Advice: How old should a baby be to be adopted?

[bpatters]

My apologies for posting a new thread if this info is on the site somewhere, but I haven't seen it. I need to know how old a baby GP should be in order to be taken from its mother.

Thanks.

[barbanderson]

Originally Posted by bpatters

My apologies for posting a new thread if this info is on the site somewhere, but I haven't seen it. I need to know how old a baby GP should be in order to be taken from its mother.

Thanks.

I am a newbie too so I would look under the thread pregnancy and babies first but it is my understanding that three weeks is the MINIMUM age to take a baby from its mother with four weeks being the optimum age. I had a mother die here when her babies were only TWO weeks old and they seem to be doing well here without her but I read THREE weeks is the minimum age recommended. Again, please check this information out by trying the pregnancy and baby thread or hopefully someone with MORE experience will reply to your query

[Peggysu]

Please make sure that the males are separated from their mother at three weeks as they can sexually mature as early as 21 days old.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

The boys must be removed at 21 days. They can impregnate mom and sisters at that age.

Females can stay with mom longer.

Are you adopting from a shelter or rescue?

[bpatters]

I don't know yet where we're getting the pigs -- just wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing first.

We live in Houston, and it apparently isn't running over with places to adopt guinea pigs. One shelter has not responded to either phone calls or emails, another has only one female.

There's one ad on craigslist, but I'm pretty sure it's a home breeder. They're not very forthcoming with answers to questions. I'm going to go look today, but will NOT take the kids with me in case it's a place I don't want to adopt from. If I take them, we'll never get out of there without GPs.

[JD In Van]

I'm sure someone around here can point you to a local small animal rescue there seems to be at least one in every city.

[bpatters]

I'd love for someone to be able to do that. I can find shelters/rescues online, but one doesn't answer the phone, or return emails, or respond to applications for adoption. Another has no GPs at the moment. Another has only one, and we want a bonded pair of females. I'm willing to drive 75 miles or so each way to get some.

[akstrohm]

bpatters, have checked Petfinder? If you haven't had luck there, post a "looking to adopt" ad in the appropriate section of this forum. I bet there is someone who knows of something in your area. Call the shelters in your area and ask them to notify you if they get any pigs in (some don't list guinea pigs online). Even if it's only a cat and dog rescue, they might hear of something and be able to put you in touch with someone else.

And yes, males should be separated at 21 days... females can stay with their moms longer. All pigs start eating solid food pretty much right away.

[fridzalone]

How do we know if the baby is 3 weeks old or less if the seller don't know how old is the piggies? Can we determine the age by ourselves?