If your thinking about breeding guinea pigs for money, then you first should set a realistic goal, and know that your probably not going to get rich. Once you have accepted that fact, then you can focus on the breeding issues at hand. As a guinea pig breeder I would like to share some realistic tips, and ideas to help you on your quest. As you search online, and other resources, you will find that there is not a whole lot of information out there on mass breeding for profit. Most people actually try to discourage mass breeding due to over population and poor care, however we all know that it is done. If you mass breed correctly, and use proper care, then you are a breeder, not some horrible individual out to destroy the world. I have been breeding guinea pigs for several years, and I’m by no means rich. It’s more of a hobby really. Here are some things that I have learned along the way, that will help. If you are not prepared, then you will end up with sick guinea pigs, so please read these tips, before you start your breeding operation.
Before you start breeding guinea pigs you will need some several things. One of the most important things you need is cages, and lots of them. You need a cage to breed in, divided cages to separate the females, from the males (when they are to young to breed, or days before they give birth), nursery cages that are large enough to house the female and her young for the first 4 to 5 weeks and, a few hospital cages for sick guinea pigs, or new guinea pigs. You will also need your basics (water bottles, feed bowls, feed, ect..), a few small nursing bottles, and a few cans for kitten replacement milk. Oh, and of course you need the guinea pigs to start.
Making your own cages will save you a bundle of cash, so you should highly consider doing so. You can also make large cages with removable dividers which saves you money, time, and space. Just keep in mind that your cages need to have a solid bottom in them. Several sows (females) can live happily together most of the time, occasionally you will find to sows that would rather fight then live together. I have one sow that does great with my boar (male), but hates every other sow I own. I also have three sows that love each other to death, and couldn’t live apart. If one of your sow starts fighting other sows in the cage, then separate her. Stressed out guinea pigs will not breed.
To get started you need guinea pigs. Females ovulate ever 14 to 18 days, and carry their young for 60 to 70 days. A female will give birth to 1 – 8 guinea pigs at a time with the average being 2 – 3. The more babies she has the smaller they will be, so a healthy litter of 3 is great, but we have no say in that. If your planing on making money breeding guinea pigs then you will need at least 10 females and a few males. This means in 70 days you could have 30 or more babies easily. However, if your not familiar with guinea pigs I recommend only breeding one female to see if your going to like doing it before you jump in head first. To make 100% sure your female is pregnant you should leave her with a male for at least 4 weeks. This way you are sure not to miss her cycle. One male guinea pigs can service the needs of up to 10 females, but you’d need a huge cage to keep 11 of them in, so you should only have 2 – 4 females per male depending on the cage size. It is important to remove the female before she gives birth to prevent the babies from being trampled.
You will know your female is pregnant because her tummy will get large quick, also she will start drinking more water. There is also a way to check earlier on as well. Place her on the ground, and lift the hind legs in the air enough for you to slide your other hand under her belly. If you feel small knots or sacs then she is in fact pregnant. It takes a while to learn this technique. Even today, I still mess up from time to time. When the babies are born they are about the size of small hamsters. They will have all their fur, teeth, eyes opened, and be running around within the hour. It is important to make sure the cage mommy is going to give birth in has a small enough grid to hold the babies, if not you will have a bunch of jail breaks.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
There is a 20% chance that your sow will die giving birth, it is important to know this risk. That is why most breeders do not get attached to their animals.
Females (sows) over the age of 8 months should not be breed if they have never given birth before. By now their pelvic bones are fused, and you run a very high risk of her dying. As long as she has been breed before, then your in the clear. For safety reasons you should not breed a sow more then 3 times.
If the mom dies, or rejects the babies (this is rare, but does happen) then you will need to feed them. You can feed then kitten replacement milk. Babies eat, and drink on their own when they are 2 -3 days old, but still need the milk for at least the first 3 weeks.
Selling the babies isn’t as hard as brain surgery. Once the mom has reached her limit, or doesn’t breed you can sell her. I usually only breed my females twice. For adults you will get $2.00 – $5.00 on average. Most adults are bought for feeders, sad but true. The babies can be sold at 5 – 6 weeks of age. Don’t expect to get pet store prices. On average a breeder gets between $5.00 – $10.00 per guinea pig. If you have time to look for the right person willing to pay more you might get lucky and make $20.00 off a single pig. The fact is, your not going to make a whole lot of money, but if you love guinea pigs then it might be worth it to you.
