What age should you breed your piggies ?

Female - The female piggy is capable of having babies from about a month or so old but obviously is only a baby herself so to breed from her at such a young age would be completely irresponsible at the very least !! She should be bred from for the first time, at approx. 5 - 6 months of age and be a weight of over 500g. She must have her first litter before she is 10 months old - as after this the pelvic bones fuse together and the mother will more than likely have problems giving birth to the babies, this may result in the death of both mother and the babies. You may have heard the term 'Dystocia' - this is when the young are too large to pass through the pelvic canal during the birthing process, this could be because it is a small litter and the babies are very large, the babies could be deformed and cannot fit through the birth canal or it could be because the pelvic bones have fused and there is simply no space for the babies to pass through.

Males - Although the males are capable of breeding at about 4 weeks of age it is best to wait until about 5 months old - when they have developed themselves.

Actually breeding at a reasonable age and weight would be 4 months or 24 ounces. Sows should have their first litter by the age of 1 year. The pelvic bones do not fuse. The ligiments harden making it harder for the sows to deliver. There are a few other misfacts, but I do not have the time list them now. Before posting faq's please, please, please do research from reliable sources.

Their pubic, bones fuse together and if a sow is bred for the first time when she is 1 yr she will probably die, if urgent care is not taken in consideration. The pubic bones, fuse/harden whatever you want to call it by the age of 6-8 months. I do agree that breeding should be taken in consider when the sow is completely developed and the weight is balanced and healthy. Females are sexually active at the age of 1 months and by that I mean that they can get pregnant if housed with other baby male. Which I DO NOT recommend because they are just growing and they do not have the required nutrients, weight.

Cavy breeding isn't very different from human breeding, where, once the female is of breeding age, breeding should begin at the youngest possible age and stop at the youngest possible age. Just as no prepubescent girl would be a good candidate for child bearing, very young sows aren't either. Once reaching child-bearing age, it's best to do the breeding and stop, so there's no chance of age-related complications during pregnancy or birth.
Always have a vet ready to assist with any births, especially if it may require emergency surgery to remove the bubs before birthing complications kill the mother. It's best to not breed if money is a consideration, as vet intervention can be costly. Still, no price can be put on the mother's life, so breed responsibly, and only when you have good, pre-approved homes for the bubs.

cavykissums wrote:

Actually breeding at a reasonable age and weight would be 4 months or 24 ounces. Sows should have their first litter by the age of 1 year. The pelvic bones do not fuse. The ligiments harden making it harder for the sows to deliver. There are a few other misfacts, but I do not have the time list them now. Before posting faq's please, please, please do research from reliable sources.

I always get my sources from books, and reliable and popular health related sources. Please ask before posting these posts.

cavykissums you should take a look at this...

GuineaPigLuvver wrote:

cavykissums you should take a look at this...

It is the ligiments around those bones that tighten up so much that it pulls the bones closer together. If you take a look at an xray of a 4 year old sow that has never been bred, you will see when you look closely that the bones are not fused together. If a sow has never been bred, before and becomes pregnant those ligiments will not allow the bones to open up far enough. Think about it this way, a human has joints all over, as you get older the ligiments around the bones tighten up making in harder to stretch or move. The longer there is no activity with these, the harder it is to move as they tighten up.

There are many books, people, even vets out there giving out the wrong information. Heck there is a book that I just saw the other day that tells you to give your guniea pigs salt licks, sunflower seeds and to use cedar as a bedding. There are three things in one book that can kill your guinea pig.

Wow what a great information there cavykissums. Interesting photos.

That's very interesting information, cavykissums, but doesn't it back the idea of not breeding older sows. whether the ligaments don't allow the bones to open enough to deliver, or the bones are fused and won't open enough to deliver, the sow still needs a c-section, or did I read it wrong???

Sure it does. As the female cavy gets older, the ligaments will tighten not allowing the pelvic bones to move freely in order to accomodate the babies. If the pelvic bones are unable to move, then the sow will be be unable to deliver the babies on her own.

I am not sure I understand where the confusion is.

3Piggles wrote:

That's very interesting information, cavykissums, but doesn't it back the idea of not breeding older sows. whether the ligaments don't allow the bones to open enough to deliver, or the bones are fused and won't open enough to deliver, the sow still needs a c-section, or did I read it wrong???

You read it wrong. An older sow should NEVER be bred for the first time! My post was to let people know the correct information. There are so many books, and people out there with the wrong information and that is how it gets passed around. No matter if it is the bones or the ligiments it is NOT good to breed for the first time after a year. I am just tired of seeing information put up on different forums that is incorrect. Like I have stated, I have well over 30 years in experience with cavies and rabbits and have numerous vets that ask me questions when it relates to cavies. I am tired of seeing people post information that they think is right just because it is in a book, when their own expertise of the cavies isn't more then a few months. Instead of fighting with the people that actually know the correct information, they should be asking questions to better their own knowledge.

No one in the forum is fighting, no matter how you put it, bones ligaments, muscle, or anything it is the same outcome the sow will not be able to deliver the babies and she might die, just because it is written down in a different way, that does not mean it is wrong, and I've learned my information mostly on popular forums like guinealynx and personal experiences then books. I have a animal planet book which has every information about them. Other than that, thanks for your info.

This is interesting information.

It makes me sad for the poor piggy that was just bred at 18 months, that I just read about.

Oh MY Lord .

Ha
Ha

Your piggy is praying.

I know - aint it cool

The smilies on this site are the best.

They even have piggies being religious and all

HAHAHA!!! he is happy because he is healthy

Be right back "cleaning the house, cages, back yard. UUUFFFF

That is no fun.

Cleaning is my life

Cavykissums, I think you misread my response. Whether we call it vase or vahz, it's the same thing. The end result is the same. The sow is in great danger. The information is important. The terminology isn't.

I think she read it just fine. What is wrong with someone with decades of experience correcting misinformation given by someone who read it in an Animal Planet book? Personally, I take years of experience over a book any day. Books are infamous for poor information on pet care.

Why are you insulting her. She reads the book, I believe some books are good and have good information. Congrats for you having many years of knowledge, many people don't have that and they are all willing to learn to help.

3Piggles wrote:

Cavykissums, I think you misread my response. Whether we call it vase or vahz, it's the same thing. The end result is the same. The sow is in great danger. The information is important. The terminology isn't.

The point is, it is not the same thing. When they are putting text books together to teach in medical school do you think they use the correct terminology or just say "its about the same so who cares"? Whether or not it is the sort of close to being the same thing or not, the correct terminology should be used.

If you are making a site for a large number of people to come to and get good advice, then you need to give out correct, responsible information. This is just one of several errors, whether they be almost accurate or not that I have found. I am compiling a list to give to the owner of the site, but it has taken me much longer than I anticipated.