Addition of a third pig to a bonded female pair?

[Hayley_Bayley_Haybale]

Hi everyone! My two female piggies have been home with us for five months now and are doing really well. They are well bonded despite a week or two of dominance issues a couple of months in (I think this was when the younger of the pair was around 4 months old and going through some kind of hormonal shift?!?) Now that we are well in to the swing of things I am considering whether to add another little girl (or neutered boar) to our family. Could I get some opinions on whether this is a good idea and things I might need to consider? Financially I am confident that we can afford the extra food, hay, vet bills etc and I am prepared to do more spot cleaning. The current indoor cage is 1.8 m x 0.6 m (6 ft x 2 ft) but we have space to extend by another 30 cm to make it 2.1 m long which I think is big enough for three pigs? Could the addition of a third pig have a negative impact on my pair? Are there ways I could reduce the chance of this happening? I'd be happy to adopt an older pig in need of a home, but could see that a baby might be easier to bond. I've read some useful information here about quarantine of any new pig and we have a great vet who would check over any new addition before we introduce them to the pair. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! :-)

 

[Piggies&buns]

It will only work if the piggy you add is character compatible with your pair and they are willing to accept a newcomer. When adding a sow going for an option which doesn’t disrupt the current hierarchy can work best but there is no guarantee.
Adding a neutered boar can work better as they are not part of the sow hierarchy.

6ft x2ft (or a 5x2 c&c) is big enough for three piggies but adding additional space is never a bad thing!

The best way to add a new piggy is to go to a rescue centre and have them help you find a compatible piggy.
This also removes the need to quarantine - piggies from rescue centres will be healthy and confirmed as not pregnant.

If you were to get a new piggy from somewhere other than a reputable rescue, then you would need to quarantine if piggy is over four months of age, carry out the bonding yourself and have a plan B for separate cage if the bonding was to fail.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[Bill & Ted]

I hope you can find a good rescue that can help with bonding if you decide to increase your herd. A neutered boar does add an extra fun and lovely element to a pair of sows. But with any bonding, they have to like the candidate. I’ve heard three sows sometimes doesn’t always work that well, as there is often “the odd one out” so a neutered boar would probably be the best bet.
Obviously you need to consider vet costs into the equation and possibly a larger cage?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

As long as your two girls are good friends, then rescue dating a neutered boar will not put their bond under extra pressure and allow them to live acording to their species instincts, provided you have access to a rescue that has neutered boars and offers dating. The age of the boar is immaterial; more important is that initial acceptance happens. Fall-outs after that are extremely rare.
There are currently masses of no longer wanted boars in rescue; by giving one of them a new home and a good future, you will help with the current massive crisis between the big post-pandemic pet dump, the cost of living crisis and the fact that nobody - sadly - wants to adopt boys, only sows, even though boys are generally more personable and they (unlike sows) mellow with age. A cross gender bond is the most stable of constellations because it resembles most of what piggies are wired to live in. But it all depends on the initial acceptance, hence the rescue dating.

You can find a list of recommended rescues we can vouch for and more information about how dating works in this link here: Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs
The chapter about mixed pairs largely also applies to a 1 'husboar' and 2 sows constellation. What doesn't work is a third piggy (including a boar) to heal a dysfunctional bond. In a trio, a third piggy will eventually always side with one of them.
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

That is also the reason why I would recommend to consider adopting a pair of younger sows if you cannot get to a place with neutered boars. A quartet has group dynamics, unlike a trio, and as long as the new sows cannot challenge the existing group hierarchy and you have the space for a quartet, you can much more neatly avoid the outsider issue that plagues many trios in a variety of forms. A neutered boar is in some ways an institutional outsider, so he is naturally the ideal choice for expanding a pair of sows into a trio.

Personally, I am a great fan of my 'husboars' (i.e. neutered boars living with sows); they have generally the more appealing personalities but they allow me to enjoy the best of both genders in the safest of ways. I have and have had a whole succession of them in all shapes, sizes and ages and I have very often got a loving bond out of them.

PS: All the links to more helpful in-depth information and a lot more can be found in our New Owners practical and helpful information collection: Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection

 

[Hayley_Bayley_Haybale]

Thank you all so much for the responses and all of the helpful information and links, I hadn't really appreciated the risk of one pig being left out in a 3 female situation, so I'm glad that I'm aware of that now. I spent lots of time over the weekend reading through information here (and watching bonding videos on YouTube!) and I'm still quite undecided about whether to try to add more pigs to my pair. I live in Brazil, so unfortunately getting a guinea pig from a rescue with the option to date them isn't feasible as animal rescues don't really exist here (except for a few lucky cats and dogs). There are sooo many lone pigs on the equivalent of Craigslist/ Gumtree -many living in pretty terrible conditions (tiny cages, no evidence of hay etc) and I'd love to give one of them a good home. Taking this approach would definitely require a quarantine and vet visit and I would need to get any male neutered by my vet. I could keep a look out for a young pair of females but I expect they are mostly bought from pet shops and not re-homed until they are older. I guess my main concern now is that a bonding would fail and I would have put a male pig through a surgery only for him to end up living alone in a cage beside my females - though I suspect this would still be a better than the life he would have if I adopted him via an online ad. Not an easy decision at all but I'll let you know if I do find a male in need of a home :-)

