3 Arguing Brothers.

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Nikki88

New Born Pup
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
I have 3 boars, all brothers, 16 months old, been together since they were 7 weeks. They are in a large cage. All are intact. They used to occasionally fight, the runt picking on the middle brother. Now it's getting more constant. I've looked into getting them fixed, my closest vet (using the vet finder here) say they are not guinea pig experts, they only do a few, and it would cost "about £72 per guinea pig" to have them fixed, is that a lot for a guinea pig?
I've tried bonding baths, separation, lots of hiding places, access to food, good eating hay, hiding hay and water 24/7. I really want them to get on, I don't want 3 guinea pigs in 3 cages, or to get each one a friend if they were each alone. If I was to split their large cage into thirds, it would be way too small for them.
Their arguing seems unprovoked, one will just go over to another and start. All will be lying down, then one will walk up to another and start rumbling. The other squeaks, like the help me ow squeak.
I welcome all advice.
Thanks.
 
Having them neutered won't stop guinea pigs fighting. It does carm them down like it can dogs. Boys need more room,less chance of them becoming territorial.A bigger cage might help. 2 boys need at least a 120-140cm cage, 3 even bigger. The bigger the better.
 
Their cage is 120cm by 160cm. I cannot get a bigger cage, I don't have the room. All sites say that males are supposed to be neutered, to calm them, prevent impaction and smells that some people don't like (doesn't bother me, they only smell occasionally).
 
I had three guinea pigs last year and one of them had to be adopted due to fighting. So now I have two and the pig who was adopted has a great life with his new mum and dad.

They really need a bigger cage and separated.

They can't live alone so the only options are get a friend for each, rehome one and hope the two left will get along, or have three cages next to each other.

The cage can't be split as it isn't big enough for even two boars.

If pigs aren't going to get on, they just won't get on. Neutering doesn't make a difference to a guinea pigs temperament like it would to a dog.
 
It a very risky op . I don't know where you are but here its only really done if your putting a male with females. And then you need an exotic vet.
 
The fact they are brothers makes no difference to whether they get on either unfortunately :(
 
Hi! I am sorry about your problem. Subadult boar trios very rarely work out - they have about a 90% fail rate. It is unfortunately a breeder myth that litter brothers won't fight. The key to a stable boar bond is character compatibility, i.e. the right mix of personalities. Brothers have exactly the same chance of clashing as unrelated boars when they hit the big hormones and develop their adult identities.

Guinea pigs are not like rabbits where neutering will change buck behaviour, so neutering is only advisable if your are planning to pair up a boar with sows. It is not to be recommended if you don't have access to a good vet, as the risk of complications or at the worst of death with an inexperienced vet can be quite high.

In your situation, I would recommend that you separate the boar who is causing the trouble and see whether the other two will settle down well together; from what you are telling, you are likely to have one submissive boy who will likely get on with both of them and two that are at loggerheads. I doubt that you will end up with three boys that won't get on. Do it for a couple of days and see whether that brings some peace and quiet. Then make your permanent plans. A failed piggy bond is always gutting; I am sorry that you have become yet another victim of the seller's greed and misinformation!

Your space is perfectly adequate for a trio of boars and is big enough to turn it into two cages with a divider, so you won't have to worry about that aspect, nor do you have to feel guilty about having failed them in any respect!

Your further options very much depend on your location. You can help us by adding your country, state or (for the UK) your county to your details, as we have members from all over the world. That way, we can always take the particulars of your part of the globe into account straight away. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details, then location. thanks!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top