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Taking babies away from mum

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flips

flips

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A little advice needed please.

You may remember that my friend's pet shop pig had 2 babies recently. They were 2 weeks old yesterday. So far, he's been unable to definitely confirm their sexes using the refernce photos on guinealynx and cavy spirit sites.
We started to phone round today to find a vet that seems competent to sex them/ deals with guinea pigs.
So far we've been told:
male guinea pigs aren't sexually mature until 9-10 weeks so they can stay with mum til then
male guinea pigs aren't sexually mature until 9-10 weeks so can stay with mum until 7-8 weeks
male guinea pigs aren't sexually mature until 3 months so can stay with mum til then!!
baby guinea pigs need to stay with mum until at least 6 weeks because they're still suckling


I've already asked on here about the suckling so I know they're fine to be separated earlier. They already fill up on veg and are suckling less and less.
I'm pretty sure that every rescue/ knowledgeable person on here has said that male babies can impregnate mum from 3 weeks and if they start rumbling/ sniffing about earlier then separate them from 2 weeks. This is what I have told my friend but the vets are confusing the isssue!
So, I'm after some advice and reassurance as to what we should do.
I'll try and get some photos and see if anyone on here can help with sexing the babies. I know it's not ideal but it may give us some pointers. My friend's going to keep checking daily to see if things become clearer, so to speak, and watch their behaviour.
My gut tells me to separate boys at 3 weeks because people on here seem to know what they're talking about. Having said that we're not sure if we have boys yet. Arrggh...
Anyone know of a decent vet in the Tunbridge Wells area?
 
Definitely remove boars at 3 weeks, sooner if they are rumbling and mounting :), try to make sure they are eating and drinking from a bottle independently and keep a check on their weight before and after taking them from mum.

It's advice like that from the vets above that leaves lots of unplanned litters born to very young piggies, ending up in rescue!

Sophie
x
 
Here is the relevant page on sexual maturity on guinelynx (look under biological data) - which is the best authority you can get; even many vets are not up to date, which does NOT help the existing problem with accidential pregnancies:
It states clearly that girls can get pregnant from 4 weeks onward and boys can reach sexual maturity from 3 weeks onwards.
http://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html

That doesn't mean that all pups do, but it means that from that time onwards you are running an increasing risk of a pregnancy between brother/sister or mother/son - with the additional problems that in-breeding/baby pregnancies/back-to-back pregnancies can bring.

Babies are well able to fend for themselves from three weeks onwards; in fact, you will notice that mummy is starting to discourage the pups from drinking and they have to increasingly hunt her down and corner her for a drink.

Could you post pictures (please as clear as possible) of the baby bits on here, so we might be able to help you?
 
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Thanks Sophie and Wiebke. I know you've both said this stuff many times before, it's just awkward when the vet tells me I'm wrong! My friend's going to try and get some pics later so I can post them.
 
You may print out this page and show it to your vet on your next visit! I must admit that I am rather shocked about the extent of misinformation still around!

I have grown up with wrong advice like this; we had one extra back-to-back pregnancy when I was a youngster as a result!

We have had cases of baby pregnancies and (well developed) baby boars rumbling as early as 17 days on here; it's really not worth risking it, even though the boy pups will be VERY upset!
 
Managd to get some pics of the babies' bits but to be honest we're still not sure whether they're boys or girls. Any advice welcomed.

Zelda
ZeldasBits.jpg


Link
LinksBits.jpg


BTW, they were seen by the local vet last Friday for some antiotics for zelda's wheezy chest, and he couldn't sex them either. They'll be 3 weeks tomorrow.
Thanks. x
 
I've just been reading this thread with interest. The babies are now 10 days old and one is already rumbling. Surely he can't be rumbling because of maturity yet?

He rumbles when he is suckling and another piggie is trying to shove him off.

Looking at your pictures I am now totally convinced that mine are 3 boys as they look totally different!
 
chilwell said:
I've just been reading this thread with interest. The babies are now 10 days old and one is already rumbling. Surely he can't be rumbling because of maturity yet?

He rumbles when he is suckling and another piggie is trying to shove him off.

Looking at your pictures I am now totally convinced that mine are 3 boys as they look totally different!
Click to expand...

Make a new thread and try and post some pics up, we might be able to tell :)

I think the rumbling in your case may be a type of dominance thing. If the baby starts sniffing bums and attempting to mount, remove him. Sounds like he might be a early starter LOL!
 
I would say both sows in those pics. :)
 
I agree, i think 2 sows too :)


I've always thought baby boys should be taken from mum at 3wks too but someone gave me food for thought regarding this.

If the sow comes into oestrus immediately after giving birth & doesn't come into oestrus again for 15-17 days which lasts up to 48 hours (now days 17-19) & baby boars aren't sexually mature until 21 days then surely they could stay with mum until they are 28 days or 31 days & mum still won't be in oestrus for a few days.

This is of course if the info is true & there are no fluctuations in the oestrus cycle & that a baby boar cannot be sexually mature before the age of 21 days.
 
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Thanks everyone.
So, as we seem to have girls they can stay in with their mum for now. Most likely scenario is that my friend will keep one bub to live with mum (Bounce) and female friend (Bump). They are all living happily together at the moment and hopefully will continue to do so. The other bub will probably come to live here with my girls, Flumpet and Delilah. What's a good age to introduce the new girl?- she's 3 weeks old tomorrow.
 
I would give her a few more weeks before introducing her to a new group.
I have introduced baby sows to older sows with varying results.
Not all of the sows may accept the newcomer, I have seen one sow take to the baby but the other sow was resentful, for want of a better word. All three did settle down well in the end.
At three weeks old she is not quite big enough to defend herself.
 
Thanks AP. I think she will stay with mum til she's at least 8 weeks now. There's no hurry for her to be moved on now it's decided she's a girl.
 
I think they'd probably like to keep both babies with mum and their other sow but are thinking about space, costs long term and potential vets bills. My friend and I both intended to have just 2 pigs each but the pet shop pregnancy has changed that. I have room for another pig so would be happy to take her. If they'd been boys, they'd have had to live with me because of space until they were old enough to be neutered.
Having said all this, I won't be at all suprised if they can't give one of them up. Might depend on how much veg they eat. :))
 
flips said:
I think they'd probably like to keep both babies with mum and their other sow but are thinking about space, costs long term and potential vets bills. My friend and I both intended to have just 2 pigs each but the pet shop pregnancy has changed that. I have room for another pig so would be happy to take her. If they'd been boys, they'd have had to live with me because of space until they were old enough to be neutered.
Having said all this, I won't be at all suprised if they can't give one of them up. Might depend on how much veg they eat. :))
Click to expand...

Well Last Night We Comfirmed it.

Girls= I'm Keeping Zelda.

Boys=I'm Keeping Zelda

Girl & Boys= I'm Keeping The Girl.
 
this is gonna sound strange, but I sex them by looking for a donut on a boy, and a Y on a girl - just how i describe their individual shapes to myself.
 
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