Age To Introduce

[KatieV]

So, as I posted in the Food forum, I picked up 2 little piggies yesterday. They will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. Their mother was sold separately before I inquired. Comparing them to pictures, I believe one is a female and the other male. Now I have to separate them ASAP. I knew it was a possibility.

I have an older boar that was rehomed to me last year. I believe he is 3 years old and has been living alone since his previous owners got him. He seems quite mellow, but I'm not sure if he's a dominant boar or not. I'll like to try to introduce the boys, but how old should the baby be before I try? He's about the size of a dwarf hamster right now.

I read the sticky about introductions. I've got a 4'x2' cage I'm setting up right now that I'll keep "guinea pig smell" free until introduction time. And - very exciting - my fleece fabric arrived today! I plan to sew cuddle sacks and caves for them.

 

[Briony_S]

Well as soon as quarentine is over you can give it a go older boars quite often will look after babies but introduce on neutral ground to start with and make sure you quaretine so your old chap doesnt catch anything the baby could have

stand watching with a towel handy incase you have to intervine

 

[Wiebke]

Generally, boars tend to be quite kind with babies. We recommend to put any male babies with a boar when they need to be separated from mummy if that is a possiblity. If it is possible, put the baby with another pig as soon as possible. If necessary, put both uncle pig and baby pig through quarantine; their need for companionship at that age is very great.

When you introduce baby boars to an older boar, you may want to put in a piggy sized soft humping toy and a small tunnel or a cardboard with two small exits that the baby can escape into if the uncle becomes too randy. Humping is usually the bigger problem with babies and not fighting. Here are our usual tips: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-reintroducing-guinea-pigs.38562/