4 Boars! Advice needed

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Mj110

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Hello, I have 4 Boars. 2 are 3 years old and the other 2 are around 5months old. They get on really well, apart from the odd rumble strutting with the older guys. My problem/query is that they have a very very large double hutch but only seem to stay upstairs and mainly in their bedroom. I have only seen the rumble strutting in the bedroom so feel as though they are literally getting on top of each other in there. I had created another bedroom downstairs like the one upstairs and have made the downstairs just as fun, hiding places, food bowls, water etc but they don't seem to even go down there! What can I do to ensure they use all their space? Any advice would be appreciated!
 
Are they all in the cage together? Be aware the two younger ones are at the beginning stages of their teenage years. I’m not sure how you can encourage them to use all the cage. Is the bedroom area the same size as the bottom area of their cage?

In all honesty I would think about splitting them into suitable pairs. How long have they been all together and what’s the cage size?
 
My bottom area is the same yes.
Yes I am aware of the teenage years with the younger ones. So far so good so I don't want to split them up just yet, I have seen no chatting or mounting.
They've been together just over a month. It's a home made cage so it's a double cage of
Length: 200cm approx by Diametre of approx 80cm. The bottom door is open for extra space in the shed.
 
Hmm I’d possibly think about expanding. Boys need a lot more space than girls or a group of girls.

As said I’m not sure how you can get them to use the downstairs area. Is there a way you can encourage them to go there for feeding? And keep their hay down there? Then you can use the upstairs solely for sleeping?... do they go downstairs at all or spend most of their time up top? And do they come out the cage to use the floor space?

I hope you have four of everything, including hay piles/hay trays.

Keep an eye on them in case there is a fallout, and be prepared to possibly end up with singles. But fingers crossed and hope for the best, even though the chances are slim. Good luck.
 
Have you tried putting them in the bottom part when you return them to the hutch, and putting veggies and hides in there to entice them to stay in that part? To be honest we tried everything to get our boys to use the downstairs part of the hutch before they moved indoors. They just didn't like using the ramp for some reason (though they love using the candc cage ramp!). If you can't get them to use the whole space it might be better to split the hutch if you can (since its home-made I'm guessing you have the skills to do this) and keep two pairs of two instead if they start to fight as the teen hormones kick in on the younger ones. Good luck whatever you end up doing tho :)
 
And what would happen if I ended up with singles? Would they all need separate cages?
 
Mj110 said:
And what would happen if I ended up with singles? Would they all need separate cages?
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Yeah they would if they all fell out. Its best to keep boars in pairs as the more piggies the higher the chances of fall outs and space is even more of an issue with boys. There's a ton of great info if you check through the main info threads in this forum.
 
Please really consider having two pairs. You can probably tell which ones may do well paired up. Their fights can lead to serious injury and death, and you really don’t want that.

On a side note, I didn’t consider the ramp as Chettsgenie suggested. Is it steep? Does it have sides?
 
Sorry to seem discouraging, but people who have tried having boars in more than a pair have mostly failed - it’s rare to hear about trios or quads succeeding. As they’ve only been together a month it’s ok. Out of curiosity, were they all together when you got them? Or you got them as pairs and put them all together?
 
Mj110 said:
Hello, I have 4 Boars. 2 are 3 years old and the other 2 are around 5months old. They get on really well, apart from the odd rumble strutting with the older guys. My problem/query is that they have a very very large double hutch but only seem to stay upstairs and mainly in their bedroom. I have only seen the rumble strutting in the bedroom so feel as though they are literally getting on top of each other in there. I had created another bedroom downstairs like the one upstairs and have made the downstairs just as fun, hiding places, food bowls, water etc but they don't seem to even go down there! What can I do to ensure they use all their space? Any advice would be appreciated!
Click to expand...

Welcome to the Forum
:wel:

It sounds like the problem may be your ramp.
Many guinea pigs just don't like ramps and often the ramps in commercial cages are simply too steep for them to manage confidently with the short legs.

The best way to encourage this is to make the ramp as long as possible, or reduce the incline, so they feel safe using it.
In most cases going down is scarier for a guinea pig than going up, so even if you put them downstairs and they go up, this does not mean they will go back down (trust me - I have tested this theory when one of mine went up a ramp and got stuck at the top!).

Some things to consider would be to cover the ramp with something grippy (rubber matting, and old piece of carpet, etc), to enclose the ramp in a ramp tunnel to make it feel less open, to add sides, and to reduce the incline by making it longer or raising it up on a block.

If you go to the top bar on this page and search 'ramps' you will get lots of good ideas.
Personally I like @Mother Hubbard set up shown in this thread.
New Bigger Cage, Piggie Refuses To Use Ramps. Need Advice.

If you can post a picture of your ramp I am sure other members will have lots of helpful suggestions, as many of us have been through the same thing with out own pigs. But at the end of the day some guinea pigs just won't use ramps.
 
Mj110 said:
And what would happen if I ended up with singles? Would they all need separate cages?
Click to expand...
Yes. I have seen it happen. They will never go back with any of them. And you would need to house all 4 separately. In my time in rescue I've only ever seen 1 successful trio of boars. They were a father and his 2 sons, but were very laid back piggies. (I've never met any others like them.) they went to live in an summer house with a massive run attached just for them.
 
Hi all, I have decided to take your advice and split them into pairs. After a long 24 hours of worry and guilt I now have 2 working pairs. The older ones seemed to have taken more of a liking to the baby ones each. Will this work out? My older two didn't seem as they were getting on as well as they did but my main priority was getting them into working pairs. Am I doing the right thing?
 
Yes you are doing the right thing, 2 pairs have a far better chance for harmony, 4 boars is a disaster waiting to happen unfortunately x Don’t feel quilty and enjoy your piggies x
 
Will they be ok together in those pairs, especially with their difference in ages? I'm worried about hormones etc
 
Hi and welcome. Unfortunately there are no guarantees, but you have a very good chance of the pairs working. The age difference is a bonus, as they won't be hitting the teenage stage at the same time.
 
You have done what’s best for your boys and that’s the important thing. Enjoy them 😁
 
Mj110 said:
Will they be ok together in those pairs, especially with their difference in ages? I'm worried about hormones etc
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Age doesn't seem to matter to piggies as much as mutual liking does. They have a better chance of making it through in a pair than they do in a quad.
 
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