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GUINEA PIG HUTCH A reasonable size for a guinea pig hutch would be about 76x38x38 cm (30x15x15). You may contact the PCCI for referrals where to buy cages made especially for Philippine conditions. The ideal setting for an outdoor hutch is: * Out of the sun * Shaded from the wind * Not in a damp part of the garden Indoor accommodation is much less a problem. Guinea pigs are comfortable in the same temperature ranges and types of humidity that we humans like to live in our own homes. HOUSING GUINEA PIGS WITH RABBITS Never house a guinea pig with a rabbit. Hundred of guinea pigs are kicked or suffer injuries and stress when rabbit try to mate with them. This will happen if they are housed together. FACTS The guinea pig is sexually mature at any time after about three months of age. The sow can be bred from about 4-5 months of age, whilst the boar should ideally be rather older if strong and vigorous offspring are to be produced. You could start with just one board and one sow, but a boar can cover a harem of 3-5 sows. Guinea pigs are not prolific breeders unlike rabbits and the average litter size will be 4-5, though often you may obtain 1-3. Never breed a guinea pig that is over 12 months of age unless it has already given birth to a brood earlier in its life. There is more likelihood in older guinea pigs of them suffering from dystocia, a condition which prevents the pelvic bones from parting properly to allow passage of young, or pregnancy inertia when they are bred late. The sow's estrus cycle is every 16 days, so you can leave her with the boar for a number of weeks and during this time she will be mated several times, thus likely to be pregnant. Once you see her gaining weight especially as she gets near the birth time she can be removed to her own quarters. A sow can get pregnant again a few hours after giving birth so it would be best to separate her from the boar. GESTATION PERIOD The gestation period is between 63 and 75 days. There is a wide margin due to 2 reasons: * It is very hard to determine the exact date of conception. * There are so many factors that can shorten or lengthen the pregnancy. Minor illness during pregnancy and spells of extreme weather conditions are the main considerations that affect the length of pregnancies. SIGNS OF PREGNANCY The most common signs of pregnancy are: * You will notice that the sow begins to drink a little bit more water than usual. This occurs about three weeks after conception. * Between three and four weeks, there is firming up of the abdomen and flanks as her muscles begin to tone up for the task to come. Some weight is usually gained. * You can feel the fetuses move usually between four and five weeks into her term. * Opening of the pelvic bones. They become fully opened which is 1.25 cm/ 1.2 inch, then littering down usually begins within 48 hours. THE BIRTH Cavy births are usually trouble-free. they usually occur at night and the owner finds the surprise of the litter in the morning. Some indications of impending delivery: The sow digs the bedding, vaginal swelling becomes visible, and abdominal contractions are noticeable. Signs of problems: listlessness, dribbling at the mouth and discharge from the vagina. If any of these symptoms occur, call you vet immediately. The female is in a sitting position when the first pup emerges. Her head will go down between her legs once she feels the body of her first baby has traveled down the birth canal and its snout is sticking out of her vagina. She will then pull it out by locking her incisor teeth over it, thereby usually breaking the amniotic sac. She then bites, tears, eats the membrane that covered the newborn. This allows the baby cavy to breathe. Now the mother licks her pup's nose, ears and eyes to clean off all secretions. A soon as she is done with the firstborn, the second pup is ready to appear. WEANING THE YOUNG The young will suckle from their mother for the first four weeks, and they should start to nibble at the same food that their mother is eating within two days of being born.
Although the male guinea pigs do not reach puberty until between 8-10
weeks of age, they should always be removed from the family group by five
weeks for there are some that reach puberty much earlier. FIRST SIGNS OF ILLNESS By careful observation, you can tell how your guinea pig feels. If it does not squeak excitedly when you offer fresh greens, if it sits listlessly in a corner, maybe even hunched up, you should be alarmed with these warning signs. More serious signs would be rough coat, hair loss, continued scratching, or labored breathing. These symptoms will tell you your pet is ill. WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT AWAY Minor diarrhea: remove greens and vegetables and replace them with hay. Give an antibiotic like Bactrim or Kaopectate and re-hydrate giving 1cc every hour with a glucose solution (like pedialyte) till the guinea pig's digestive system has stabilized and its stools become firm. Straining to defecate: If the anal sacs have accumulated secretions, and the animal is straining, squeeze the area from both sides gently, and use a cotton swab to wipe the contents away. If the stools appear dry and hard, check the water bottle and sipper tube first, in case the animal was unable to drink. Water deprivation is the most frequent cause of constipation. Heat Stroke: If you notice your guinea pig is running nervously to and fro and has rapid or shallow breathing, take it to a shady or cool indoor place without delay and offer it tepid drinking water. Make cool compresses and wrap them loosely around the body of the little patient. We would also recommend you re-hydrate the animal with a glucose solution like Pedialyte and give about 3-5cc every three hours till the animal has recovered. BIOLOGICAL DATA Normal body temperature:
38.6 degrees centigrade (101 degrees F). Source: Guinea Pig, a Practical Guide to Caring For Your Guinea Pig. By Peter Gurney. COMMON MEDICAL CONDITIONS Fatty Eye Found mostly in elderly guinea pigs. The muscles of the lower eyelid and occasionally the upper eyelid also, bulges outwards. The guinea pigs does not feel any discomfort and treatment is not necessary. Hiccups Hiccups usually happen after a guinea pig has eaten. It is no reason for concern, think of it the way we cough when we eat too quickly. Anal Impaction Guinea pigs are coprophagic, meaning they reingest some of the pellets they excrete as part of their normal digestion. This is what guinea pigs are usually doing when they can be seen with their heads down between their back legs. These pellets are softer than the ones you see paying about the quarters, and in elderly boars and occasionally in young ones, the sometimes congeal into a ball in their perianal sacs. The cause is unknown and may be a weakness in the muscles that push and present the pellets. There is no cure and provided that the owner expels these impacted lumps on a regular basis the boar will be fine. This is best done by holding the boar over the lavatory, legs apart, and pushing the ball out from behind. If in doubt, ask your vet. Alopecia Seen only in elderly sows and pregnant guinea pigs. This is brought about by a hormonal imbalance. The hair on the body thins out but there are no signs of parasitic or fungal skin problems. The sow may not look as pretty but it is not a threat to her overall health and there is no effective treatment. Cataracts Abysinnians are more prone to this condition but all other pigs may get them too. Guinea pigs do not go blind but vision is reduced. The cause is unknown and there is no cure. Source: A Practical Guide to Caring For Your Guinea Pig by Peter Gurney.
Philippine Cavy Club, Inc. ©2001 |
Ideally, you
should only consider breeding guinea pigs if you plan to keep the young
for yourself or have arranged for them to be homes by friends who also own
guinea pigs and are aware of their needs. Breeding is a fascinating
aspect of keeping guinea pigs, but will require time and money.
There is little benefit from breeding with other than purebred stock which
is of at least a very sound standard. The object is to improve on
one's stock by a selective management program. It will cost as much
to keep and breed an inferior and non-variety stock as it will purebreds.