Q:
Should I separate the male guinea pigs from the mother and newborns?
A:
Yes! With most rodent species, you are taking a chance if you leave the male in with the female and the pups immediately after pups are born.
Some species of male rodents are well known to kill and even eat their own newborn pups. There are various theories on why this occurs. In the wild, the father would unlikely be present where the newborns and mother are hiding from predators. In a pet situation, the male may be in the same guinea pig cage as the female and her newborns, and there is no way for the mother to move the pups away from the father.
Male guinea pigs may not be as aggressive and dangerous as other rodent species are to their young because guinea pig babies are born in a more precocial (advanced) stage than most other rodents. Therefore, the pups have the potential ability to escape from a male guinea pig trying to harm them, whereas other rodent species at the same age are much less mobile or aware of threats.
[Another concern is that the male might get the mother pregnant again immediately, which is dangerous for the mother guinea pig. — Eds.]To play it safe for everyone’s health, it is best to separate out the father from the mother as soon as you know she is pregnant.
Posted By: Chewy Editorial
Featured Image: Via PHOTO FUN/Shutterstock
Share:
