3 Girls 1 Boy Seperating

[Tiiimmy0]

Hi we brought 2 female baby guineas a couple of months ago they were 5 weeks old. Unfortunately the breeder had not seperated them quickly enough and 5 weeks later we now have 5 girls and 1 boy. The boy is now 3 weeks old and we need to separate him from the girlies. He is very small in comparison to the others. So we fear that putting him in with another male would be bad and that would mean buying 1 more.
He got put on his own separate cage this after noon. We made sure he can see the others but don't know if that is good. All guineas seem to be sad now and he is so small it is breaking our hearts. What do we do.

 

[Veggies Galore]

to the forum. I will tag @Wiebke as she is the best person to advise you .

Are you happy to add your location to your profile ? We have members from all over the world and it is really helpful to know whether you are based in the UK/US – or elsewhere. Having an idea of your Country + location can sometimes help us tailor our advice .



Here is a link to help you do this …



https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...cation-and-creating-an-avatar-picture.107444/

 

[PiggySmitten]

Hi It's definitely good for him to be able to see and hear the other piggies while he is living on his own.

He would certainly be even happier with a friend of his own. If you choose that route I recommend that you got to one of the rescues recommended on here as they shouldbe able to help you with bonding to ensure he gets a good match and that should help you avoid your worries about his size and bullying.

Your alternative is to get him neutered and then he could, as the only male, live with your girls. You will have to wait until he is big enough to be neutered (vet will advise you when that would be) and then you must wait a full 6 weeks post op before you put him with the girls to avoid any further surprises!

Good luck

 

[Tiiimmy0]

Hi It's definitely good for him to be able to see and hear the other piggies while he is living on his own.

He would certainly be even happier with a friend of his own. If you choose that route I recommend that you got to one of the rescues recommended on here as they shouldbe able to help you with bonding to ensure he gets a good match and that should help you avoid your worries about his size and bullying.

Your alternative is to get him neutered and then he could, as the only male, live with your girls. You will have to wait until he is big enough to be neutered (vet will advise you when that would be) and then you must wait a full 6 weeks post op before you put him with the girls to avoid any further surprises!

Good luck

Thanks it would be nice if we could get them all back together. I will ask the vet. He was the only babe that was always by his mother's side. They are looking at him and squeeking. Is quite sad really.
If we go down the neutered option will they reject him after so long. Can we do supervised visits.
He is being over spoilt now though

 

[PiggySmitten]

PiggyOwner has tagged Weibke who will be better able to answer your questions about rejection after so long and also knows more about neutering etc than I do as I haven't had our boars neutered.

The only thing I would say is don't be tempted to do even supervised visits. It takes seconds for a piggy to get inpregnated. Even if you spotted it, you might not be quick enough to prevent it.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi we brought 2 female baby guineas a couple of months ago they were 5 weeks old. Unfortunately the breeder had not seperated them quickly enough and 5 weeks later we now have 5 girls and 1 boy. The boy is now 3 weeks old and we need to separate him from the girlies. He is very small in comparison to the others. So we fear that putting him in with another male would be bad and that would mean buying 1 more.
He got put on his own separate cage this after noon. We made sure he can see the others but don't know if that is good. All guineas seem to be sad now and he is so small it is breaking our hearts. What do we do.

Hi and welcome!

Please put his cage right next to his family's so he can interact with them through the bars. The first couple of days are the worst. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sexing-separating-baby-boars-and-rehoming-babies.109391/

You have basically got two options:
a) keep him right next to the sows with constant and vital interaction through the bars for ongoing stimulation and socialisation and have him neutered once he is old and well developed enough for it (i.e. 4-6 months of age after the testicles have descended, pending a pre-op vet check). Finding a good neutering vet is absolutely crucial in order to minimise the risk any post-op complications. You also have to factor in a full 6 weeks post-op safety wait. My own surprise baby Tegan is the unplanned daughter of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine, I would like to add) - but it really can and does happen as late as that!
Guinea Pig Vet Locator

b) if you have access to one of our recommended good standard rescues, you can consider dating your little boy with a rescue boar to make sure that they get on. An uncle piggy would give your little boy the company and guidance that he currently so desperately craves. An age difference will go some way towards stabilising the boar bond while your little boy is going through the stroppy hormonal teenage months.
Some boars make very caring nursery maids indeed! Boars won't attack babies, but not every boar will click with every baby, so you want make sure that they do by dating at the rescue under expert supervision. That way, you will only come home with a new boar if the bond is working and you will have the rescue to fall back on for the whole duration of their rehomed piggy's life. We have listed only rescues we can guarantee for as to their good standard at all stages and their experience. All guinea pigs up for adoption are healthy/quarantined. it is advisable to contact all rescues within your reach to ask whether they have suitable boars available; they are not necessarily listed as adoptable on the rescue website.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

Either way has got its pros and cons. You either have to face the operation risk or the fall-out risk; it is up to you which you are feeling more comfortable with. Forum members have gone both ways successfully with unplanned single baby boys of their own, so either is doable!

 

[madguinealady]

My boy is tiny.I had a neutered boy that was goi g to get his own girls so I put him in with him.No problems, they are lovely together.I also put my tiny girl In with the herd and she does fine too.I have a large boar and a couple of large girls in there, it didn't phase Riley at all.Babies are more robust than you think.