Bonding guinea pigs

[AmeliaUK]

Hi I am new to the guinea pig forum and need help with bonding my guinea pigs. (All males)




I have a guinea pig which was abandoned and so I took him in and he is quite underweight so just fattening him up a bit and making sure he is 100% well until I introduce them. Since I have 2 of my own I was thinking of maybe adding him to the group. I have bought a large hutch so its big enough for the 3 of them. Is it best to have little meets ups through the course of the week? Or just put them in a neutral area for the whole day and then put them in their new hutch? My two bonded pair have great personality's and i'm sure they will accept him into the group. My new guinea pig is quite shy and I think he will definitely be submissive. So what is the best way to introduce them? Do guinea pigs prefer to be in a pairs or in a trio?

thank you everyone x

 

[sport_billy]

Hello, Welcome to the forum

I am not experienced in bonding or boys So will point some experienced members your way, or hopefully one will pop up in the meantime. Trio of boys can be difficult so I hear. Do you have the space to add another hutch/cage with another boy and have 2 pairs?

 

[Guinea pig slave]

Hello and welcome p
Boars are best suited in pairs but it is not unknown for a trio to work - it's all down to personalities
Space is the key with boys, bigger is better and two of everything as they can be very territorial (my pairs of boys live in 5.5ft x 2.5ft C&C's and are extending soon)
I've never had other than 2 boys together purely based on peoples experiences, hormones rage and peak at around 4 months so even the strongest of pairs can fall out and you could potentially have three single boys
Could you consider another little boar as a friend instead so you would have two pairs of boys ? Dating is a great way of piggies choosing a friend and many rescues do this under strict supervision.
Personally, I wouldn't risk adding a third boy to a duo - my saying is 'don't break what is not broken'
Girls are a little easier to bond and live well in groups as does a neutered boy with a group of girls or a single one The dynamics can be great with the right piggies

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Great of you for taking in the poor guy and giving him a good home!

Please be aware that trios and even more so quartets are the most unstable combination of boars; they are much more likely to end up with an outsider problem of some kind or other (either one boy spoiling for a fight or two ganging up on the third) than a couple. It very much depends on the character combination being just right for it to work out; when it does, it is great, but your chances are realistically less than 50%. At worst, you can end up with three single boars that won't go back together.
May I ask how old your three boys are? That can also have quite an influence on the outcome. The fall-out rate for a subadult boar trio is around 90%.

If it is possible for you, I would strongly recommend considering to bond your new boy with a character compatible mate of his own. We have several good rescues in this country that offer some form of "boar dating" under expert supervision, which maximises your chances of finding exactly the right friend while minimising your risks of a fall-out down the line. You will also only come home with a new friend if there is success and have the rescue to fall back on in case you have trouble.
We can give you recommendations for the best rescues to turn to if you would give us your general area or add it to your details in settings (top of the page)/edit profile/location. With members from all over the world, the latter would save time in giving you any appropriate advice, links and recommendations straight away.

If you would prefer to try bonding your three boys before looking at alternatives, here are some information threads that may help you:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...FAQ-Introducing-and-reintroducing-guinea-pigs
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?28949-Boars!-Simple-Dominance-Displays-or-Fighting
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?76162-Boars-A-guide-to-successful-companionship
This is the residential boar dating blog of a rescue lady. It contains some videos and many descriptions of how she goes about bonding; also which behaviours signal a failure. It will also give you an idea of how crucial character compatibility is for success. http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?59233-Boar-Dating-Service-Wales