Breeding Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs must breed at a very specific time in their development to avoid the death of the female. If guinea pigs are bred at the right ages, the resulting pregnancy should be quick and uncomplicated. Babies will be born with their fur and will be walking around the cage within a day.

Things You'll Need

  • Female guinea pig
  • Male guinea pig
  • Breeding cage
  • Guinea pig food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start with a male and a female who are the right ages for breeding. The female has to breed before she is 6 months old. If not, she could die after getting pregnant. The ideal age is about 3 months. The male should be about 3 to 4 months old before an attempt at breeding is made.

    • 2

      Put the female and the male into a cage together and make sure they get along. They will probably live together for a few weeks before breeding. If they fight often, the cage may be too small and they should be moved to a larger cage.

    • 3

      The female’s fertile cycle is about 16 days long, so one month should give the guinea pigs plenty of time. You may not see the mating occur, however, and should watch for the female’s stomach to enlarge. If you see the female eat more than normal, she may be pregnant but not yet showing.

    • 4

      Give the female more food and water during her pregnancy and add some vitamin C to her water. Each liter of water should have about 200mg added.

    • 5

      Allow about 70 days for the pregnancy to come to term. Babies will nurse from the mother. The female may have anywhere from one to six babies, and it isn’t unusual for one of those to be stillborn.