Has anyone had a male that bred at 3 weeks?

It's 3-4 weeks. If you have a small male showing absolutely no signs of mounting, then you can probably leave him for 4 weeks. If your male is showing any signs of mounting, separate at 3 weeks to be safe.

If you don't know or aren't sure, separate at 3 weeks to be safe.

And yes, they are potentially fertile at 3 weeks. Any one member's experience on this forum doesn't matter. If no one has had it happen to them here, that does not mean it's not possible. It IS possible.

My two baby boars were only 16 days old when the vet told me to separate them from momma last week. Now I was a breastfeeding mom once and I felt so sorry for the little ones weaning so soon that I did let them milk mom 4 times a day until yesterday then I cut them off completely but I supervised the whole time and when nursing was over Pookie went right back on her side of the cage that I divided last week. Better safe then sorry.

Your vet was wrong. 3 weeks at the absolute earliest. That was not being safe, that was being wrong.

So I am trying to sex them. I keep checking. They are 8 days old. Would the penis pop up when you press above? I was reading cavyspirit. I did get some disgruntled wheeks about the whole thing. They have a picture showing as much at 3 weeks. I was wondering if the same thing happens earlier.

I am having the same issues. I have no trouble at all "sexing" my boys but my little babies who are 13 days old, I can't get anything to pop out. They are very squirmy and the little white one is now trying to bite me because she gets so freaked out. I try to be gentle but I can't get anything to come out. I think they are both females, but how can I know it isn't me that is sexing them "wrong"? Should I try again in a week, have a vet sex them, or just trust if nothing pops out, they are indeed females??

I would wait, and try having somebody else hold them. When my friend brought her momma and 5 month old babies over she said the babies were girls. They were 5 months old, but VERY skittish. So I had my mom hold them jently, but firmly and could tell. If you still can't tell, or you are afraid you will hurt them, then have a vet tell you.

I've had many baby boy piggys. I never separate until they are 4 weeks old. They may mount mama but every book I've ever read on piggy's states only the female may be fertile at 4 weeks, boys at 9 weeks. I've never had a mama get pregnant from her own baby boy 4 weeks and under.

And what are you going to do the one time you end up with an early bloomer, and Mom ends up pregnant from her month old son? Almost all books are written from a breeder's point of view, and most of them have horrendously bad information. I wouldn't take the chance of having an intact boar with an intact female over 3 weeks old.

chnkymnky01 said:

I've had many baby boy piggys. I never separate until they are 4 weeks old. They may mount mama but every book I've ever read on piggy's states only the female may be fertile at 4 weeks, boys at 9 weeks. I've never had a mama get pregnant from her own baby boy 4 weeks and under.

Click to expand...

I think it's already been said that most boy pigs shortly after 3 weeks won't be able to impregnate a female. But some are early bloomers and can at that age, so you separate at 3 weeks in case you have a boy pig that grows up a little faster than average. They don't really need their mom at that point, so why not do it then and be safe?

Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean that it could never happen.

Even though I have never had an issue with this happening, if I ever have babies around again, I will separate at 3 weeks. I wasn't trying to say anyone was wrong, just that I haven't had an issue with it. Most of the time the mommy piggies I take in don't completely wean until 4 weeks and this is why I have never separated before that point but I also never go past that point.

You need to watch for signs up until 3 weeks, and remove them at 3 weeks. You never know which ones are late bloomers and which are early bloomers....
Case in point:
My sow delivered 2 boar pups. I removed them from their mom and placed them in the boar cage at 3 1/2 weeks old. They never did show any sexual behavior until closer to 5 weeks old. Obviously late bloomers, but better safe than sorry.
Last week I took possession of 4 foster babies that were born on October 3rd. 2 girls and 2 boys that I have seperated by grids and its a good thing.... I caught the boar pups beginning to demonstrate the rumblestrut behavior--3 days prior to turning 3 weeks old!! By the next day (2 days shy of 3 weeks old) they were rumbling at the girls next door, and mounting each other (the two boys) Obviously early bloomers. Could they impregnate the girls if they had the opportunity? I dont have any scientific evidence to say yes for sure, but Im betting that if they have enough hormone/testosterone/whatever it is to thrust them into sexual behaviors then the sperm is probably present too.
I wouldnt be willing to risk 4 weeks.