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Please note that you have to register with the forum and accept our no intentional breeding rules in order to access our Pregnancy and Baby Care section and the following guides.
Any advice and support on this forum will only be given with the express aim to prevent any further pregnancies.
Anybody found in deliberate breach with our very explicit no breeding rules will be summarily banned.
Terms of Service And Forum Rules
Our no breeding and no breed showing forum policy explained
1 Detailed diet information for pregnant and nursing sows (updated)
- Key to upping your chances of success and minimising the risks
2 Vital climate support
- Mothers-to-be and babies are at increased risk and need extra protection
3 Pregnancy and birth
- Step by step guides for pregnancy and birth/after birth care
- Additional pregnancy info: scans/x-ray pictures, baby movement videos, pelvic bones info
- Additional birthing info: birthing videos and still-born babies
- Fathers: practical advice for any cavy dads for the short and the long term
4 New babies & mother care
- One step surprise/new babies information collection
- First baby days: info guide for mums and pups and video diary; orphans and tiny baby support
- Weaning and separation time: Sexing babies and when to separate boars
- Baby development
- Fathers: Practical advice for the short and long term, including baby sons
1 Diet advice for pregnant sows and nursing mothers
Diet is key to maximising your chances of your mum's and pups' survival. The healthier and fitter mum is, the healthier any pups. This doesn't mean throwing the kitchen sink at your sow (please DO NOT!) and grossly overdoing alfalfa and calcium high veg, it means a good normal balanced diet with a wide range of nutrients, limited pellets and a few small extra tweak for what is not already largely covered by a good normal diet.
Please do not overfeed in amounts, epecially rich pellets, veg and alfalfa hay unless your mum is neglected and malnourished.
Once the babies are safely born, any portion restrictions are off and mother and babies are allowed to eat as much as they can during the nursing period and 2-3 weeks after.
Pregnancy & Nursing Diet (for minimising birth risks)
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diet
2 Climate support for pregnant sows and nursing mothers&babies
Sows in the last two weeks of their pregnancy and the two weeks after giving birth are at risk of pregnancy toxaemia. This is a metabolic disease that can be easily cured in the early stages with a life-saving vet trip but is deadly in its advanced stages. Onset is very sudden. It is much more common in sows that are mostly fed on cheap dry mixes instead of mostly on good quality grass hay and is rare in well kept pet piggies.
But there is also a hot weather link: Heat, especially heat exhaustion or a heat stroke can can also cause similar symptoms and trigger it pregnancy toxaemia in highly pregnant or nursing sows.
Here is the detailed practical guide link: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
Please always bring your guinea pigs inside during any weather extremes (heat; cold and frosty nights; storms; heavy rain and floods as well as during fire risk) and keep any pregnant and nursing piggies indoors for better observation until the babies are sturdy enough to cope with changes in their environment. Accommodate them gradually once their immune system is strong enough and the temperature difference between inside and outside is not too large. Ideally you bring your highly pregnant mother and any surprise babies indoors for better care and observation at any time of year anyway.
If you live in a country with large snakes, then guinea pigs should not be kept outside under any circumstances (especially Australia!)
3 Pregnancy and birth
Step by step guides
Pregnancy Guide
Labour & Birth Guide
Additional pregnancy information
Pregnancy x-ray and ultrasound scan pictures
Pelvic bones in female guineas
Why we cannot diagnose a pregnancy from a picture
Additional birthing information
Live birthing videos
Still born babies
Fathers
What to do with a dad? Your short and long term options
4 Baby and mother care including sexing and separation
One-stop comprehensive baby and piggy family care information collection
Surprise babies information collection
After birth, new-borns and nursing weeks
Guinea Pig Mother and Baby Care (Post-birth Care, Nursing and Weaning)
First baby days: A video and picture diary
Hand rearing and support feeding orphans and tiny babies
Pregnancy and nursing diet (for minimising birth risks)
Sexing, weaning and separation
Illustrated Sexing Guide
Additional info: Baby development
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs (article series for Guinea Pig Magazine_
- Chapter 1: First Hours (The first day of life)
- Chapter 2: Baby Days (The nursing time)
- Chapter 3: School Weeks (The overlooked formative weeks between weaning and teenage)
Fathers and Sons
What to do with a dad? Your short and long term options
Any advice and support on this forum will only be given with the express aim to prevent any further pregnancies.
