggies. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com and other affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. The male guinea pig staying with the mother and babies is important because he helps keep them warm and protects them from predators. 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. They might surprise you with how busy and outgoing they are too. We try to conform to the same standards and expectations when it comes to animal interactions and instincts. Approach them face-on, so they can see you coming. How to Care for a Pet Guinea Pig - The Spruce Pets She checked each one of them and licked them clean immediately following their birth. A single guinea pig living by themselves often become gloomy, confused, and spiritless. The sow eating her pups may be starving. In general, most female guinea pigs who survives birth and delivery will and raise her litter without any issues. Guinea pigs diet rests on grasses, herbs, hay, and raw fruits and vegetables. How Old Are Guinea Pigs Before Leaving Their Mother? - Oddly Cute Pets Whining is typically a noise made by the more passive guinea pig to communicate to a guinea pig that is more pushy or dominant. Well, your guess is as good as mine guinea pigs sure miss their owners when theyre absent for so long. One under his chest and one under his bottom. Pregnancy is very difficult for guinea pigs, with at least 1 out of 5 of the mothers dying during birth. So, its possible for their mother (especially if shes inexperienced with babies) to kill them with too much force. This is a question that many guinea pig owners have. My name is Tim Rhodes and I'm a guinea pig enthusiast through thick and thin. If this happens, pop them back in with her, and visit again later. Do Guinea Pigs Acknowledge Their Identify? (Easy methods to Train Them) It is perfectly fine to handle your new guinea pigs within the first week. However, new guinea pig owners should be prepared for a long-term commitment. Bear in mind this doesnt necessarily mean she is dangerously thin. There are, Read More 7 Alarming Reasons Why Guinea Pigs DroolContinue, What fruits can guinea pigs eat? If you keep a male guinea pig with the mother and babies, introduce them slowly, so there is no aggression between the two adults. Sometimes it happens accidentally. Its important to remember that guinea pigs are prey animals and they can get intimidated very easily. The standard litter can range from one to six little pups, with an avg. Preview / Show more . This is an essential process as it helps to ensure that the young guinea pigs can develop properly. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies if You Touch Them? Pettijohn, T. F., Attachment and Separation Distress in the Infant Guinea Pig, Developmental Psychobiology, 1979. Honestly, I dont feel like its worth the risk. If possible, you should be present during the birth to provide support and comfort to the mother. They need to stay with their mother guinea pigs and suck their milk, but they will quickly become active. Your Baby Guinea Pig What To Expect And How To Look How long do guinea pig babies stay with mom? They are not cannibalistic because they are starving. Guinea pig litters can contain up to eight pups, but two, three or four is more usual. Caring for a guinea pig can be challenging if you are unsure whether it is missing its baby. Hold him against your chest to help him feel secure and safe. It is fine to carefully handle your new guinea pig pups during their first week, but be sure to allow them plenty of time with their mother as well. As mentioned already, increased stress will make it much more likely that your guinea pig will eat her offspring. Guinea pigs may miss their parents, but more research must confirm this. All rights reserved. Just being near their most preferred people can give guinea pigs a lot of comfort. One of which is probably: Will your guinea pig eat her babies? Even then, they must be handled very gently. However, separate male guinea pig babies from their mothers when they turn about two months old. In fact, loneliness reduces the life expectancy of a guinea pig. Whereas there are over 13 Guinea Pig breeds, English, Abyssinian, and Peruvian Guinea Pigs are the most well-liked. Do guinea pigs get attached to their babies? Copyright 2023 mypetguineapig.com. Do Guinea Pigs Like Stuffed Animals? Guineapigden.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. You might also notice they squeak in distress when you take them away from their mom. 