Bonding my mom and her female baby to 2 older bonded sisters

[Lsd3]

Hello,
I recently adopted 2 bonded sisters (Skye, Dolores 1year old) from a rescue, and 1 lone piggy (Lucy 5 months old) as well, in hopes of bonding this lone baby piggy to the older sisters. But this lone baby piggy gave us a surprise pregnancy a week after adopting her, so we kept her separate, She had 3 babies: 2 boys and 1 girl( Astro). We are separating the 2 boys from mom tmrw as they turn 3 weeks old. We will keep mom and baby girl together.

Now I have 2 bonded sisters in a separate cage (next to lone piggy mum and her babies). They sniff each other and smell each other all the time for the last 1.5 months. Now that nursing is over, I am thinking of bonding my mum (5 months old), her daughter (3 week old) to the bonded older sisters. I have a few questions:

1. While bonding in a neutral space: is it okay to introduce both girls (Lucy and Astro) to both ladies (Skye/Dolores) at the same time? OR should it be mum and one sister, and mom and another sister. then same with daughter. Or can I basically put them four together in a neutral safe open zone for the first time and watch what happens
2. When do I know it won't work: is it when there is blood drawn?
3. I am so hopeful, because both my mom and her daughter are under 6 months and pretty sweet babies, hopefully, there won't be an issue.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,
I recently adopted 2 bonded sisters (Skye, Dolores 1year old) from a rescue, and 1 lone piggy (Lucy 5 months old) as well, in hopes of bonding this lone baby piggy to the older sisters. But this lone baby piggy gave us a surprise pregnancy a week after adopting her, so we kept her separate, She had 3 babies: 2 boys and 1 girl( Astro). We are separating the 2 boys from mom tmrw as they turn 3 weeks old. We will keep mom and baby girl together.

Now I have 2 bonded sisters in a separate cage (next to lone piggy mum and her babies). They sniff each other and smell each other all the time for the last 1.5 months. Now that nursing is over, I am thinking of bonding my mum (5 months old), her daughter (3 week old) to the bonded older sisters. I have a few questions:

1. While bonding in a neutral space: is it okay to introduce both girls (Lucy and Astro) to both ladies (Skye/Dolores) at the same time? OR should it be mum and one sister, and mom and another sister. then same with daughter. Or can I basically put them four together in a neutral safe open zone for the first time and watch what happens
2. When do I know it won't work: is it when there is blood drawn?
3. I am so hopeful, because both my mom and her daughter are under 6 months and pretty sweet babies, hopefully, there won't be an issue.

Hi

Put them in all together and see what happens. Brace for the inevitable dominance which is at the very heart of establishing a working hierarchical group.
Sows usually don't fight (unless it is in defence); their equivalent of a fighting bite is a mouthful of fur.

Please take the time to carefully read the links below. They take you through the whole bonding process and all its various stages in great detail, including a list of how to spot when a bonding has failed at any stage. It is still the most detailed bonding guide around. Keep in mind that the bonding process is much more complex and takes a whole lot longer than you would imagine.

The first hours/day is just the introduction/acceptance, leadership evaluation and a very rough hierarchy. Please don't rush it and rather leave them overnight in the bonding pen if needed or separate if tensions are too high.
But the real group estalishment in their own territory happens in the following two weeks and can still fail at this stage if personal issues about leadership/ranking or a personality clash cannot be solved.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts) (this is for the follow up)

All the best. Your little mum may not like going from being the leader of her own family to bottom of the new group.