3 baby guineapigs found dead at birth

Question
Dear friend,
I am feeling very low as 3 newborn cavies have been found dead. My sow was pregnant with her 2nd litter in her life, the first was a sow and a boar, both healthy. Her daughter was pregnant at the same time and last night she gave birth to her 1st litter of 3. To make sure all were together and that my older sow, still expecting, had extra support in case of difficulty, I made sure they were closeby to each other over night.  This monring I came down to discover 3 dead babies and 1 alive. 2 were in their sack, 1 appeared to have been cleaned but still dead, all afterbirth on the floor and a lot more blood than normal on the sow's underneath region. I am feeling awful as I am not new to breeding and have done so much reading on the subject but still do not know why this happened. I have been advised by an expert breeder that keeping 2 pregant sows together is good if they are expecting at sae time (which they were),as it offers help if one has trouble with the birth. I am confused as to why 3/4 were dead if there were 2 mums there? could her already-born babies have complicated matters? could it have been not eough space for them? I'dappreciate some helpful words as I feel so lost right now.  :(  thank you, Nikki

Answer
well there are a few things that could have caused this.

stress is the most likly cause, how this stress manifested depends, so to make it easier i shall try to cover the ideal situation.

1.the female in question has had at least five months from her last pregnancy,

2.she is bonded with one or two other females well, there are no scraps and no bullying,

3. she is living in he same place with the same noises and occurances that she has always lived in eg. that there is not more noise or a new machine going off all of the time there. or that you have moved the hutch or cage or her from the hutch or cage.

4. space, four pigs should equal thirteen square feed minimum, two pigs seven and a half minimum, three pigs ten and a half minimum.

5. there is no boar present at the birth, he will try to mate with her immeadiatly afterwards, bad for mum, new litter and future litter.

6. if any other mums were pregnant then they were within half a week of conception, one going into labour can trigger a premature birth in the other.  

if none of these apply then it is simply bad luck, it is nature, it may happen, the egg sack however does suggest distress in some way as the mother, whether the baby is a live or dead will eventually eat the sack. what caused the stress however is impossible to say without having a camera installed to watch it.