How Do Guinea Pigs Have Babies?

Ever wonder how guinea pigs have babies? Is it an easy process or a difficult one? Read on to learn more...

When the female is old enough to have a litter, the male will mate. This process of mating lasts around 8 hours.

In this post, we'll uncover the process of how guinea pigs have babies.

How often do Guinea Pigs Breed?

Female guinea pigs (sows) typically reach their sexual maturity after around 2 months of age... however, it is recommended to breed Female Guinea Pigs (sows) between 3 - 7 months of age.

If breeding gets delayed beyond 7-8 months, it can be problematic because of the normal stiffening of the pubic symphysis that occurs at adulthood. It is advisable to have a litter while young to avoid this complication, but even after that, sows can reproduce until they are around 5 years old.

Guinea pigs have a cycle length of 16 days. During this cycle, once the female is receptive to the male, breeding between them can last up to 8 hours as she is only fertile for 6-11 hours.

This process doesn't stop here; once sows get pregnant and gives birth to their litters, they can again come back into heat a very short time after. This is called postpartum estrus.

That is why it is recommended to remove male guinea pigs (boars) from sows immediately after the birth of litters or until you want them to breed again.

How do guinea pigs get pregnant?

Evolution has favored female guinea pigs (sows), who are more discriminating than males. They choose their mates, and males can simply approach. 

The males are so desperate to find a mate that they will settle for anything; females are choosy because they can't afford to waste time with unsuitable partners.

 (hmmm, there might be a lesson in here somewhere 😉)

The boars will approach sows with lower heads, a rumbling sound, and standing upright before sows. This is the way the boars show their interest. The boar is not trying to be aggressive; he is simply attempting to make his presence known to her.

If the female is in heat, and she accepts the signal of matting with a boar. She will either signal her acceptance with loud squeals; else, she will either snap or bite him.

Once she has accepted it, the male pig attempts to mate with her. Usually, a boar reaches its sexual maturity as young as 2 - 3 months. Their matting process goes around 8 hours.

In guinea pigs, the length of gestation or pregnancy is roughly 63 days, but this time may vary from as short as 56 days to as long as 71 days.

How will you know If Guinea Pigs are Pregnant or Not?

The best way to know If your piggie is pregnant is to watch her often and see if she is mating with another piggie or not. If she is mating, then there are higher chances that she is not pregnant yet.

The second sign that a guinea pig will have babies is that it will put on weight. But you won't be able to tell just by looking at it. 

If you weigh your guinea pig every day, you will know early on as its weight goes up by a few grams a day. By the time it gives birth, it may have doubled in weight.

In some pregnant guinea pigs, you can feel their babies growing inside them. You can do this by gently holding your pig under its arms and feeling its belly.

If you think the female is pregnant, don't pick her up without supporting her hindquarters, or she can hurt her babies.

How do Guinea Pigs Birth?

Pregnant guinea pigs give birth during the daytime. A pregnant guinea pig will cry when she is going to have a baby, and it will take about five minutes for the baby to be born. 

Each newborn guinea pig will have a sac that holds amniotic fluid. The mother will remove it.

If a baby takes more than 20 minutes to arrive, the mother may need emergency care. Once all the babies are born, the placenta will be expelled and the mother will eat it.

A few hours after the puppies are born, they will be covered with fur, and their eyes will be open. They weigh around 3.5oz and will begin to eat solid food fairly quickly, usually within 2 days. Sows can take care of their babies without human intervention in most instances. 

Mama Pigs provide babies with their milk until they are 2-3 weeks old. 

How many Babies do Guinea Pigs have?

The piglet 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. Since she has only 2 mammary glands, sometimes fostering to another sow is optimal if she has a larger litter.

Can the father guinea pig be with the babies?

Male guinea pigs (boars) can meet their babies but should be removed for the safety of the mother. She shouldn’t be bred right away and her energy needs to be directed toward feeding and nurturing her piglets. 

Don't let female puppies be near their fathers after they are 21 days old. At this age, it is possible for them to be bred. This is not a safe age for them to become pregnant. 

Conclusion

If you're planning to own both male and female guinea pigs, keep this in mind... they reach sexual maturity at an early age (3-4 months). If you are keeping them together, consider separating them by this age, otherwise, they are likely to breed.

Hope this article has helped you learn the process of how guinea pigs have babies.