General Babies too young & side effects?

[gk470]

Hi -

I joined today to learn more about guinea pigs. I'm thinking about finding a pair and haven't had any luck lately with the shelters. The closest shelter that sometimes takes in cavies is a few hours away and the closest rescue is over 4 hours away. I found a posting online regarding 3 baby cavies that were born on Jan. 1. The owner says they are all female and will be ready for their new homes at 2 weeks old. She said they are eating grass and pellets.

From what I've read online, and correct me if I'm wrong, shouldn't babies be with their Mom until they turn 3 or 4 weeks old? Is it possible for the babies to suffer side effects or behavioral problems by being separated at such a young age from their Mom? Is it possible to sex the babies when they are 2 days old?

I'm sorta conflicted on if I should bring them home given how young they will be. I haven't cared for guinea pigs before but have started reading. Are babies the right age for someone like me? I already found a local vet who specializes in cavies. I'm interested in having a same sex pair but not really sure to take all 3.

 

[pouty]

You're asking all the right questions! You're so aware for someone who's never had piggies before. I've never handled piggies younger than a few months old before, so I'm very interested to read the information you'll get. But as far sexing go, especially that young, I would look up an exotic vet in your area have them determine their genders for you. Good luck!!

 

[Rnd210]

Pups (baby guinea pigs) shouldn't be seperated from their mom until three weeks of age. Pups are born with all their fur and their teeth and they normally start eating pellets and hay the same day the are born. In fact they will eat anything mom eats. Babies can be sexed the same day they are born but should be re-sexed multiple times during the first couple weeks to be sure of their sex.

I took in 3, 2 week old pups, after their mom died and they did fine eating hay and pellets but it took a little bit to get them to eat veggies. I do not recommend pups to be separated from mom until they are of the appropriate age of 3 weeks.

 

[gk470]

The owner agreed that it is a good idea to wait until the babies are 3 weeks old before letting them go. My original plan was to find a bonded pair not 3 cavies. Not sure what to do?

 

[Rnd210]

For right now learn as much as you can, you came to the right place for that. Make sure to give them as much attention as possible and give them an appropriate cage size for them. 2x5 grid cage would be best but you can always go bigger if you have the space to do so.
make sure to take a look at the nutrition area on this site and the option of fleece bedding(expensive start up) but cheaper in the long run and less smelly and over all more healthy for guinea pigs. Fleece is washable thus making it reusable, the cage will still need to be cleaned once a week no matter what type of bedding you use.

I prefer to order bluegrass hay and pellets from kms-hayloft.myshopify.com

Really the only thing you can do right now is prepare for the cavies that you are getting and really getting 3 ins't that much more then getting two. Another thing I recommend is learning how to determine the sex yourself that way you will be certain that all three cavies are female as you are told and so that you don't end up with any unintentional pregnancy. I was told not to take someone else's word on the sex of the guinea pig with out confirming the sex myself.

 

[pouty]

You shouldn't have less than two, and it would be a shame to break up the 3. I personally like having 3 at a time. I have two and just got approved to adopt a 3rd. I'm picking him up in a week. 3 makes a small herd and I think that's a nice number.

Finding out their genders and gathering supplies will be the next important step. They're honestly such lovely pets to have. And you have a whole community here to gather information from.

 

[bpatters]

We NEVER recommend putting three boars together. A few people have made it work, but it ends in miserable failure for most people/pigs. You'd do better to have two cages with two boars each rather than trying to make a three-boar pairing work.

 

[gk470]

The owner claims she has 3 sows and not 3 boars. I'll learn what to look for and check myself if I schedule a meeting with her.

 

[bpatters]

The acid test of whether it's a boar is to extrude a penis. See www.cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm for how to do that.

 

[lunarminx]

It's very hard to have more than two boars in a cage. I had four boars in a 3x6 and had to split them up. A third wheel almost never works. You will have one that could be picked on by a bonded pair. The only way I can see it ever working is if they were siblings.

 

[lunarminx]

You shouldn't have less than two, and it would be a shame to break up the 3. I personally like having 3 at a time. I have two and just got approved to adopt a 3rd. I'm picking him up in a week. 3 makes a small herd and I think that's a nice number.

Finding out their genders and gathering supplies will be the next important step. They're honestly such lovely pets to have. And you have a whole community here to gather information from.

When I added another set of bonded boars to my bonded set that ruined the bonds and for 4 months it was bickering constantly. The two younger boars picked on the one old man that I added to the point he started to lose weight and that is when I split them up. BUT the young brothers were no longer bonded and the old men too.

 

[pouty]

When I added another set of bonded boars to my bonded set that ruined the bonds and for 4 months it was bickering constantly. The two younger boars picked on the one old man that I added to the point he started to lose weight and that is when I split them up. BUT the young brothers were no longer bonded and the old men too.

Im so confused why are you all talking about boars.
She says they're female.

 

[bpatters]

@pouty, see post (broken link removed) above. Nobody knows for sure what they are.