Bonding 6 month old boar with new pig

[piggy_smalls]

Hello all!

I got two boars back in February. We were told they were 8-10 weeks old but unfortunately, I think the seller told us a porkie. It was evident as the weeks went on that one was perhaps older than the other and he grew rapidly whereas the other was much, much smaller. Consequently the bigger pig took over dominance and sadly became a bully.

Things escalated and unfortunately one night bully pig decided he would end things once and for all and attacked smaller pig, tearing his ear in the process. I separated them immediately but unfortunately, the bond was broken. Little pig absolutely thrived after that, and it was clear he'd been bullied more extensively than we thought. He started popcorning and zooming around, finally put a load of weight on and basically just came out of his shell. Please don't judge me, but ultimately I had to rehome bully pig as I just did not have the capacity for two appropriately sized cages side by side, otherwise he would have stayed with us.

Fast forward to now and little pig has been steadily putting on weight and enjoying the single life for a while, but I think it's time for a friend. I know bonding with another boar isn't impossible but he's still a very small pig. I'm super worried about bonding him as he didn't really stand up for himself with his previous cage mate.

As he is 6 months old now, do you think it's safe to get another pig about the same age, or maybe look for an older boy? I hear that getting an older pig a baby often works, but is 6 months too young to do this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all!

I got two boars back in February. We were told they were 8-10 weeks old but unfortunately, I think the seller told us a porkie. It was evident as the weeks went on that one was perhaps older than the other and he grew rapidly whereas the other was much, much smaller. Consequently the bigger pig took over dominance and sadly became a bully.

Things escalated and unfortunately one night bully pig decided he would end things once and for all and attacked smaller pig, tearing his ear in the process. I separated them immediately but unfortunately, the bond was broken. Little pig absolutely thrived after that, and it was clear he'd been bullied more extensively than we thought. He started popcorning and zooming around, finally put a load of weight on and basically just came out of his shell. Please don't judge me, but ultimately I had to rehome bully pig as I just did not have the capacity for two appropriately sized cages side by side, otherwise he would have stayed with us.

Fast forward to now and little pig has been steadily putting on weight and enjoying the single life for a while, but I think it's time for a friend. I know bonding with another boar isn't impossible but he's still a very small pig. I'm super worried about bonding him as he didn't really stand up for himself with his previous cage mate.

As he is 6 months old now, do you think it's safe to get another pig about the same age, or maybe look for an older boy? I hear that getting an older pig a baby often works, but is 6 months too young to do this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi and welcome

I would recommend to contact Cavy Corner rescue in Doncaster so you can find a personality match; it's your closest good welfare standard guinea pig rescue.

Please be aware that bullied piggies can often be either be very afraid of others or act as bullies themselves when meeting new piggies as a result of their experience so the possibility to test the water before you commit would be valuable. 6 months is the age when boars at the life long peak of their testosterone output.

Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs
Guinea-pig-forum-recommended-rescues

 

[piggy_smalls]

Thank you so much for this reply. I have contacted the rescue.

And also thank you for the info on hormones. I was sort of thinking he would have another burst of hormones at some point but if this is his max, then that's good to know!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for this reply. I have contacted the rescue.

And also thank you for the info on hormones. I was sort of thinking he would have another burst of hormones at some point but if this is his max, then that's good to know!

Hi

You can find out more about boars and how teenage runs in different phases in these very practical and helpful guides here:
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours

They are all part of our New Owners practical information collection into which literally tens and tens of thousands of questions over the coming to up 20 years of this forum and the up to half a century's worth of personal owner experience have gone into. The guides have been made as precise and practical as possible as we are well aware that it is all too often the little things that throw new owners. You may want to bookmark the link, browse read nd re-read at need as you will pick up on different things at different levels of experience. We are finding that the online guides format works best for us since we can update and add at need.
Here is th link: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners