Benefits Of Introducing A Neutered Boar To 2 Sows

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coco&chanel

coco&chanel

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Hello,

I've been reading on here about people wanting a neutered boar for their sows. I was wondering what the benefit of this would be and whether it would be better than getting another sow?

I'm wondering this mainly out if curiosity but i am also toying with the idea of getting another pig to introduce to my 2 4 month old sows as I've seen how happy they are in groups of three.

Any advice?
 
coco&chanel said:
Hello,

I've been reading on here about people wanting a neutered boar for their sows. I was wondering what the benefit of this would be and whether it would be better than getting another sow?

I'm wondering this mainly out if curiosity but i am also toying with the idea of getting another pig to introduce to my 2 4 month old sows as I've seen how happy they are in groups of three.

Any advice?
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Trios are always the most difficult guinea pig constellation to get right, as you can easily end up with a 2+1 outsider scenario of some sort. if your two girls are best of friends, then a neutered boar is very much an option as he is a natural outsider because of his gender he is not going to upset the existing hierarchy. In my own experience, a boar soaks up a lot of the grumpiness when sows come into season. Ideally you let your girls choose him at a rescue that allows dating.

In the case of adding a third sow - I would rather recommend to adopt an already bonded pair of sows that are either older or younger, so the hierarchy between the two top sows is very clear and makes the merger much easier. This way, you avoid ending up with an outsider problem as the sows have already got a friend each.

Trios can work, but you have an equal or higher risk that they don't if the piggies cannot choose each other. I've had both - some brilliant trios and those that have bombed if two piggies got on much better.
 
Interesting!

Thanks so much for the information. I've never heard of a rescue where they can date, is this a common thing? And what does it involve? I don't want to unsettle my two as they're still young and a bit skittish.
 
I have an 8 month old boar and two sows. Emma is at least 4 years old and Ellen is 15 months old.

Emma and Ellen are now the best of friends after sadly losing their 3 year old neutered boar Enoch and nearly 4 year old sow Erika.

As friendly as Emma and Ellen were, they bickered quite a lot and would mount each other and rumble constantly.

Since neutered boar Edward has arrived two weeks ago, the rumbling and mounting between Emma and Ellen has stopped and they have welcomed Edward with open paws :)

I do consider myself lucky as although after having 3 sows in the past, I would recommend having two sows and a neutered boar rather than having 3 sows.
 
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:D I do agree that a neutered boar and two sows makes for a very peaceful, stable relationship. My late boar Clyde was neutered at a young age, so that he could live with his pig-wife Bonnie, who was spayed a few months before him, and older female Suzie. Suzie had to be spayed a couple of years later due to ovarian cysts. Whilst all three lived together, I never had one single problem. Clyde still rumble-strutted now and then, just to let the girls know who was boss!
 
I'm seriously considering getting a boar now! Will an age difference matter? And do they require any special care in comparison to a sow?
 
My 3, the boar is about 4, one of the sows is about 3-4 and the youngest sow is about 2. ;)
 
My sows are about 4 months and still very small. May be overprotective but will they get hurt?
 
I also have a neutered boar with 2 sows, and they all get on extremely well.
Eddi just tends to sit back and let the girls get on with it, and they both adore him.
He loves to rumble strut around (mostly to himself), and if there is any grumpiness it is most often between the 2 girls!
 
coco&chanel said:
I'm seriously considering getting a boar now! Will an age difference matter? And do they require any special care in comparison to a sow?
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:D An age difference should not make any difference in the relationship between boar and sows. Bonnie and Clyde were two years younger than Suzie when they met. A neutered boar does not need any more care than a sow, but an intact boar will need his bits cleaned every now and then, and maybe his anal sac expressed. A neutered boar will not hurt your two small girls, but an intact boar will try to mount them. Do you intend to get your females spayed? Or will you get a neutered boar? If you get an intact boar and have him "seen to", you must keep him away from the girls for at least SIX weeks.
 
I'm just going to look out for a neutered boar for adoption and see what happens. I'm not 100% yet just considering it. thank you for all your help it's been very useful☺
 
coco&chanel said:
Interesting!

Thanks so much for the information. I've never heard of a rescue where they can date, is this a common thing? And what does it involve? I don't want to unsettle my two as they're still young and a bit skittish.
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It very much depends on where you live. We have got a recommended good standard piggy savvy UK locator on the top bar; the majority of those rescues offer dating at the rescue, but not all of them have always neutered boars at the ready, so it is a bit of a potluck game. It is always better to see at the rescue whether your piggies get on with new ones, as you can avoid the issue of ending up with piggies that don't get on. When it comes to guinea pigs, mutual liking comes long before age! Our recommended rescues all practise a mandatory quarantine and pregnancy watch and rehome ony healthy piggies.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

You can add your country, state/province or UK county to your details by clicking on the top bar, then going to personal details and scrolling down to location. This helps us to always adjust any advice to what is possible where you are in terms of vet and rescue access, climate and brands straight away. We can give you a link to recommended rescues in some other countries if wished.
 
ive 20 piggies,5 groups of neutered boar and wives,all ages...its the personalities that are important to get the dynamics right.:agr: with Wiebke it is easier to go to a rescue if possible.ive a 4 year old boar and a 3 month old boar together,ive had the nip one another at the mouth,so i need to monitor them.Good Luck with your decision.:)
 
PS: I currently have got 5 "husboars" living with 1-5 sows each.
 
Wow, that's a lot of pigs to keep up with! I'm going to discuss the possibility of getting a boar with my partner tonight of he says yes then I'll be on the lookout for rescues
 
coco&chanel said:
Wow, that's a lot of pigs to keep up with! I'm going to discuss the possibility of getting a boar with my partner tonight of he says yes then I'll be on the lookout for rescues
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Please be aware that:
- anybody can call themselves a rescue without needing a licence (like breeders, too!), so it is very much an adopter beware game as to whether guinea pigs are cared for properly while in rescue. This is the reason why we are only listing the rescues that we can guarantee you are in safe hands. it is well worth going further afield for total peace of mind and a problem-free start into piggyhood.
- not every rescue will have neutered boars or offer bonding at the rescue. The RSPCA for instance mostly doesn't with the exception of one or two branches, but they are willing to take a guinea pig back if it doesn't work out (minus the adoption fee).
- the adoption fee for neutered boars vary; but in most rescues it just covers the cost of the operation and in many not even that!
 
Wiebke said:
Please be aware that:
- anybody can call themselves a rescue with needing a licence (like breeders, too!), so it is very much an adopter beware game as to whether guinea pigs are cared for properly while in rescue. This is the reason why we are only listing the rescues that we can guarantee you are in safe hands. it is well worth going further afield for total peace of mind and a problem-free start into piggyhood.
- not every rescue will have neutered boars or offer bonding at the rescue. The RSPCA for instance mostly doesn't with the exception of one or two branches, but they are willing to take a guinea pig back if it doesn't work out (minus the adoption fee).
- the adoption fee for neutered boars vary; but in most rescues it just covers the cost of the operation and in many not even that!
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Yes it costs us £80 to neuter a boar, we charge £30 adoption fee. A bargain l reckon!
 
I have a boar with five sows, oldest sow is about three , youngest is the very tiny Daisy-dot who went in with them at six week size (she must have been about three and a half months but that's a different story).They all get on brilliant and I'm so pleased I did it.
 
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