If you decide you would like to raise a family of Guinea Pigs all you really need are a male (boar) and a female (sow) and a little extra living space for them. However, if you own a female over 1 year old they will not accept a new cage mate quickly. If the female did not have babies before she was full grown, about 9 months, her hips may not be wide enough to have piglets. A Guinea Pig is able to have babies as soon as it is about 3 months old, sometimes sooner! It is best for the female to be about 4 to 8 months old at first mating so she will have the best chance for healthy babies. Remember that piglets are relatively large at birth so it is best to have your sow a little larger as well. I have also had one female refuse to mate! While extremely rare it can happen.
Males will accept females into their area regardless of the age of either animal. However an established male will bite newcomers to reestablish dominance. Males older than 2 months will not allow other males in its' territory, even when both are from the same litter, when a female is present.
Two pigs will need almost twice as much space as one animal and when the babies arrive it is best to give three to four times the space. 3' x 5' is ideal. Litter size is determined by the breed of the female, expect 1-4 piglets for a Peruvian and 3-6 for a self colored. Older females tend to have larger litters than younger females with the peak litter size occurring when the animal is 3 years old. I have seen litters as large as 7 with all healthy babies.
Guinea Pigs will imitate mating behavior as early as 1 month, but at about 2 months it is best to separate males and females until they are a few months old. Females go into heat immediately after giving birth, so if you want to give your sow a longer life it is best to separate the boar just before birth. The boar will cause no harm to the babies if he is left in the area, in fact the sow may prefer his presence for the protection he offers during the vulnerable birthing period. I have also found that most males enjoy having young babies around but after a month have had enough.
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