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beautifulcat83

beautifulcat83

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi all
just wondered (even though I'm NOT planning to breed!) whether its true that if a guinea hasnt gave birth by 1 year that they cant because their muscles fuse? just wondered to know a bit more!

Cat x 0:)
 
I was worried about this too when my guinea pig was pregnant wit her first litter at 2 yrs old. It's not the muscles that are meant to fuse it's the pelvic bones.

However i sat up all night for a week doing research as i was so worried. I eventually stumbled across a breeding forum and asked them.
8 breeders told me that the pelvic bones fusing was a myth. The all showed their guinea pigs as well as breeding them and they have to breed from their females after 1 year old because that is how long their show careers last.

I took their word for it and my guinea pigs pelvic bones parted as they should and she had her babies just fine.

People have said that the pelvic bones fusing started off years and years ago when it could have been just one or two cases and it ended up in books and taught to vets as a common thing. My vets told me that my guineas bones would fuse and she definitely wouldn't be able to give birth unaided...but she did!

So from me asking the experts and all of them saying it's not true. I personally don't believe it!

I mean come on, why would mother nature make an animal that can't have it's first litter after 1 year old other wise it would kill her and the babies? That just isn't possible, it's all about survival in this world and this just wouldn't happen with every older guinea pig!
 
Smileer said:
I think it is true. Sometimes it will fuse, sometimes it wont, be it could!

Not being funny but of course breeders are going to say that to justify their breeding! I know you can get an xray to see if the pelvis has fused...

I *think* if they have had piggies after a year then they can still be bred from...
Click to expand...

Yes as i said in some cases it could, but i think it's very rare.

They breed because the pelvic bones don't fuse after a year? ?
These breeders were breeding for show, so this was their hobby and saying the pelvic bones don't fuse isn't justifying why they breed, they were saying it from experience. I'm not going to start an argument about it as you know i don't agree with breeding as much as you, BUT they do have more experience with this than us, as we don't breed. So i was just passing on the facts from them! ;)
 
Guinea-Tia-Flossie said:
I mean come on, why would mother nature make an animal that can't have it's first litter after 1 year old other wise it would kill her and the babies? That just isn't possible, it's all about survival in this world and this just wouldn't happen with every older guinea pig!
Click to expand...

But surely it would be extremely unlikely for a guinea pig in the wild to go an entire year without reproducing? So technically there wouldn't be any selection pressures *against* the trait from occurring, because those wild piggies who aren't reproducing by a year old are probably infertile or too weak anyway?

ETA: Although yes, if breeders regularly breed guineas over a year old, then it shows that the fusing pelvic bones thing is not as black and white as stories would suggest.
 
Many show breeders show boars for this reason. You should not purposely breed a sow over a year of age, however, she can have a healthy litter without any complications but the risks are greatly increased. :)
 
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