Bonding Advice Needed Please!

[missy]

Hi all,

I have 2 un-neutered lone boars (unable to live together due to failed bonding) and would really appreciate advice planning next moves please....


1. The older boar is just over 3 years old. Is he too old to attempt bonding him with a baby boar? Could such a big age gap cause a problem? As long as the 3 year old is fit and well (for his age), in theory should he be able to 'keep up' well enough with a much younger boar? (play and interacting etc)

2. The younger boar is coming up to 5 months old. Could he potentially be bonded with a baby boar now or could the small age gap be a problem, bearing in mind teenage hormones etc? Would it be better to wait a bit first before attempting to bond him with a new pig?

3. With 2 groups living in very close proximity, I'm guessing that it'd cause problems if one boar was paired up with another boar whilst the other with a sow? (if my younger boar got neutered.) I'm assuming that having a female nearby would probably stress out a pair of boars....is that correct?

4. As well as trying to decide what's best in terms of new companions for my 2 existing boars, I'm also currently planning a new C&C cage. Just wondering, should I let my existing boars settle into their new C&C cage first (when it's eventually built!) before I introduce each of them to their new companions........or would it help the bonding process more if I delay using the new cage until the new pigs arrive?

And would it be ok for the 2 sets of newly bonded pigs to be neighbours? (ie only separated by cage bars and able to see eachother, as opposed to living on different storeys)

5. And one last thing....as I'm looking to create 2 new pairings, would it be better to stagger introductions so one set is bonded before the other, or would it not really matter if both sets of introductions were done at the same time? (assuming that I could arrange for 2 new pigs to arrive around the same time!) I imagine simultaneously doing 2 different lots of introductions could work out very stressful for me but would it make any difference to the pigs themselves?


Sorry to go on but I'm reeeeeally keen for this to work as well as possible!

Thanks,
Missy x

 

[Wiebke]

Old age is not an impediment for bonding. However, if your older boar is a fairly laid back chap, you might perhaps think about him doing some dating with other laid back adult boars in a rescue within your reach before trying him with a youngster? Contrary to myths, you CAN bond two adult boars with compatible temperaments, and they have the advantage that the dratted hormones won't come into play and their bond is more stable for it.

I would first try and bond your older boar and then wait to see how that bond works out before tackling your hormonal youngster - it may be worth waiting until he is one year old. I would NOT try to bond him with a girl if he is to live next to girls! At least, if things do not work out, you won't be sitting there with 4 single boars...

I would be a good idea to put your newly bonded boars into a new cage - it will help if the territory is completely new for both.

Please think about rehoming from a rescue; you will get support during bonding at the rescue as well as during the settling in period and would be able to bring a piggy back if for some reason they would fall out.

Here is a list of reputable rescues in your area:
http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp#Buckinghamshire

Another rescue that I have heard warmly recommend on this forum is this one in Reading:
http://www.guineapigwelfare.org.uk/reading-guinea-pig-rescue/

Best of luck!

 

[missy]

Thanks Wiebke.

My youngster is from a rescue, intended to be a companion for Yossi (my 3 year old) but the bonding failed due to the dreaded hormones. The rescue was unable to take him back (due to the rescue owner's ill health) so I ended up keeping the little one with a view to trying another bonding for each of them later, increasing numbers to 2 pairings.

Obviously I don't want to potentially end up with more lone boars so I'm very nervous about trying again! Yossi is not that laid back but I guess there's still a chance that he could find a compatible adult boar. This finding new companions malarky is a very tricky business!