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. (700 to 1,100 grams), according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW). Place one hand under their tummy and one behind their bottom, and hold the little guy close to you. Guinea pigs can be aggressive towards each other if they are not adequately trained. Once the mother gives birth to her babies to the nest, she won't be paying much heed to the nest anymore. You might even have witnessed them start to join in with social grooming by this point. As noted above; Guinea Pigs are highly vocal and use their voice to express their personality. Calcium can be found in alfalfa hay or alfalfa-based pellets, timothy hay and oranges. (n.d.). As a whole, guinea pigs do not eat their offspring, but it can happen. AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE Newborn guinea pigs can open their eyes after they are born. To understand why a guinea pig mother killing and gobbling up her offspring is so rare and why its still a possibility (although it is a long shot), you need to know a little bit about the dynamics of. And within a few hours nursing should be established. Want to know more? Many time, the pup gets killed accidentally and the mother eats it because she has a survival instinct. The best thing you can do is provide adequate and proper nutrition to the new guinea pig mother. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? What Makes Them Do That And How To 3 hours ago WebBaby Guinea Pig Diet The first week of life is critical. And guinea pigs are quite fertile little creatures too! Thankfully, its only done when the mother feels she doesnt have any other option. Well be discussing more about this in todays article. Change the water daily. I love animals, and I have three beautiful boys. By six weeks of age baby guinea pigs are self-sufficient and fully weaned. Guinea pigs mature quickly and will begin to nibble the hay, pellets and veggies fed to their mother within 24 hours. Do Guinea Pigs Recognize Their Owners?: 10 Tips You Need Now (And yes, its one of the more gruesome animal interactions in the wild.). If that happens in captivity, thats extremely rare. By their second week, you wont be able to miss how much your baby guinea pigs have grown already. She is also teaching them how to interact with other guinea pigs. (Find Out Now), Can A Father Guinea Pig Be With The Babies? Their tiny mouths already manage to contain 20 teeth, which grow continuously. Put him back with his mother if he becomes vocal or squirmy. 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. However, taking some precautions can bring you peace of mind that your sow wont need to eat her babies. Yes, guinea pigs sometimes eat their babies. Make sure any seller houses male and female guinea pigs separately, or there could be a chance you'll take home a pregnant female. Baby guinea pigs feed on their mothers milk but soon they will need lots of alfalfa hay thats rich in calcium. Make sure that your guinea pig babies are able to reach the water bottle sipper. After three weeks, baby guinea pigs can be separated from their mother and placed with other guinea pigs or their owner. 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 larger the litter, the smaller the pups (as a general rule), so ideally you wouldn't want too many pups born at once. We read that the bedding needs to be changed daily. So your guinea pig is pregnant. 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. Weve already covered the reproductive cycle of guinea pigs and pregnancy and how to tell if a guinea pig is pregnant, so you can learn much more about these topics in our articles. They will continue to nurse from mom for somewhere between three and six weeks. Individuals will be starting to show their own distinct personalities too. (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. Since males can get any female guinea pig pregnant once they reach maturity - including their mothers - they're weaned and taken from their mother at three weeks old. However, this would put a huge amount of strain on her body and her mental stamina. Guinea pig babies are called "pups" when they are born and are birthed into litters. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140328-sloth-bear-zoo-infanticide-chimps-bonobos-animals, Your Guinea Pigs Pregnancy: The Stages of Pregnancy. Over the next 2 weeks, decrease the feeding time gradually. You need to make the entire environment guinea pig-friendly. Guinea pigs dont hibernate, but they will slow down their metabolism and activity in order to stay warm, Read More Do Guinea Pigs Hibernate? Yes, it is okay to touch your new baby guinea pigs. How long do baby guinea pigs stay with Mom? One reason why a guinea pig mother might eat one of her pups is that she is extremely malnourished. Other causes of hair loss due to underlying medical conditions such as ovarian cysts may occur as a result of hormonal distress. Squeaks, Scales and Tails is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC an affiliate advertising program. Read Also: How Often to Clean Guinea Pig Cage. (What You Need To Know), Can Guinea Pigs Eat Clementines? Although they are able to conceive year-round, springtime is the peak window for baby guineas appearing on the scene. (2014, March 28). *Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. On the other hand, female guinea pigs mature sexually at 2 months of age, so make sure to keep them separated from their brothers and father. Thankfully, she had an uneventful pregnancy and birth and did not eat her babies. https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheUniverseReflected The all natural Piggies Choice Hay Racks are available finally! Its important to know what signs to look out for so you can keep your piggies happy and healthy. We placed an additional water bottle in the cage so that we could position it low enough for the babies to reach it. 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. I've always been an animal lover, and I've worked in the pet industry. While carrying babies, the guinea pig mother needs extra energy. Do mother guinea pigs miss their babies when they are given away? Each birth is spaced out every 3 5 minutes. 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?) So the remaining milestones left to look for relate to growth, feeding, behavior and sexual maturity. By doing this you can prevent accidental killings, as well as promptly remove any still born pups from the cage. MY GUINEA PIG HAD BABIES - YouTube And, when it happens, it is usually an accident, not a rule, and intentional behavior. Guinea pigs eat their babies not because they want to kill them for food but for other reasons. Male guinea pigs are more likely to harm their babies but they shouldnt eat them. But another remarkable thing about baby guinea pigs is just how grown up their appetites are! Give the orphaned puppy the same amount of water and evaporated guinea pig milk. Having a guinea pig as a pet is a wonderful experience. Yes, guinea pigs eat their babies albeit very rarely, mostly by accident. Once the baby guinea pigs turn 3 to 4 weeks, separate them from their mother, especially male guinea pigs. It's often the result of starvation, stress, inexperience, or trauma. I thought they would be born helpless and look like baby rats or hamsters with no fur and their eyes closed. Begin by holding your guinea pig gently on their back. Guinea pigs are fragile animals at any age but especially during their early days of life. 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. It is also quite normal for baby guinea pigs to whine when approached by a much bigger and older guinea pig. Guinea pigs form close bonds with their families and can be very attached to their parents. 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. They reach their adult size very quickly. The Best Pet Health & Care Advice from Real Vets | PetMD. The first twenty four hours are when the babies are at greatest risk for being eaten, so remain close during this period. Their paws and head are comically outsized in proportion to their body, and they already have a full coat of fur. To most people, guinea pigs are cute pets, and having just one will suffice. However, they can seriously injure them when they recognize that the babies are not theirs, also because they are intimidated and territorial. (Find Out Now), Filial Cannibalism (and 7 Reasons Why Some Animal Moms Dine On Their Babies). Interact with baby guinea pigs early and as often as possible so that they become used to humans. Female baby guinea pigs on the other hand have a y-shaped genital opening, set much closer to the anus. Yet, sometimes, guinea pigs can eat their babies. If your sow has eaten her own babies, you may want to consider changing her living conditions. If you handle a baby bird in a nest, the mother will often abandon them because she'll sense something isn't right (i.e. Genetic abnormalities have been reported in guinea pigs, similar to those found in other breeds of animals (such as hip dysplasia in dogs). Guinea pigs eating babies is a rare but possible occurrence. Besides, always separate baby guinea pigs from male guinea pigs. Will Your Guinea Pig Eat Her Babies? (What You Need To Know) It will also well as putting her at risk for developing diseases like toxaemia. Newborn Guinea Pigs - What You Should Avoid - Guinea Pig Site Yes, guinea pigs do mourn. How to Take Care of a Female Guinea Pig With Babies - wikiHow When female guinea pigs eat their babies, they can do so because they are excessively hungry and because they are under a lot of stress that they cannot handle. Guinea pig babies are born looking like mini versions of their mama. Now, lets begin at the beginning. The best time to breed guinea pigs is before the female turns 7 months of age. Some of the cutest animals kill and devour their offspring. The female pups can be weaned the following week at four weeks of age. Six or seven weeks old is the age at which most breeders will let their pups go to their new homes. 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. (Find Out Now). Place the cage in a quiet, draft-free area your home that is out of direct sunlight. It was fascinating to watch our new mom clean up after her newborn baby guinea pigs. