Dawn - Admin
Administrator
MOTM May 2006, TPOTM Nov 2007
Dawn and the Cutiecavies
Posts: 22,784
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Post by Dawn - Admin on Oct 19, 2005 12:02:43 GMT
The Domestic Guinea Pig
Scientific Name: Cavia porcellus
Size: 20 - 35 cm (8-13 inches)
Weight: Adult Boar 900-1180g (32-42 oz), Adult Sow 860-900g (30 -32 oz)
Average life span: 5 to 10 years
Life Style: Herd animal
Light Requirement: 10-12 hours per day
Heart beats: 280 per minute
Normal respiration rate: 80 per minute
Gestation period: 63-70 days (Approx)
Average litter size: First litter: 2-3, Subsequent litters: 3-6
Average birth weight: 85-90g (3 oz)
Eyes: open At birth
Weaning age: 21-28 days
Weaning weight: About 250g (8.5 oz)
Best age to breed sow: Between 5 and 6 months
Oestrus (or season): Every 2 weeks (14-16 days) Duration of oestrus: 12-15 hours
Retire from breeding: 2 years
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Post by ccc on Oct 25, 2005 13:30:43 GMT
Very interesting info. Dawn!
One thing I have to add is that you should really stop breeding sows at 1 year, not 2. The pelvic bones fuse together at about 1 year making a birth very complicated and even life threatening.
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Dawn - Admin
Administrator
MOTM May 2006, TPOTM Nov 2007
Dawn and the Cutiecavies
Posts: 22,784
|
Post by Dawn - Admin on Oct 25, 2005 18:33:51 GMT
Very interesting info. Dawn! One thing I have to add is that you should really stop breeding sows at 1 year, not 2. The pelvic bones fuse together at about 1 year making a birth very complicated and even life threatening. I knew that you were not supposed to breed for the first time after is 10 months but I thought you could breed them after a year if they had already had a previous litter
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Post by kaoskat on Oct 27, 2005 21:18:24 GMT
You can breed them after a year if they have previously had a litter.
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