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you all so much for the responses and all of the helpful information and links, I hadn't really appreciated the risk of one pig being left out in a 3 female situation, so I'm glad that I'm aware of that now. I spent lots of time over the weekend reading through information here (and watching bonding videos on YouTube!) and I'm still quite undecided about whether to try to add more pigs to my pair. I live in Brazil, so unfortunately getting a guinea pig from a rescue with the option to date them isn't feasible as animal rescues don't really exist here (except for a few lucky cats and dogs). There are sooo many lone pigs on the equivalent of Craigslist/ Gumtree -many living in pretty terrible conditions (tiny cages, no evidence of hay etc) and I'd love to give one of them a good home. Taking this approach would definitely require a quarantine and vet visit and I would need to get any male neutered by my vet. I could keep a look out for a young pair of females but I expect they are mostly bought from pet shops and not re-homed until they are older. I guess my main concern now is that a bonding would fail and I would have put a male pig through a surgery only for him to end up living alone in a cage beside my females - though I suspect this would still be a better than the life he would have if I adopted him via an online ad. Not an easy decision at all but I'll let you know if I do find a male in need of a home :-)

Hi
Sorry, I didn't see that you were in Brazil! Most vets won't have the experience with small rodents (which are classed as exotics and do not feature much on a vet's curriculum; so it is not something I would want to risk, either.

If you would really love to give unwanted guinea pigs a new home, would it be worth thinking about a second cage and keeping a second pair of sows next or above to your bonded pair in the long term?
This means that you can do something for a pair of unwanted piggies (and that is a wonderful sentiment) but without risking anything with your existing pair and without the need to bond anypig, so age wouldn't be an issue.

A single full (i.e. not neutered) boar can also work as long as he has not any chance at all to ever get out of his cage (jumping, climbing or wiggling through grids - and boars can be amazingly athletic and determined when sows are in season) because he has nobody to fall out with and he will be very happy to rumble-strut and woo the ladies through the bars.
What does not work is a pair of boars next to sows; the pheromones when sows come into season can quickly cause fights and fall-outs.

We can help you with initial sexing, just to make sure, and can help you with practical advice if you wish to.
We are also here to bounce ideas around so you can work out what is best for you in your own situation.

 

[Hayley_Bayley_Haybale]

That last bit of my previous post didn't make much sense I meant that any male I adopted via an online ad who ultimately ended up living alone but beside my females would probably have a better life with us, even alone, than he did before.

 

[Hayley_Bayley_Haybale]

Hi
Sorry, I didn't see that you were in Brazil! Most vets won't have the experience with small rodents (which are classed as exotics and do not feature much on a vet's curriculum; so it is not something I would want to risk, either.

If you would really love to give unwanted guinea pigs a new home, would it be worth thinking about a second cage and keeping a second pair of sows next or above to your bonded pair in the long term?
This means that you can do something for a pair of unwanted piggies (and that is a wonderful sentiment) but without risking anything with your existing pair and without the need to bond anypig, so age wouldn't be an issue.

A single full (i.e. not neutered) boar can also work as long as he has not any chance at all to ever get out of his cage (jumping, climbing or wiggling through grids - and boars can be amazingly athletic and determined when sows are in season) because he has nobody to fall out with and he will be very happy to rumble-strut and woo the ladies through the bars.
What does not work is a pair of boars next to sows; the pheromones when sows come into season can quickly cause fights and fall-outs.

We can help you with initial sexing, just to make sure, and can help you with practical advice if you wish to.
We are also here to bounce ideas around so you can work out what is best for you in your own situation.

Thank you so much again! I could fit a second c&c cage beside my existing one in an L shape which would allow me to bring in a male, or another female pair if I find the right ones in need of a home. It sounds as though this could be the best option to avoid any bonding going wrong. I'm not going to rush it but will definitely check in for more support if/when needed.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much again! I could fit a second c&c cage beside my existing one in an L shape which would allow me to bring in a male, or another female pair if I find the right ones in need of a home. It sounds as though this could be the best option to avoid any bonding going wrong. I'm not going to rush it but will definitely check in for more support if/when needed.

If you opt for a boar, make sure that the dividing grids are cable-tied and that there are also grids over the top by the divider to prevent any unplanned accidents after the initial quarantine at a distance.

Take your time; you are in the comfortable position of to not having to deal with a situation and can set things up/think through how you want to organise them.
You will sooner (rather than later) come across the piggy or pair that are meant for you, I promise you! you and your heart will know immediately when that happens.

 

[Hayley_Bayley_Haybale]

If you opt for a boar, make sure that the dividing grids are cable-tied and that there are also grids over the top by the divider to prevent any unplanned accidents after the initial quarantine at a distance.

Take your time; you are in the comfortable position of to not having to deal with a situation and can set things up/think through how you want to organise them.
You will sooner (rather than later) come across the piggy or pair that are meant for you, I promise you! you and your heart will know immediately when that happens.

I think I'm going to order some more cage building materials so that if I see the right pig/s for us I'll be prepared to get them and quarantine in a separate room to avoid them staying in whatever their current situation is for longer than necessary. Once the quarantine is over I'll be sure to share some cage set-up photos before moving them in to the same room, particularly if we take on a single boar so that I can get some feedback on whether a boy will be able to get in to my two girls. Grids over the top is a great suggestion, thank you!

 

[Bill & Ted]

Good luck! I think it lovely that you are looking to give a single boar or pair of girls a lovely home