rescued pregnant sow

Question
Hello Laura,
I REALLY need some help.  I have had one piggie, Max for about 6 months.  I have fallen in love.  I adopted him from a young girl who was tired of messing with him. He had also recently lost his companion of three years.  I have been reading that they are social so I went to look for him a companion.  
WELL to make a long story short, I ended up finding a pair of piggies that were homeless and about to be dropped off at Humane Society.  They are so sweet. THUS, I now have three sweeet piggies. Is it possible if I got Max and the male in the new pair neutered that they could live together?
Also, I have now discovered that the female in the pair is VERY pregnant.  When petting her I can feel the babies moving around in her LARGE belly.  What should I do to prepare for the birth?  Although, I am really new to all of this, I am willing to learn as I LOVE my new pets.
PLEASE HELP!! :)
LeAnne


Answer
Hi LeAnne,

I'm glad you adopted two piggies to introduce to Max. Adopting from rescues and shelters is a wonderful thing to do, so thank you on behalf of all the rescues, shelters and homeless guineas out there!

Piggy pregnancy questions aren't really my subject, so what I suggest you do is contact your vet. He (or she) will be able to advise you best on how to prepare and all the things to look out for etc. Keep an emergency vet's number by the guinea cage so that if she does go into labour and things aren't over within 30 minutes/she seems to be struggling, then you can get advice quickly.

Have you got the female on her own? She must be separate from the two boys otherwise she can and probably will fall pregnant immediately after the birth (which is no good thing, I'm sure you know).

It is very possible to have Max and the other boy neutered. They could actually live together unneutered, but you would need to get both neutered if you wanted the girl to live with them. Having two boys and one sow together isn't advised though, as usually the boys fight over the girl, so you may want to think about how you will manage the set up.
I'm thinking that you can pair Max and the boy up (neutering isn't necessary as it doesn't change the behaviour - it only makes them infertile), and maybe add any male pups the pregnant sow may deliver when they are 3 weeks old. The the sow and any female pups she has can live together.

The cage size affects the way piggies get along as well. I think, bearing in mind your situation, you should take a look at Cavy Cages - www.cavycages.com. That way you can make yourself a good sized cage exactly as you want it, and you can make it to suit your situation.

I hope I could help you!

Best Wishes,

- Laura