3 boys in 6ft?

[happysaz133]

I've got a Lavender Lodge hutch for my current pair, its 6ft x 3ft according to websites I checked (too lazy to go measure it myself!), but I thought it was 5.3ft. I've been considering adopting another pig, a boy definately, and just wondered could they be happy? I will be attaching a run too to add some extra size, likely a 7ft Trixie one.

Would this do?

 

[Gems]

I'm not sure whether the size is adequate or not but if you have successfully bonded two boars adding another one into the mix might not be the best idea as it could result in fights. I have no experience in bonding boars as I have 4 sows and a boar but I'm sure someone will be able to advise.

 

[Wiebke]

The hutch would be big enough, but I would be very careful with introducing a new piggy to a stable, established pair. It is the bonding that is most likely to fail in my experience unless all piggies involved are very laidback; with boars you can even end up with three single boars at worst!

If you have the space, I would strongly recommend going for a second pair rather than adding to a group of boars - any more boar will make it more inherently unstable in the long term. Threesomes have most often worked when the boys were introduced either all three together as babies/little youngsters within only a couple or three weeks to each other or when at least two of the boars were laidback adults. The breakup rate is even higher than with couples, though!

 

[happysaz133]

I'm not sure whether the size is adequate or not but if you have successfully bonded two boars adding another one into the mix might not be the best idea as it could result in fights. I have no experience in bonding boars as I have 4 sows and a boar but I'm sure someone will be able to advise.

Oh I'm not worried about them fighting, I've done it quite successfully in the past several times, and these two are so laid back!

If it doesn't work, easy - I'll get another and bond them in their own hutch

 

[happysaz133]

The hutch would be big enough, but I would be very careful with introducing a new piggy to a stable, established pair. It is the bonding that is most likely to fail in my experience unless all piggies involved are very laidback; with boars you can even end up with three single boars at worst!

If you have the space, I would strongly recommend going for a second pair rather than adding to a group of boars - any more boar will make it more inherently unstable in the long term. Threesomes have most often worked when the boys were introduced either all three together as youngsters or when at least two of the boars were laidback adults. The breakup rate is even higher than with couples, though!

Thanks, I'll go for it then if they will all fit!

I've done quite well with bonding boars before, adding older males to pairs, so I think I can do it, especially as nothing phases Gizmo and Steve. There was a year between them and they were best friends within an hour! It would probably be a baby I'd get.

But if it doesn't work, I'll just get another and bond the 2 new ones in their own hutch

 

[CiaraPatricia]

I think that'd be plenty big enough.

I have three boys, so it can work, and since you've done it before a few times then I say you might aswell try. You can always separate the new one, and hopefully since your two boys are great friends, they won't start to fight because of the new one.

With my boys, two were still very young and best friends, and then I introduced an old very laid back pig, and it worked very well.