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute("id","a865a53297bca918d5b51d234266ee3f");document.getElementById("e1b86b387e").setAttribute("id","comment"); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. How To Stop Guinea Pigs Chewing On Cage Bars, Baby Chicken What To Expect From Egg To 8 Weeks Old, Effects of early environment on field CA2 pyramidal neurons in the guinea-pig, Cardiovascular and renal disease in the adolescent guinea pig after chronic placental insufficiency, The effect of maternal undernutrition on the growth and development of the guinea pig placenta, Chronic maternal feed restriction impairs growth but increases adiposity of the fetal guinea pig, Guineapig Vocalizations: Their Structure, Causation and Function, Attachment and Separation Distress in the Infant Guinea Pig, An ecologically relevant guinea pig model of fetal behavior, Auditory spatial responses of young guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) during and after ear blocking, The Effects of Diet on Anatomy, Physiology and Health in the Guinea Pig, Guinea Pig and Chinchilla Care and Husbandry. She is then back to cuddles and snuggles. But whether youre raising a litter from birth or buying an older baby guinea pig for sale, getting prepared in advance is the best way to make sure you provide them with the best start in life. You have to remember that these babies are coming out of the womb ready to run around the cage and have fun very quickly. 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. Try brushing your pets coats regularly as this can create soothing and pleasant connecting experiences. The more factors that are present, the higher likelihood shell eat her pups. This is pretty rare. In captivity, they cannot run away, which increases the stress. That way she doesnt have to deal with the stress of more pregnancies. 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. Do Guinea Pigs Recognize Their Name? (How to Teach Them) "Wheek" City. Newborn Guinea Pig Babies 10 Minutes Old! - YouTube Significantly, this is the age when pups will start to reach sexual maturity. Guinea Pig Babies Facts - Caring For All Pets Do Guinea Pigs Miss Their Owners? How Can You Prevent Your Guinea Pig from Eating Its Young? When properly fed, you dont have to worry that she will eat her babies. When your guinea pig is pregnant her Vitamin C requirements double to around 20mg per day. How long before you can handle baby guinea pigs? Start offering them shredded lettuce from the day their born. How long does it take for a baby guinea pig to walk? Like babies of all species, cute baby guinea pigs are tiny and winsome. For example, guinea pigs are born with their eyes open, and their ears which look huge at the moment can already hear. We noticed our guinea pig babies began to eat mamas food within a few days of birth. Do not disturb your guinea pigs when they are sleeping or nursing. A particular substance comes from the eyes of a guinea pig; they rub it on their hair when they are grooming. Always consult your vet if you think a baby guinea pig overly small, or failing to thrive. How To Prevent a New Mother from Eating Her Babies? Yes, female guinea pigs do nurse their young for a few weeks after birth. This is especially true for mammalian animals, who often form strong attachments with their young. Find The Best Deals on Your Favorite guinea pig Products and Save! An indoor cage size of 18" x 24" (45 x 60 cm) should comfortably accommodate a guinea pig. Watch carefully for signs of stress or discomfort. (Fun Facts). Guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing, so they will potentially even be able to hear you coming from down the hall. Baby boars must be separated from mama at three weeks. How long does it take for guinea pigs to be born? and Can You Put A Baby Guinea Pig With An Older One? Allowing siblings to breed also poses a risk of dangerous congenital disorders to their offspring. Make sure to feed your guinea pig hay of high quality. They are able to see, hear and move around once they are born. They need it in unlimited amounts, as it helps them keep their teeth trimmed and ensures the proper functioning of their sensitive digestive system. 9. So, if youve been wanting to know if guinea pigs usually miss their owners, we hope you have the answer now. https://lakeshorepethospital.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Guinea_Pig_Pregnancy.pdf, If you know anything about guinea pigs, you know they love to play. (And How? Pet owners know that keeping a guinea pig as a pet is a wonderful experience. This can hurt their health and well-being. Why Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? - Clever Pet Owners They are born precocial, which means they already have teeth and fur, and from their earliest moments they can see, hear, and move about. Your guinea pig can definitely use more interplay with the loss of its buddy. It is important to make sure that the pups begin nursing within the first few hours of birth. If they are isolated, they may become lonely and sad. Remember to remove any they leave, as it will spoil quickly. Hi there! Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? Guinea pigs are social animals who rely on their families for support. How do I know when my guinea pig is ready to give birth? This is one of the biggest reasons why a sow will engage in filial cannibalism. Can the male guinea pig stay with the mother and babies? On average, baby guinea pigs come in litters of 2-4, and weigh 70-115g. Diet What should our pregnant guinea pig eat? This can be very misleading especially when it comes to motherhood as many animals eat their offspring in certain circumstances. Newborn guinea pigs have fur and are born with their eyes open. Wheek: The shrill noise a guinea pig or other small rodent makes. Your guinea pig's individual personality will likely play a big role in this. Do Guinea Pigs Remember Their Siblings, Names, Owners & More 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. Where can I find baby guinea pigs for sale? Getting guinea pigs used to handling from an early age is an important part of rearing confident, relaxed pets. Newborn Baby Guinea Pig Care - family-medical.net This is especially important in guinea pigs, as they are highly social animals. I didnt know how we would handle it if Theo rejected her babies or even worse ate her young! The next thing you need to take care of is that make sure that their cages are heavy, comfortable, and not escapable. 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. 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. If her diet doesnt contain enough vital vitamins and nutrients, she can still be malnourished whilst receiving enough calories to maintain her body weight. Female guinea pigs take care of the hardest part as much as possible. Even their own children. Some guinea pigs even put up great resistance to this. When separated from their parents, they often experience anxiety and depression. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? (The Surprising Truth) This was the most surprising thing to me! Many people believe that guinea pigs get attached to their owners and that they miss their parents when they are separated. Do Guinea Pigs Miss Their Owners? (Fun Facts) - Own Your Pet This can happen if the guinea pig is not being fed enough timothy hay, pellets, vitamin C supplements, etc. Be prepared to assess them quickly, because they wont like to be held in that position for long! However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. It is rare, but it does happen. While guinea pigs are usually docile, friendly and social creatures, adult males should not be around the babies under any circumstances. Owning Guinea Pigs | VCA Animal Hospital Once the pups arrive, monitor them closely to make sure nursing is established within 12 hours. Plus, good breeders and rescues tend to handle their guinea pigs regularly, which helps to keep them tame. So as long as the enclosure is secure and the bars are tight, you should be fine. A newborn guinea pig might weigh around 3.5 ounces or 100 grams. 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. What Should I Do if My Guinea Pig Eats (Or Kills) Her Babies? 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. Baby guinea pigs are called pups just like baby dogs. A mother guinea pig needs to clean the babies and eat the afterbirth to chemically generate the mammary glands to start producing milk. The average guinea pig gestation is 59 72 days. It can be a little surprising to witness, but its completely normal and nothing to be alarmed about. However, you should err on the side of caution. Newborn guinea pigs should be kept with their mom for at least 3 weeks. 4. If your guinea pig is hanging out near you while . How long do guinea pig babies stay with mom? Whether you plan on rearing your own litter of baby Abysinnian guinea pigs, or youre making plans to buy a baby Peruvian guinea pig, its valuable to be able to recognise whether theyre growing and developing normally for the species, and their breed. Ive wondered it myself. The importance of understanding whether or not guinea pigs miss their babies cannot be overstated. If your guinea pig consistently has enough extra food, the chances of her needing to eat her pups drop to near zero. The two main reasons why Guinea pigs may eat their babies is a result of hunger, or insufficient feeding. They are born precocial, which means they already have teeth and fur, and from their earliest moments they can see, hear, and move about. (Benefits, Risks, Servings & FAQs), Baytril For Guinea Pigs (Side Effects, Efficacy, Dosage & FAQs), Signs Your Guinea Pig Hates You (Top 7 & And How to Fix It). How do you tell if a baby guinea pig is a boy or girl? After birth, Guinea pig sows can become pregnant again within hours. (n.d.). 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. 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. Giving birth is very stressful for the guinea pig mother and the babies. Its natural for you and me to humanize the behavior of animals. When they dont respond to her attention, she tries cleaning them more and more vigorously, until eventually she ends up damaging them. When you pick them up secure one hand beneath the stomach and one under the bottom and hold close to your chest.