Adopting 3 Male Guinea Pigs!

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DM130120

Hello everyone I'm new here I am planning on adopting 3 baby guinea pigs. I have had guinea pigs in the past, sadly my two last guinea pigs passed away about 3 years ago :( Do you guys have any recommendations on preparing or just any stuff I need to know I have already done my research but I've only been experienced with female guinea pigs. Thank you guys so much!
 
Hello everyone just joined as you can tell, soon going to be adopting 3 male guinea pigs! Hope you guys have a good night and also hope that everything is going well!
 
Elsa Acevedo said:
Hello everyone just joined as you can tell, soon going to be adopting 3 male guinea pigs! Hope you guys have a good night and also hope that everything is going well!
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Hey welcome to the forum. Would seriously advise going for only two boars. Boar trios often end in fights as they get to around 6 months and rarely work... have a look all over the forum you will see lots of people joint for advice when their trios start fighting.
Sorry to bare bad news but better to know so you can make an informed choice
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. I agree with @sport_billy I haven't kept boars other than neutered ones with sows so no direct experience but have seen lots on here having issues. If you are adopting from a rescue make sure you ask lots of questions, especially if any of them are under the teenage months. If you do decide to go forward give as much space as possible well over the minimum requirements for the best chance of success
 
What if the trios are litter mates would that not change things. I am getting my piggies from a breeder
 
Elsa Acevedo said:
What if the trios are litter mates would that not change things. I am getting my piggies from a breeder
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To be honest litter mates would be worse than a trio from a reputable rescue. Piggies bond over personality not genetics. Even pairs of litter mates can soon fall out when the teenage months hit. A lot of rescues end up with males after purchases from pet shops and breeders where the bond isn't compatible enough to see them through the hormones. There are a few examples where trios have got along in the long term but sadly this does seem to be the exception rather than the norm.

Perhaps have a look at our rescue locator in the top bar on pc or via the drop down menu (3 bars in top left) on mobile/tablet. With these rescues you are guaranteed well bonded, quarantined, and vet checked piggies. You also have lifetime support from the rescue so someone you can speak to in case of any issues. All females will have been on pregnancy watch as well so no risk of taking in an accidentally pregnant sow.
 
Also be aware that space is very important with boars. They need at least 150x60cm cage/hutch, but the bigger you can go the better. And two of everything. So make sure you have the space before you think about taking boars on.

The breeder advised you incorrectly. As said it’s about personality matching and not whether they’re litter mates or cousins or whatever.
 
I’m afraid that our considerable experience on this forum and my personal experience working with a guinea pig rescue is that we would never recommend getting a trio of young boars. It’s just trouble waiting to happen. Of course you will read stories of boar groups that are successful. Please take some time to read the forum stories just search for boar trio and you will see there are far fewer success stories than there are failures. Breeders will tell you anything to sell their stock.
 
Elsa Acevedo said:
What if the trios are litter mates would that not change things. I am getting my piggies from a breeder
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I can only agree with the others. Boys need to be kept in pairs. Two will be fine living together but attempting to keep three boys together will lead to a lot of trouble - it may not happen immediately, but by the time they are 4-6 months of age, cracks will be starting and the vast majority of boar trios do not make it to adulthood as a trio.
 
Wannabe, New Owners & Childrens' Pets Guides

You will find the above guide useful.

Welcome to the forum. If you look on the green bar at the top of the page click on Guinea Pig Guides you will find lots of interesting information that will be a big help to you. I agree with the other's, three young boars are a recipie for disaster unfortunately.
 
Elsa Acevedo said:
What if the trios are litter mates would that not change things. I am getting my piggies from a breeder
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Hi and welcome!

Great that you are doing your research beforehand.

It is unfortunately a myth that brothers don't fall out; it all depends on their individual personality and the ideal balance of them if they want to make it together. That is about as often as people end up with three single boars. The majority of cases (and teenage boar trio problems are one of the issues we are most often contacted over) end up with either one dominant boar terrorising the other two, two boys ganging up on the third or two boys getting into a dominance dispute with the third trying to hold the peace.
Please take the time to read these two guides here. You will hopefully find them really helpful.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Cage Size Guide

Please also be aware that breeder and pet shop piggies don't usually have had much in the way of friendly human interaction and that they are not instant cuddly pets; they are a prey animal species very much in their own right.
Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents
Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Please also be aware that for sale piggies (shop or breeder) can come with some extra problems: What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
If you want to have a problem-free start, please consider adopting a bonded trio of sows or two sows and a neutered boar from a good standard rescue with mandatory quarantine/vet care, pregnancy watch, proper sexing and respect for character compatibility in their pairing up. They will also only rehome piggies that are used to human interaction to new owners. You can neatly avoid all the usual pitfalls that await the unwary that way and get a lot of extra service and support throughout the whole life of your adopted piggies!
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

Please note that younger children should at all times be supervised when interacting/handling or carrying guinea pigs and that any piggies will be in effect your own to look after and care for in the longer term once most children have lost interest.
This guide here looks in detail at all the practical aspects and challenges that long term pet ownership can bring with it. You may find it very helpful to take into consideration: Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents

Here are our full guide collections for Wannabe guinea pig owners and for new owners (the second specifically addresses all the practical aspects that new owners grapple with and helps them to learn to settle in, understand behaviour and learn what is normal and what not):
Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - A Guide
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
Thank you guys so much. When I was researching I understood that Guinea Pigs live in herds and that they should be housed in pairs of two or more, but again I am only experience with females. Do you guys have any suggestions for prepping anything that I could have missed etc. But again thank you all so much!
 
Elsa Acevedo said:
Thank you guys so much. When I was researching I understood that Guinea Pigs live in herds and that they should be housed in pairs of two or more, but again I am only experience with females. Do you guys have any suggestions for prepping anything that I could have missed etc. But again thank you all so much!
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Females can live in pairs or larger herds. Males can only live in pairs (three or more boys together and there will be fights).
The only way you can have a herd of males would be to form a large bachelor group, but you would need an exceptionally large space (of at least one square metre per piggy) and at least ten boys together to ensure no one piggy could get picked on. The link below explains.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
 
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