Guinea pigs /Breeding

Question
Hello i have a new gp called milly she is very cute .I realy want to breed her i have alreay found 4 good homes for the babys and i want to keep atleast 2 . I have been searching everythink about gp and what i need to do i have come up with a diet plan and stuff for her .I am thinking of breeding her with my friends guinea pig henry he is around 8 mouths old .I am thinking of breeding her when she is around 4 mouths old .She is 2 mouths at the moment in a mouths i want to show henry her and let them be friends and then when shes 4 mouths breed her .She has a nice big hutch indide in my bed room .I wanted to ask if u could tell me everythink i need to no to do and stuff like what age would u say is best ?? How do i mate  them and how can u tell she is in heat ?How do i no if shes pregnent what happens if somethink goes wrong and how can i help her be heathy what foods are best etc thank u x

Answer
First things first.  Don't breed her at four months.  Let her grow and mature.  She needs all the strength she has just to develop her own body.  Although cavies can indeed be bred that young, it's wise to just wait.  

You will not necessarily know when she is in heat.  A sow will come into heat every two to three weeks and it lasts only a few days.  So when you are ready to breed her just put the two together and leave them there for no less than 30 days.  Sometimes they successfully breed right away, and sometimes they don't.  

Unlike rabbits who are what is called "spontaneous ovulators" guinea pigs are not.  When breeding rabbit if you put a buck (male) and a doe (female) together she instantly comes into estrus (or heat) and he breeds her.  Thirty days later, a litter of bunnies!  

Not so with guinea pigs.  An average litter is three to four babies.  It's very common to have one or two stillborn.  It's also common to have just one baby.  The most I've ever had was a mother who delivered and successfully raised seven.  That's unusual.

A good healthy diet of quality pellets (not rabbit pellets)is important.  Rabbit pellets often contain antibiotics, and guinea pigs cannot tolerate them.  Veggies are fine, but in moderation.  Clean and fresh water, clean bedding and lots of fresh air are basically all she needs.  

Good luck to you. Keep your camera handy.  Baby guinea pigs are the most adorable new babies you've ever seen.  They are fully furred, eyes open and look just like tiny miniatures of their parents.