Could Milo have a love child somewhere?

[Sabrinova]

Reading other threads about separating young boars before they start getting amorous with the girls, I just had a thought about my Milo. He's been with me since October 2008, but when I got him from the petshop, he was about four months old and still in a cage with his mother and sister. So how likely is it that Milo could have got one of them pregnant and be a daddy? He would have had mega cute babies and I would be gutted to think he could be a daddy and neither he nor I would ever get to see the babies! :o

This is Milo, isn't he gorgeous!

 

[flintstones]

I think that would be very possible... but lets hope not for mum and sister, not too mention inbreeding !

Milo is one stunning piggy btw! xx>>>

 

[Little Piggles]

What a cute little guy! I'm sure any little unexpected bundles would be just as pretty as Milo x)

 

[Wiebke]

Milo could be a daddy indeed and most probably is, in fact! I know that it is not so easy to accept that - considering how gorgeous he is and how much you care.

My own Taffy must have had at least two previous back-to-back pregnancies before she had her last litter of four at the rescue, considering the run down state she was in. I know how her three last boys look like thanks to Hels posting pictures of the newly born babies on the forum, but I will never know about the others - bred in a couple of pens on an allotment with four boars making sure that all the sows in that pen were always pregnant and sold to who-knows-who... The 50 guinea pigs that were rescued in a major action consisted of about 8 boars, pregnant sows and several tiny babies - but no youngsters!
At least, I have Taffy's last daughter, Telyn, living with me as well.

 

[Sabrinova]

Ahh no 8... I hope that if there are any Milo-babies about that they have gone to good homes and are leading happy lives... I would have wanted them 8...

I guess it's possible too then that my other piggy Gilbert could have babies somewhere, but he was in a cage on his own when I got him from the petshop, so I really don't know anything about his early life

You're right Wiebke, it isn't easy to accept, and your poor Taffy! I'm glad she and her daughter have a happy home at last Why don't piggies have something built into their instinct as a protection against mating with their family? Surely guinea pigs need to mix up the gene pool too? ?/

 

[flintstones]

Ahh no 8... I hope that if there are any Milo-babies about that they have gone to good homes and are leading happy lives... I would have wanted them 8...

I guess it's possible too then that my other piggy Gilbert could have babies somewhere, but he was in a cage on his own when I got him from the petshop, so I really don't know anything about his early life

You're right Wiebke, it isn't easy to accept, and your poor Taffy! I'm glad she and her daughter have a happy home at last Why don't piggies have something built into their instinct as a protection against mating with their family? Surely guinea pigs need to mix up the gene pool too? ?/

You could say that about all animals, I'm pretty sure any animal regardless of if it is family or not will mate with it, if it is the opposite sex.. Reproduction is the reason for there existance regardless... if they don't mate they die out!

Inbreeding happens amongst humans too...

 

[Lisajazz]

Just wanted to say Milo is gorgeous - love his colouring and markings x

 

[threelittlepigs]

It's so hard to accept that when you rescue a pig you are often only rescuing part of their story. They will frequently have had miserable experiences before they came to you and their offspring, parents and siblings will be leading uncertain lives who knows where. Your own pigs, however, are living in their happy present and you must try to hold on to that thought.

 

[Wiebke]

In the wild, guinea pigs actually do have a system in place to prevent too much inbreeding.

While the top sows will mate with one boar of their choice, younger sows (more often than not his daughters) will sneak out and mate with bachelor boars hanging around the fringes of the group in order to mix up the gene pool.

As the position as the ladies' boar is so desirable, there is always quite a bit of rivalry going on, and ambitious boys are just waiting for their chance at the top spot! The top ladies can also change their minds and go for another big boy...

An adventurous young sow has the option of making off with a like minded young boar to strike out and found their own group.

Domesticated guinea pigs sadly do not have the space and the choices that the wild cavies have.