baby guinea pig age question

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akintolife

Post   » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:52 pm


He's adorable and so tiny! When I first got Charlie home I was feeding unlimited pellets for a couple of weeks because I wasn't sure how old he was (He was obviously still very young and he still has little baby paws and nails), but dropped back to 1/8 cup after the first two weeks.

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lisam

Post   » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:57 pm


He's sure cute! I love his "blue" eyes.

I wouldn't worry about handfeeding. He looks plenty old enough to eat on his own.

Baby boys often get confused--they don't know if they should nurse or mount!

One thing with really young babies, though, is that they are easily mis-sexed. Are you sure he's a boy?

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onetwo

Post   » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:11 pm


I'm 95% sure that he is a boy. I have a lot of experience sexing babies and adults.

C Cole-Chakotay

Post   » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:59 pm


He's so cute! His weight looks to be close to Ginger's was when I brought her home from the rescue. She was right at three weeks old. I also have her mother, Buffy.

Myndy

Post   » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:37 pm


Onetwo
The baby that I just brought home last week is about the same size you are saying Raichu is. Claire was supposed to be 5 weeks wehn I got her and was just under 300 g on a digital scale. She is shorter than Raichu though.
I really questioned whether she was old enough to leave her momma too but she has gained weight nicely since bringing her home.
She is still quarantined but has unlimited fruit, veggies, hay and pellets.
She has gained about 10 grams a day since coming home.
She had no pellets, or hay when I saw her before I got her.

Guinea Love

Post   » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:12 pm


What a cutie. I love his dark nose.

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LisasHerd

Post   » Sat Jul 23, 2011 12:06 am


Absolutely to die for!! Congratulations!

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pigjes
Cavy Comic

Post   » Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:20 am


Congratulations! He's very cute!!!!!! I'm sorry you had such an awful time!

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swirlysf
Supporting my GP Habit

Post   » Sat Jul 23, 2011 6:39 am


Aww, he's adorable. I'm sorry that you had an awful time, but congratulations on the adorable addition.

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CavyHouse
Supporter in '11

Post   » Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:32 am


For our rescue pups, they usually reach 250 grams by 3 weeks of age - even our recent runt.

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onetwo

Post   » Wed Sep 14, 2011 12:37 am


Raichu has been growing and doing great. Unfortionately I am starting to believe that Raichu is a girl not a boy and is pregnant.

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The newbie Raichu and my other 3 boys lived together shortly (only a few days) before all hell broke loose and Twinky and Tweet savagely ripped each other open. Tweet was injured worse and went to see the vet for an absess and several open wounds. Twinky only had superficial wounds that did not need treatment. I took Twinky out of the mix but Tweet kept picking on Sweet laid back Gus Gus.

So I took out Tweety leaving Raichu and Gus together. So I had 3 cages side by side for the last month+. Took Raichu out today to cuddle and do a once over (been busy the last 2 weeks with oldest child going to kindergarden) and I felt bulges on either side of the belly (harder than bloat but softer than a mass kind of like a hard boiled egg, still a bit squishy but I didn't want to squish too hard or poke around too much). I searched again for a penis (Raichu should be about 11-12 weeks old) and still found the little external flap of skin which I thought was a penis as it has a pee hole on the end but nothing popped out nor do I feel any testicles. Looks like there might be a 2nd opening next to the anus when I really stretch the flap of skin up and the anus down. I hope that makes sense. I don't know I am so confused.

Well I took Raichu out and separated from Gus Gus. I figured if Raichu got pregs (if preg) before I got her (which is possible because Raichu was in the same tiny cage with "male" sibling at the shelter) she could have babies as early as the last week in Sept. If she got pregs by my boys then it will be 2-3rd week in Oct.

I am so upset and frustrated. I didn't intend on this happening and everyone I talked to here, GPC, vet and shelter all said Raichu was a boy. Raichu has a very prounounced flap of skin that sticks out that really looks like a penis. Not quite the same size as the adult males but definately the same shape.

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It was very hard to get pics as Raichu is a BITER! She will bite so hard the first time it bleeds and is very deep. She does NOT like being handled so its very hard to tame her and check her...

Raichu currently weighs about 650g. I don't have a digital scale or anything fancy (cannot find one in my area) so I can't tell any daily/weekly differences in weight. I can guess at incraments of 25 grams at least. So can't tell by weight especially since Raichu is/was so little when I adopted. Believed to be 3-5 weeks old when we adopted her 2nd week in July.

So now Raichu is separate and I reintroduced the other 3. They really seemed to have missed eachother. Gus Gus is popcorning all over the place which I have never seen. They might still fight so I am going to keep my ears open. Twinky and Tweet have always had dominance issues. But with Raichu out of the equation but still next to the cage I am not too sure. Haven't made any longterm plans for Raichu either yet. My friend just lost her 3rd guinea pig a week ago so she is not ready to take in anymore females. But we'll see... First thing first. Is Raichu a male or female if female is she pregnant???

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Sep 14, 2011 12:46 am


Run your finger very gently from side to side over Raichu's abdomen, over a range of about an inch or two, just north of his/her privates. Don't press too hard but you can push a little.

If you feel a ridge that would begin just above his/her privates and continue along the midline of the body for about 5/8 of an inch, then he's a boy. That little ridge (it'll feel like bone or a piece of cartilage, but will exactly follow the midline of his body) is the bone of his penis. That's where it is, inside the sheath, when, um, not in use. If you find it, then press on it gently and you should be able to get it to pop out (or at least the sheath/prepuce will).

If you feel no ridge, no bone, absolutely no nothing except skin and soft belly fur just above the privates (toward the head), then she is a girl.

This is the only sexing method I'm comfortable with. Dots and i's and y's and even testicles, unless they're very, uh, prominent, I just don't trust. Using the ridge method, however, there's only been a couple I was unsure of.

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