Telling Male And Female Guinea-Pigs Apart

by James Glover
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How can I tell the difference between male and female cavies, and also what age do they have to be separated so they don't mate? (Andrew Greening - New Jersey)

When they are about a week old, turn the babies over and examine their genital area. You will see that both males and females have a 'Y configuration'.

At this early age, males (boars) can be distinguished from the females (sows) by a very slight raised circular formation which is evident between the two arms of the 'Y'.

You should remove all the boars when they are about 4 weeks old to safeguard against unwanted pregnancy.

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