Most animals care less about who they mate with. They can breed with their siblings or even relatives. Is this the same for guinea pigs too?
Quick Answer–
Yes, guinea pigs can mate with their siblings.
They are animals that could mate with their siblings, relatives, or even parents!
This is most common among male guinea pigs. Because they always try to mate with their female siblings.
You’ve now found out that guinea pigs can mate with their siblings. Would you also like to know if they can have babies together?
Read below to know more.
Table of Contents
Can Guinea Pigs Have Babies With Their Siblings?
Yes, guinea pigs can have babies with their siblings. Most often their inbreeding happens between male and female siblings.
It can be with family their family members. In fact, this is a normal act for them because they don’t care much about who they do it with.
The male guinea pigs can even mate with nursing sows (female guinea pigs) that just delivered in less than 48 hours.
Hence, it is important to separate nursing guinea pigs from male guinea pigs.
Not doing this can pose a big threat to their health.
Is Inbreeding a Problem With Guinea Pigs?
Yes, it can be a problem most times. Inbreeding that involves direct family members is not 100 % safe.
The same thing happens to inbreeding which involves relatives or ancestry lineages.
It can pose a big problem with guinea pigs due to the fact that they produce identical DNA codes in the process. This is known as “homozygosity“.
And the production of these similar DNA codes will make guinea pigs give birth to babies with unwanted genetic traces.
Additionally, inbreeding in guinea pigs will sometimes expose them to the risk of contracting genetically related diseases.
These diseases are mostly impossible to be treated by a veterinary doctor. But it can be managed.
ALSO READING: HOW MANY BABIES CAN GUINEA PIGS HAVE?
Signs Of Inbreeding In Guinea Pigs?
Inbreeding involving relatives and ancestors of guinea pigs could lead to genetic diseases and the signs include
- Hemophilia (the inability of blood to clot)
- Stunted growth
- Problems associated with digestion
- Cancer
And in some situations, a genetic mutation could take place.
How To Stop Inbreeding In Guinea Pigs
Inbreeding is discouraged by experts due to the adverse effects associated with it.
Here’s a list of things you can do to stop inbreeding guinea pigs.
Separating female siblings from males
This is majorly the known possible way to stop guinea pig siblings from mating.
The male species should be kept in a different cage from their female counterparts.
Doing this cancels every chance of inbreeding. It helps reduce the possibility of guinea pigs mating with their siblings.
Educating guinea pig breeders on the effects of inbreeding
Breeders should be enlightened on the effects of guinea pigs’ sibling mating.
They should know how harmful it can be to their health. The most common signs are:
- Reduced reproductive efficiency
- Increased mortality rates,
- Declined growth among guinea pigs
- Genetic abnormalities.
Identification of close relatives
This is highly important in determining how these guinea pigs are genetically related.
It also cuts across identifying the male and female relatives of cavies.
When they are identified and sorted, a big step to stopping inbreeding has been taken.
Final thoughts
Guinea pigs can mate with their family members, especially siblings. And as a result, they can have babies together. But this inbreeding will most likely cause more harm than good to them.
It will lead to the production of unhealthy offspring or genetically related diseases like stunted growth or hemophilia.
Guinea pig owners can identify closely related pigs and isolate them in different enclosures. It is done as a way to prevent guinea pigs from mating with their siblings.
Now that you’ve learned that guinea pigs can mate with their siblings.
Do you know they can do it through bars? Check our article “Can Guinea Pigs Mate Through Bars” to learn more.
