Bonding older boar with two younger boars?

CarrieC

CarrieC

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Hi all,

I recently lost my guinea pig, Colin, who was 9 years old when he died. He has left behind his companion, 6 year old Edward, who I would like to bond with another piggy. I have successfully bonded boars before, generally one older boar with a much younger boar. I was looking at two younger boars (8-10 months) who are already bonded and wondering if there was any chance they could successfully bond with my older boar to form a trio? I've read some of the pages here about bonding and see that trios are very difficult, but would it make a difference that my lone pig is much older? Is there a chance or would it just be better to bond him with one other pig?

Thank you!
Carrie
 
I’m sorry for your loss.

No the chances of this working are almost non existent - only bond a boar with one other boar. The fact your piggy is older may help as his testosterone is lower but the other two are teenagers at height of hormones will certainly totally counteract his lower testosterone and still be just as likely cause huge fights.
You would run the risk of the bond between the current pair being broken by trying to put them with your boar, and while you may then be able to bond one of the single youngsters with your older boy, you would still end up with the other being a single piggy somewhere along the line, (at worst, three single piggies)

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
 
A younger boar can often be accepted but it does still come down to character compatibility between the two piggies. If you have the option of dating at a rescue centre to find a compatible character, then that is the safest option to not risk a failed on spec bonding.
 
I’m sorry for your loss of Colin. What a great age he was. Definitely bond with only one boar. I have a boar called Edward too. He’s 6 and a half and lives with my 3 sows. He’s neutered
 
What great ages - you must tell us how you do it!
Your other option would be to have the 2 boys as neighbours through the bars for your old man, if you have space for the enclosures. The future is uncertain for any of us but while lovely Edward could go on for years he might also be enjoying his swansong, which I'm sure you are considering 💕
 
Free Ranger said:
What great ages - you must tell us how you do it!
Your other option would be to have the 2 boys as neighbours through the bars for your old man, if you have space for the enclosures. The future is uncertain for any of us but while lovely Edward could go on for years he might also be enjoying his swansong, which I'm sure you are considering 💕
Click to expand...
Thank you! Well, Colin certainly loved his peppers! So copious amounts of pepper ;) I adopted him from my brother and his family who were keeping him on his own. He was very happy living with Edward and was only unwell a few days before passing away. I'd been expecting it for a while purely due to his age but it was - as it always is - devastating.

Yes, that is an option. The thing about Edward is he is very shy and his confidence seemed to come from being with another pig, so I feel like he is a pig that really needs a friend to live with. He doesn't appear depressed (he has been through this before when he lost his other friend, Oswald Pig) but he's very quiet and extra nervous without another piggy. Unfortunately he doesn't like cuddles so I'm finding it difficult to know how to comfort him.
 
Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, the more boar teenagers you have in a trio or quartet, the more unstable they will be and the higher the fall-out rate when the big hormones hit; even more so when they hit the same stages at the same time. Boar trio fall-outs is sadly one of the most common issues we are contact about in this section. It doesn't mean that there aren't functioning boar trios but that the risk of fall-outs is a lot higher than in pairs.
Key to any successful pairing is not so much age but mutual liking and a personality match. Two adult boars are for instance generally to bond if you can rescue date to find that all important personality match compared to teenagers or coming home with a baby of your own choice. Not all rescues will offer boar dating though but you will find lists of recommended rescues in the piggy sourcing guide below.

You may find these guide links here helpful for more practical in-depth information and advice in what you can do for your remaining boy.
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

PS: It would help us if you please added your country, state/province or UK county since rescue access varies enormously throughout the world and even the UK. Without this, we have to keep any advice and recommendations as general as possible to fit quite literally all over the globe. You can do this by clicking on your username on the top bar, then go to account details and location. This level of information will allow us to tailor any recommendations to what is relevant and available where you are but still protect your privacy.
 
So sorry you lost Colin, he was an amazing age
Hope you find a little friend for Edward, he sounds like he would love more company 😊
 
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