Baby Boar Question!

[Cookie16]

We have kept guinea pigs for ten years, but always girls! We got Alfie 2 weeks ago, he's around 10 weeks old. I'm amazed at how well he's settled, he's not nervous around us, the girls or even the dog sniffing round his cage! He comes and sniffs back!

The plan is for Alfie to be neutered and live with the girls. So at the moment I've got the cages next to each other, so they can smell and chat to each other. They have some time together each day when they mix, under strict supervision of course!

But Alfie is often desperate to get at the girls! He chews the bars and when he has floor time he runs round their cage squeaking! He doesn't do it constantly so he's not bored, he does settle.

My question is, is he lonely or is it his hormones making him want the girls company?!

I have to say, already we have noticed a lot of differences between girls and boys!

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Please don't give them floor time together! Piggy pregnancies can happen within seconds! Keep him in his own cage within earshot of your girls

 

[Cookie16]

Don't worry, no floor time! They just sit on our knee and usually one is in a pouch! Great contraception!

 

[Poppy'sMum]

It is still risky especially if you get distracted & also it is teasing him in a way as he is getting the urge to do what comes naturally That is why he is chewing the bars, it's frustration at not being able to get at them to mate @Wiebke as she can advise more on behaviour.

 

[Wiebke]

We have kept guinea pigs for ten years, but always girls! We got Alfie 2 weeks ago, he's around 10 weeks old. I'm amazed at how well he's settled, he's not nervous around us, the girls or even the dog sniffing round his cage! He comes and sniffs back!

The plan is for Alfie to be neutered and live with the girls. So at the moment I've got the cages next to each other, so they can smell and chat to each other. They have some time together each day when they mix, under strict supervision of course!

But Alfie is often desperate to get at the girls! He chews the bars and when he has floor time he runs round their cage squeaking! He doesn't do it constantly so he's not bored, he does settle.

My question is, is he lonely or is it his hormones making him want the girls company?!

I have to say, already we have noticed a lot of differences between girls and boys!

His gnawing is a mixture of both - the desire for company and to mate. You will notice an increase whenever one of the girls is in season.

Please do NOT mix unneutered boars and sows at any time; to make a sow in season pregnant it takes only seconds - much faster than you can react. We have dealt with the sorry results "safe mixing" in our pregnancy section.

It is no wonder that Alfie is so desperate to get at the girls all the time if he is allowed access to them; please consider that you are not doing him any favours, either. He will settle down much better if he separated at all times.