Bonding Specifics?

[RomyAndMichelle]

Hi all,

I am arranging for a new piggy to join my recently bereaved pig this weekend. I have an idea of the bonding process but I wanted to ask a few things.

- How big does the neutral space need to be?

- How long should I keep and monitor them both in the neutral space for?

- After the first stint in the neutral space, do I then just go ahead and put the both in the main cage? Or do I need to keep them seperate and do several bonding periods in the neutral space?

- Once they're in the main cage together, do I need to spend time watching them there before they can be left alone?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ramia]

Try to have a neutral space of 5x2. My boys took about three hours to bond. If they both take a nap at the same time (not cuddle necessarily but sleep at the same time) and then wake up and they are still getting along, you can put them in the thoroughly cleaned cage together. Make sure it's really clean without the scent of your other pig.

They will not do well if you separate them after the bonding, so no. They will have to start all over if you separate them and then put them back together.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I personally like my bonding spaces to be the same size as their permanent cage. No hides in the bonding pen

They are in neutral territory for several hours - it can sometimes need to be overnight.

Bonding is a one time event. Once you put them together it is either success or failure there and then. You cannot separate after you put them together the very first time (unless the bonding fails).
Repeated meetings and separations is not how it is done. Bonding happens in stages throughout many hours (actually the whole process takes two weeks). If you separate, the process stops and they never get far enough into it. Every reintroduction means they start from the beginning again.

Once they are in the cage, bonding continues for two weeks. You don’t need to be watching like a hawk them at that point - you can go about your business. Don’t put them in the cage until you are sure they are ok

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,

I am arranging for a new piggy to join my recently bereaved pig this weekend. I have an idea of the bonding process but I wanted to ask a few things.

- How big does the neutral space need to be?

- How long should I keep and monitor them both in the neutral space for?

- After the first stint in the neutral space, do I then just go ahead and put the both in the main cage? Or do I need to keep them seperate and do several bonding periods in the neutral space?

- Once they're in the main cage together, do I need to spend time watching them there before they can be left alone?

Thanks in advance!

Hi

Please take the time to read our step by step bonding guide, which does cover the run up to the bonding as well as the 2 weeks after the introduction it takes to establish a new group fully in their territory. Most owners are not aware of the latter, nor the fact that guinea pig groups have a territorial component to the bonding or with fall-outs.

Personally, I prefer to leave my piggies in the bonding pen for longer (even overnight if there is no sign of aggression) to allow them to work through the worst of the hierarchy/group establishment on neutral. This makes for a much more peaceful move to the cage because they are much farther along in the bonding process and have hammered out the most important things by then.

With boars, I would recommend to wipe the shared new cage with something that carries both their scent so it claims 'joint territory' (a rag in the bonding area or that you wipe over both of them will do). It keeps the dominance related to the territory establishment lower. Make sure that there are no huts in the bonding pen; just a pile of hay and if needed, a sheet or blanket pegged over the bonding run, cage or area. In a pinch the shower or bathtub with towels will do for bonding.

Here is our bonding guide, which takes you through all stages of the bonding process but also through the specifics of boar bonding, everything with the attendant positive/negative key behaviours to look out for with pictures and videos.

Thread 'Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics'

Jan 23, 2019

1 Introduction
2 Pre-bonding
- Quarantine and sexing
- The need for a plan B
- The rule-breaker: Youngsters under 4 months (sub-teenage)
3 Setting up an introduction
- Getting to know each other
- ‘Buddy baths’ – why not
- Scent swapping - why not
- Setting up a neutral bonding area
- How to start the bonding
4 Acceptance phase: Do we like...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Behaviour, Bonds and Species Understanding

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