A new piggies

[Gail Lambert]

Hi sorry to be a pain. I was on here 6 months ago about my lovely Nibble, whom I worked very hard to save but lost him.
I now have Robin who is nearly 4 and alone. I would like other pigs and Robin needs others to talk to about pig stuff.
I would like to get him a lady but they would need to be spayed. Robin has not been neutered. I took him to the vet who feels he is In good health but I just feel he is a bit to old.

Should I consider getting two younger sows that I can have spayed. Or should I consider something else. I'd like guineas I think I'd like to have about or 4 but that might be a stretch. Please dont have a go at me, the sows is just a suggestion, i wont do any thing if it is deemed to be out rightly bad.

I just want Robin to ba happy.he has always been a quiet though.

Many Thanks
Gail Lambert
Fareham
Hampshire

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry for your loss.
Nobody is going to have a go at you - it’s lovely you are considering Robin’s needs.

Spaying sows is a major operation and really only done if there is a medical need to do so such as if she had ovarian cysts. It’s not routinely done to enable them to live with a boar. Your boy is not old and certainly not too old to be neutered, should you decide to do so.

To have a successful bond, the safest way to find a new friend for your boy is via dating at a rescue centre (although with restrictions at present it is proving difficult to do so). You would have to see is a centre had any spayed sows, they do not become available often though.
If you were to buy piggies from a pet shop, then there would be a risk that they might not bond, so you would need a plan for separate living arrangements. and of course they would be babies so would likely not be able to be spayed for many months even if a vet was happy to do so, so of course would need to be kept separate from him for quite some time. Although interaction through the bars is fine.

To that end, it depends on how much of a wait Robin can handle. The longest waits are going to be waiting for spayed sows to come up or, buying young sows and having them spayed. Both of those options could take months.
Neutering him means once his surgery is done, he would then need a six week wait to become infertile but could then be bonded with sows.
And of course bonding him with another boar can be done much much quicker - again, via dating is best to ensure compatibility But given he had already been a lone for a while, waiting might not be a viable option depending on how he is coping (it may be you need to take the risk with a pet shop boy).

Of course, cage size is the other consideration.

Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care

 

[Gail Lambert]

Thank you so much for your guidance.