Asked on the Guinea Pig Forum by andy75 on 3/6/03, 9:15 am
Q: what age can you tell the sex?
i was wondering at what age can you determine the sex of a baby guinea pig? i have been told you cant do it until they are 8 weeks old. can anybody help?
thanks...
Answered by SweetMelody on 3/6/03, 9:56 am
A: what age can you tell the sex?
> i was wondering at what age can you determine the sex of a
> baby guinea pig? i have been told you cant do it until they
> are 8 weeks old. can anybody help?
> thanks...
>
Actually, a person with a good eye and some general knowledge of Guinea Pigs can determine the sex at as early as 12 hours old. This website has photos that should prove really helpful.
http://cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm
Answered by Krazy4Kritterz on 3/6/03, 12:56 pm
A: what age can you tell the sex?
> i was wondering at what age can you determine the sex of a
> baby guinea pig? i have been told you cant do it until they
> are 8 weeks old. can anybody help?
> thanks...
Considering that guinea pigs are weaned at about 3 weeks of age, not sexing them until 8 weeks poses a problem! :)
No, actually they can be sexed as soon as they're born. It's not hard to tell, you just have to know what you're looking for. :)
From my Guinea Pig FAQ:
Mature adult males will generally have noticeable swelling where their testicles are, and this is hard to miss. Females obviously lack this. Male's genitals resemble an ''i'' when you hold the pig on it's back, while a females looks more like a ''Y''.
With young pigs, and sometimes with adults as well, it's hard to visually sex them. Sexing is done much more accuratly if you hold the piggy on it's back securly, and feel the genitals gently with your finger. With a boar, you will see and feel his penis just under the skin. If anything ''pops out'' then you have a male. A sow will have nothing that moves under the skin, and you'll feel only bone in this area.
Both sexes have obvious nipples, and mature animals of both sexes may exhibit ''humping'' behavior, so don't let these traits fool you into thinking you know the pig's gender. :)
Here are links with pig-tures to help you determine the sex of your pigs:
http://guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html#sexing
http://www.cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm
Answered by rattie rat on 3/9/03, 9:43 am
A: guinea pig
i can determine the sex of a cavy when it it about 6 hours old (i don't like to touch them for that amount of time, it's mommy and baby bonding time) but i have been rasing cavies for a long time. most people can determine the sex after about a day or so. but i have had cavies that confuse even the best of us experts. you can most likely tell about 1 or two days of age. baby cavies are kinda scrunched up when they are first born, and its hard to tell then. whoever told you that 8 week thing dosn't have their facts straight.(no offense to the person who told who :) a good site to check out if you need help with your cavies is www.cavyspirit.com. good luck with yuor cavies!