Anybody found in deliberate breach with our very explicit no breeding rules will be summarily banned.
Terms of Service And Forum Rules
Our no breeding and no breed showing forum policy explained
1 Detailed diet information for pregnant and nursing sows (updated)
- Key to upping your chances of success and minimising the risks
2 Vital climate support
- Mothers-to-be and babies are at increased risk and need extra protection
3 Pregnancy and birth
- Step by step guides for pregnancy and birth/after birth care
- Additional pregnancy info: scans/x-ray pictures, baby movement videos, pelvic bones info
- Additional birthing info: birthing videos and still-born babies
- Fathers: practical advice for any cavy dads for the short and the long term
4 New babies & mother care
- One step surprise/new babies information collection
- First baby days: info guide for mums and pups and video diary; orphans and tiny baby support
- Weaning and separation time: Sexing babies and when to separate boars
- Baby development
- Fathers: Practical advice for the short and long term, including baby sons
1 Diet advice for pregnant sows and nursing mothers
Diet is key to maximising your chances of your mum's and pups' survival. The healthier and fitter mum is, the healthier any pups. This doesn't mean throwing the kitchen sink at your sow (please DO NOT!) and grossly overdoing alfalfa and calcium high veg, it means a good normal balanced diet with a wide range of nutrients, limited pellets and a few small extra tweak for what is not already largely covered by a good normal diet.
Please do not overfeed in amounts, epecially rich pellets, veg and alfalfa hay unless your mum is neglected and malnourished.
Once the babies are safely born, any portion restrictions are off and mother and babies are allowed to eat as much as they can during the nursing period and 2-3 weeks after.
Pregnancy & Nursing Diet (for minimising birth risks)
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diet
2 Climate support for pregnant sows and nursing mothers&babies
Sows in the last two weeks of their pregnancy and the two weeks after giving birth are at risk of pregnancy toxaemia. This is a metabolic disease that can be easily cured in the early stages with a life-saving vet trip but is deadly in its advanced stages. Onset is very sudden. It is much more common in sows that are mostly fed on cheap dry mixes instead of mostly on good quality grass hay and is rare in well kept pet piggies.
But there is also a hot weather link: Heat, especially heat exhaustion or a heat stroke can can also cause similar symptoms and trigger it pregnancy toxaemia in highly pregnant or nursing sows.
Here is the detailed practical guide link: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
Please always bring your guinea pigs inside during any weather extremes (heat; cold and frosty nights; storms; heavy rain and floods as well as during fire risk) and keep any pregnant and nursing piggies indoors for better observation until the babies are sturdy enough to cope with changes in their environment. Accommodate them gradually once their immune system is strong enough and the temperature difference between inside and outside is not too large. Ideally you bring your highly pregnant mother and any surprise babies indoors for better care and observation at any time of year anyway.
If you live in a country with large snakes, then guinea pigs should not be kept outside under any circumstances (especially Australia!)
3 Pregnancy and birth
Step by step guides
Pregnancy Guide
Labour & Birth Guide
Additional pregnancy information
Pregnancy x-ray and ultrasound scan pictures
Pelvic bones in female guineas
Why we cannot diagnose a pregnancy from a picture
Additional birthing information
Live birthing videos
Still born babies
Fathers
What to do with a dad? Your short and long term options
4 Baby and mother care including sexing and separation
One-stop comprehensive baby and piggy family care information collection
Surprise babies information collection
After birth, new-borns and nursing weeks
Guinea Pig Mother and Baby Care (Post-birth Care, Nursing and Weaning)
First baby days: A video and picture diary
Hand rearing and support feeding orphans and tiny babies
Pregnancy and nursing diet (for minimising birth risks)
Sexing, weaning and separation
Illustrated Sexing Guide
Additional info: Baby development
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs (article series for Guinea Pig Magazine_
- Chapter 1: First Hours (The first day of life)
- Chapter 2: Baby Days (The nursing time)
- Chapter 3: School Weeks (The overlooked formative weeks between weaning and teenage)
Fathers and Sons
What to do with a dad? Your short and long term options