Bonding Sows

[KatPig]

Hi guys.

Just after a bit of advice. I currently have 3 sows all around 12 weeks old and from the same litter so were already bonded when we got them.

I'm now considering getting a 4th sow that's about 6 weeks old.

Can anyone give me any tips on bonding? Will the other 3 get one with the new piggie?

Thanks

 

[Kerrie74]

@Wiebke is the one for this again lol. I can't give tips on sow bonding because I got mine and a four (one sadly passed away) so they were already bonded.

 

[KatPig]

@Wiebke is the one for this again lol. I can't give tips on sow bonding because I got mine and a four (one sadly passed away) so they were already bonded.

Thanks Kerrie74. I have found a beautiful texel sow and I really want to reserve her but I don't want to if there is likely to be issues with bonding.

 

[Kerrie74]

Np I know what you mean, would they let your sows meet her first to see how they get on?

 

[Wiebke]

Babies are generally well accepted, but you are bound to see some quite emphatic dominance behaviour, as she is firmly put in place at the bottom of the pecking order. It would happen to her too if she'd stayed on with her mum after the end of the nursing period.

I would still recommend to conduct intros on neutral ground, so the baby is less seen as an intruder.

Here is some information which you may find helpful:
Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow behaviour

Best of luck!

 

[KatPig]

Babies are generally well accepted, but you are bound to see some quite emphatic dominance behaviour, as she is firmly put in place at the bottom of the pecking order. It would happen to her too if she'd stayed on with her mum after the end of the nursing period.

I would still recommend to conduct intros on neutral ground, so the baby is less seen as an intruder.

Here is some information which you may find helpful:
Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow behaviour

Best of luck!

Thanks for the great advise. Now I just need to convince my husband!

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for the great advise. Now I just need to convince my husband!

Tell him that sow quartets function as a minigroup and are much less prone to outsider problems than trios. At that young age, there should hopefully not be any major issues.

 

[KatPig]

Managed to convince my husband and I've just reserved my beautiful new texel sow I'm picking her up on the 12th Sept. Yay! Thanks you for all of the advice.
I've read most of the bonding advice and know that I need to quarantine the new piggie for a while before I start the introductions.
I currently have an 8x2 c&c cage for my piggies, would it be better for me to use a completely separate large pet store cage during the quarantine period, or should I separate off an area of my c&c cage so they can see each other through the bars?