Bonding advice needed

[klovesguins]

Unfortunately last night my oldest girl Olive peacefully passed away, I already miss her so much.
This leaves her sister Pepper alone, I gave her a soft toy last night and this morning she came over as normal for her breakfast and is eating and drinking. She is a shy, easily spooked pig due to where I rescued her from.

I have 2 other pigs, Peach and Pickle. they are currently paired up and get along well due to neither of them enjoying struggling or grooming other pigs. They leave each other alone for the most part, happily share a food bowl and eat hay together.

All 3 piggies are 5 & half years old and with their age and difference in personality, I'm wondering if bonding would be successful or too stressful for them? I'm very worried about Pepper getting scared. None of them are very active anymore, they do enjoy a run around the house during the day however!

One of my cages is the Ferplast 140. This would be big enough for the 3 of them, I was wondering if I could split this cage in some way so they could see each other if they can't be bonded?

Any advice would be really appreciated

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry for your loss

Even successful bondings are stressful but when it comes of bonding there is no way of knowing until you try - what shouldn’t work sometimes does and what should work sometimes doesn’t. Not snuggling and not grooming is not what makes them get on (most piggies won’t groom or snuggle), it is a mutual liking and compatibility - one is dominant and one is submissive.
However older bonded sows can be rather unwilling to allow anybody else into their pairing so you’d have to prepare that it may not work.

I’m afraid your cage is not big enough for three to live in together, and it is also not big enough to be split at all.

For three piggies together you need a cage of 180x60cm.
If they cannot be bonded, then the pair need the ferplast 140 to themselves. And Pepper needs a minimum of a 120x60cm cage to herself. The two cages need to be side by side.

 

[klovesguins]

I’m sorry for your loss

Even successful bondings are stressful but when it comes of bonding there is no way of knowing until you try - what shouldn’t work sometimes does and what should work sometimes doesn’t. Not snuggling and not grooming is not what makes them get on (most piggies won’t groom or snuggle), it is a mutual liking and compatibility - one is dominant and one is submissive.
However older bonded sows can be rather unwilling to allow anybody else into their pairing so you’d have to prepare that it may not work.

I’m afraid your cage is not big enough for three to live in together, and it is also not big enough to be split at all.

For three piggies together you need a cage of 180x60cm.
If they cannot be bonded, then the pair need the ferplast 140 to themselves. And Pepper needs a minimum of a 120x60cm cage to herself. The two cages need to be side by side.

Thank you for the quick reply and the advice! I've booked extra time of work to focus on this big change so hoping all goes well. At the same time, I'm not setting my expectations high as you've said about them possibly being unwilling and Peach is a very sassy character, I sense she will be the troublesome one!

I've also been reading some information on here regarding bonding so feel prepared to try it.