Guinea pig pedigree: how to read, build and share a family tree

What a pedigree is

A pedigree lists an animal’s ancestors generation by generation: the two parents, the four grandparents, the eight great-grandparents and so on. It proves where an animal comes from and lets you check how closely related two animals are.

How to read the layout

Every generation doubles the number of ancestors, so a chart grows quickly: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 ancestors in generations one to six, which is 126 ancestors for six generations.

Charts usually place the animal on the left and the ancestors to the right. A common convention is to colour the father’s line blue and the mother’s line pink, so you can follow either side at a glance.

What to record for each ancestor

The more complete the entry, the more useful the pedigree.

• Name and gender
• Breed, colour and coat type
• Date of birth
• Registration or pedigree number and microchip ID, if there is one
• A photo, so the animal can be recognised

Handling unknown ancestors

Gaps are normal, especially in animals you bought. Record what you know and mark the rest as unknown rather than guessing. Keep in mind that an unknown ancestor is treated as unrelated in an inbreeding calculation, so gaps can hide relatedness.

Sharing a pedigree with a buyer

A pedigree is most useful when it can be handed over: as a picture to send in a message, or as a printable document that carries your name and contact details.

Keeping the pedigree up to date

Link every animal to its parents and every pup to its litter when they are born, and the family tree builds itself. Animals from other breeders can be added as outside animals, so their lines are included too.

Frequently asked questions