BIRTH OF CAVIES

by Mette Lybeck Ruelokke (Mette the Vette)

Permission has been given by CAVIES magazine, published by P.Gammie & B.Mayoh in the UK, to make these articles available on the Internet.

The magazine is published monthly and contains approx. 40 pages of cavy information, including Mette the Vette's articles, forthcoming shows, reports on recent shows, and tips for cavy fanciers. Subscriptions for the magazine are available from :

Mr P Gammie, 7 Alresford Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8HG

It is not easy to predict accurately when a sow will start littering. Many people don't bother to worry about the event and just wait patiently for the litter to arrive, but others await the litter with great anticipation. Some seem to wait impatiently for weeks until the litter finally arrives. For these people knowing the mating date will be of great value. This can be noted down if mating has been observed, or if the sow has been post-partum mated the date of the previous litter born will count as pregnancy day 1 for the litter to come. But sometimes one waits in vain 66-72 days after mating, as the mating observed may have been unsuccessful, and another 16 days of waiting is necessary. As long as the cavy is well and eats, don't go to the vet in a panic telling them that your cavy is due and thereby forcing the less experienced vet to do unnecessary and harmful things like trying to artificially initiate the birth process or performing a caesarean section. In the majority of sows which are not prepared for birth by nature, it means death for both mother and babies.

The opening of the pelvis as described in the last edition of Cavies is the best sign of a forthcoming birth. When the pelvis is opened 1-2 fingers (depending on the size of the finger) it may be expected with reasonable probability that the sow will litter within about 48 hours. But there are still exceptions, so only regard it as a useful guideline, not as a 'rock steady fact'. The membrane which covers the vaginal opening between seasons and during pregnancy, as mentioned in an earlier edition of Cavies, will also disappear before delivery, but cannot be used to determine the time of birth as the time of disappearance may vary greatly.

In the last few hours before a delivery the sow becomes more inactive and her appetite may decrease but not totally disappear. But she should still look bright eyed and normal in coat, and, if tempted with special titbit, will eat it readily. I have read and heard that many cavies empty their rectum a few hours prior to birth, so that a pile of droppings in a corner should indicate that birth is approaching, but that requires cleaning daily, and I have never found this method of prediction very reliable.

Birth normally takes place when everything is peacefully quiet in the shed. There are different opinions whether cavies mainly litter during day or night, but I find in my strain that early mornings are one of the favourite times of the day, but quite often I've watched births starting during my morning feeding and cleaning round; and the sows don't worry about me, as they're used to my presence and the daily routine. However, sows don't like excessively noisy and disturbed surroundings, especially if they are inexperienced and don't know what is going on with their bodies.

A normal birth is quite undramatic and bloodless, and is often over and done within 30 minutes or less, depending on the number of babies. Many sows stay silent during birth, but some say a few mournful sounds shortly before arrival of the first baby. The baby is expelled after a few short labour pains. In contrast to most mammals the cavy sow gives birth to her babies in a sort of sitting position with the baby sliding backwards from the direction of her head.

Quickly she removes with her teeth the foetal membrane from the head of the baby, thereby allowing it to take it's first breath. The next step is to cut through the umbilical cord, and then lick all over the body until the baby is clean and dry. The next baby arrives shortly after. In large litters babies may arrive at very short intervals, and if it is a first time mother she may be so confused that she fails to clean one or more babies, and they may be found dead afterwards with the foetal membrane intact or having died from cold in a freezing winter shed, if the mother hasn't managed to dry and care for so many babies. In litters of 5 or more it is very common that one or two babies are found stillborn.

Placentas, one for each baby, are expelled after birth, and the sow eats all or part of them, which is very important because they contain large amounts of oxytocine hormone, which promotes release of milk and contracts the uterus thereby reducing bleeding. Many mothers are so efficient as cleaners that there are absolutely no traces of blood or anything else after birth. Some overdo the job and damage the babies ears during the cleaning process, thereby spoiling their future show career; and some even try to eat their dead babies, so severely damaged dead babies e.g. with a leg bitten off, are occasionally found. This is not a very pleasant sight but it is caused by the fact that sows in nature are totally defenceless and try to remove anything which may smell, thereby attracting predators.

Occasionally the births stops for a few hours and then goes on normally. But such interrupted births are always critical, and the sow should be watched regularly to ensure that she is still alright. Soon after the birth the sow will begin eating again, and the babies will crowd under the sow, patiently waiting for a sip of milk, patience being necessary as the sow has only two nipples. The sow should remain bright and hungry, although she may feel a little tired as well. Most sows are good and caring mothers and feed and clean their babies regularly; and a very common picture of a sow and her babies is of the mother sitting with her babies in a corner with all her babies gathered around her, sleeping or suckling. A perfect idyll. But sometimes things are not so easy and uncomplicated as described above, and (hopefully) in the next issue I'll describe some of the complications which may arise during birth.

Mette Lybek Jensen

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