My Female Guinea, Angel

Question
QUESTION: Hi...I have a pregnant guinea named Angel.  She is about 7-8 months old, and I am guessing she is going to have her babies very soon.  I have another guinea Floppy who is the daddy to the babies.  I have already seperated them about 3 weeks ago, when I knew for sure she was pregnant.  My problem with Angel right now is that she has slowed her eating and much of her exercise.  Is this normal? I have raised pigs before, but never a pregnant one, and I have read up on it, but my question hasnt been answered.  Also, I am not completely positive when Floppy got Angel pregnant, but I am guessing 2 months ago.  We took them both for a wash and clip, and the vet tech told us they werent really sure when she would have her babies.  I am just worried being it is her first litter.  We watch her everyday, and shes just getting bigger and bigger, lol.  When should we become concerned about Angel and the babies?

I also have a question about both of my pigs. I had them together in one cage until we realized they were going to be mommy & daddy! The do not like the fact that they are seperated. Floppy and Angel will not let us pick them up anymore. And since we have had Floppy, everytime we pick him up, he bites us, which I have never had before! Floppy was bought roughly 2 months before we got Angel, and he has done this since day 1! I have Angel in a bigger cage than Floppy right now because of the pending irth of their babies, and Floppy's cage is parked ontop of Angels cage so that they can still interact with one another. I just dont know what to do to make them happy again, and to get Floppy to stop biting us when we try to hold him and love him!  Any help on these issues would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this and help us!
Sincerely,
Heather & Mike

ANSWER: Hi Heather & Mike,

Guinea pigs are always happiest in the company of other guinea pigs, so Floppy is probably upset with you for taking him away from Angel, and also a little grumpy because now there'll be no more mating for him! Of course, taking him away was the right thing to do, otherwise he'd have been constantly trying to mate with Angel (which obviously won't work as she's already pregnant) which would have made her very stressed.

When I had my first ever guinea pigs, I thought all three were females. It turned out one was pregnant when we got her, and one was a boy, so of course, the other female was pregnant too. I was heartbroken to discover that Meeko was a boy, and thought he'd die of loneliness being in a cage on his own! Don't worry, there is a solution! The best thing to do will be to divide a large hutch for your piggies - attach mesh across the middle (staple it to the divide between the two doors) and keep your male on one side, and your pregnant female on the other side. Your two guinea pigs have bonded, so they will miserable if they are completely separated. This way, they'll be able to see each other and talk to each other, but you won't be constantly inundated with babies! If it's a traditional hutch where one side is in total darkness, you'll need to remove some of the wood from the front of its door, and attach it to the other side, putting more mesh in the gap. My Dad did this for my piggies, and they lived very happily that way. If you're not dab hands at DIY, try looking on eBay or contacting a local breeder, as many people will have adapted hutches that they no longer need.

As for Angel ... female guinea pigs should be 6 months or younger when they have their first litter, otherwise the pelvic bones will have fused and there is a chance that she will not be able to deliver the babies. Angel is not much older than this, so you shouldn't need to worry, but make sure you have a vet on hand in case she does have difficulties and needs some expert assistance. The gestation period for guinea pigs is 68-72 days, so if Angel got pregnant two months ago, you're right; the babies will arrive very soon! In the later stages of the pregnancy, you will be able to clearly see the shape of the babies, and even see them moving around. Don't handle Angel unnecessarily during this time, as she will be very uncomfortable and won't appreciate it (just life her gently out when her cage needs cleaning).

Angel's lessening exercise seems normal; she'll be pretty big, and just like a pregnant human, probably just wants the babies to get out, and to laze around until they do! A decrease in appetite isn't very usual; she could just be feeling off certain foods. Try offering her some of her favourite veggies, and fresh curly-leafed parsley is always a winner!

Angel will probably give birth when you're not looking, but as there is a slight concern as to her age, it would be handy if you can listen  to the birth, and make sure she isn't struggling. You'll be able to hear her contractions, and if they start to get longer whilst she is delivering, it's an early sign of complications, so give the vet a call. Guinea pigs usually give birth without a hitch though; both of mine did, one in the middle of the day at the weekend when nobody was in, and one overnight. Be prepared to open the cage any morning now, and see Angel looking up at you as well as 1-4 "mini-me's". Make sure that they all look healthy, and that Angel is feeding them evenly and not being too rough with them. Try not to handle the babies for the first few days; I know it's tempting as they're so cute, but it's important that they keep Angel's scent so she looks after them. If you take them out and make them smell like you, she may not recognise them as her own.

The babies will drink Angel's milk until they are three weeks old. They will also be able to eat solid food from day one, so make sure you put extra in for them, especially hay. By the time they are four weeks old, you will need to remove any males from Angel's cage, as they will be able to mate with her and their sisters at this stage. It can be difficult to tell the gender of baby guinea pigs as to start with they more or less all look the same down below, but you will be able to know for sure when they are two weeks old; it should be easy for you as you have Angel and Floppy to 'compare' them to! Make sure you have plans for the babies as soon as you know what sex they are; the females can stay with Angel if you wish (providing the cage is big enough), and brothers will also live well in a pair. If there is just one male, you could try pairing him up with Floppy; this can be difficult to get right, but is very rewarding when successful! I can help you out if you need to do this, as sadly I recently lost one of my ten-month boars, but have managed to pair his brother up with a six-week baby boar.

Good luck with making Floppy friendly again, and I hope everything goes well with Angel and her babies. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Best wishes,
Jenny.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jenny...
I just wanted to thank you for your help with my questions regarding Angel and Floppy.  I am proud to announce that Angel gave birth to 4 baby pigs this afternoon with no complications!!  However only 1 survived. The other 3 pigs were still born. I did attempt to save them, and was on the phone with the vet the entire time, but there wasn't much any of us could do. But you were right about one thing...this baby pig is the most adorable thing I have ever seen!! And he has the most beautiful markings I have ever seen on a pig before!  But thank you so much again for your help. It was greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Heather & mike

Answer
Hi Heather & Mike,

You're welcome :o) I do this because I love guinea pigs! It's always nice to be able to help people with their adorable little creatures.

Firstly, sorry to hear that three of the babies were still-born. Unfortunately these things do happen, particularly with older sows.

Congratulations on your new little one, though! I bet as there's just one you'll be keeping it ... it's so hard to part with the babies! If it's a girl, she'll easily be able to stay with Angel. If it's a boy and you'd like to introduce him to Floppy, let me know, as I've recently done this myself and have lots of tips! For the time being though ... enjoy!

Just a quick question; have you taken Angel to the vet? As you were on the phone the entire time, I'm presuming he or she advised you, but as it was a difficult birth, it might be a good idea to get Angel checked out to make sure there's no lasting damage to her, and to rule out the possibility that there are any more babies stuck inside, although if she delivered four, this seems quite unlikely.

Have fun with all three of your gorgeous guineas!

Best wishes,
Jenny.