Can A Pig Be On Its Own When In Quarantine?

[bex's gpigs]

Hi there, first off I would like to apologize if this topic has been posted before, haven't found it, but likely.

I have 3 pigs (all sows) and am looking to expand the herd, I would like to rehome one when a sow is in need, however I know they can not be on there own as they can become depressed and ill as they are social animals. However having 5 pigs will be just too many as I have an indoor cage and a huge outdoor cage, 8ft outside just over 5ft inside, and 4 in a 5ft is pushing it in my opionion but they are mostly grazing outide.

Anyway, the question is when I bring the piggy home from the centre and put it in Quarantine for 2/3 weeks, will it be ok on its own in the indoor cage and outdoor, off course I will spend as much time with it as I can but there will be times I can not always be with it.

ps normally pigs are rehomed in pairs so am bit worried a girl on its own will be hard to find

Thanks x

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Hi there,

It does happen that you have to quarantine one piggy before joining a new group, so I think it's perfectly ok for the new piggy to have that transition period for the required time. I've done it myself with no effects on the piggy. You never can tell what piggies will come available for rehoming - so fingers crossed for you
x

 

[Wiebke]

Hiya!

Would you consider rehoming a neutered boar from one of our recommended rescues? Neutered boars are much easier to find, as this is a way of enabling single boars a happy future.

This will have the advantage that:
- all guinea pigs you adopt have already passed a mandatory quarantine at the rescue and don't need another one, as they are perfectly healthy, so you can keep them together straight away.
- our recommended rescues offer dating at the rescue under expert supervision, so your girls can choose who they want to get on with and you come home only with a new guinea pig if acceptance has happened.

It is by far the safest way of enlarging your herd. You will find that boar won't upset the existing sow hierarchy; he needs to get on with all sows in order to mate, so that absorbs actually a lot of the tensions. I have got four "husboars", each with his own group, and swear by them, whether they are dominant leaders or submissive diplomats. Guinea pigs are wired to live in sows groups with a boar, so you are very much working with their instincts.

There are several good rescues just outside London; it is well worth going the extra distance for a problem-free addition to your group. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/

 

[bex's gpigs]

Thanks Mother Hubbard,

Hiya!

Would you consider rehoming a neutered boar from one of our recommended rescues? Neutered boars are much easier to find, as this is a way of enabling single boars a happy future.

This will have the advantage that:
- all guinea pigs you adopt have already passed a mandatory quarantine at the rescue and don't need another one, as they are perfectly healthy, so you can keep them together straight away.
- our recommended rescues offer dating at the rescue under expert supervision, so your girls can choose who they want to get on with and you come home only with a new guinea pig if acceptance has happened.

It is by far the safest way of enlarging your herd. You will find that boar won't upset the existing sow hierarchy; he needs to get on with all sows in order to mate, so that absorbs actually a lot of the tensions. I have got four "husboars", each with his own group, and swear by them, whether they are dominant leaders or submissive diplomats. Guinea pigs are wired to live in sows groups with a boar, so you are very much working with their instincts.

There are several good rescues just outside London; it is well worth going the extra distance for a problem-free addition to your group. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/

Thank you very much I will definitely that this into consideration, you made excellent points I hadn't thought off! Just a quick Q as you might know, I don't really want the girls being harassed all the time by a humpy male lol, is this often a problem when a boar is with sows, I have never had a boar so unexperienced. Thanks again.

 

[Humfred]

Thanks Mother Hubbard,


Thank you very much I will definitely that this into consideration, you made excellent points I hadn't thought off! Just a quick Q as you might know, I don't really want the girls being harassed all the time by a humpy male lol, is this often a problem when a boar is with sows, I have never had a boar so unexperienced. Thanks again.

Don't mean to butt into the conversation, but my neutered boy never humps the girls. He did when they first met, but that as it

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks Mother Hubbard,


Thank you very much I will definitely that this into consideration, you made excellent points I hadn't thought off! Just a quick Q as you might know, I don't really want the girls being harassed all the time by a humpy male lol, is this often a problem when a boar is with sows, I have never had a boar so unexperienced. Thanks again.

Be aware that it is the girls who call the shots in a group, not a boar, especially not after the first few days of overexcitement! A boar cannot mate until a sow is sitting still for long enough and lets him mate. Usually it is the sows coming into season who will go up and stick with the boar, and there is only hanky panky during the crucial day or two. Things tend to calm down a lot as time goes on, and only a strong season will stir things up again. Then again, all the wild emotions especially during the first few stronger seasons serves to bond the boar into the group. the hanky panky also kind of soaks up the bitchiness that some sows can have when they are about to come into season.
An adult boar is usually less excitable than a sub-adult, but he may be more dominant, so it is worth dating to make sure that the chemistry between a boar and especially the top sow is there.

 

[bex's gpigs]

OK thanks guys great advice! I have never even considered a boar before! Much appreciated!

 

[Cute_Guineapigs]

I'm going through this at the moment with my baby boar. I'm intending to bond him with my single boar Charlie. He's from a breeder, who's setup was good and clean. He's in a separate cage in a separate room from the other guinea pigs. He's very quiet, eating veg but little else. He's hiding all day and only eating and coming out at night.

I'm wondering if I should just take the risk and bond him asap so he can settle quicker with a friend and hopefully Charlie's hay eating will rub off on him?

 

[Freela]

I've had pigs in quarantine before, making sure there was nothing communicable before making introductions. They were definitely happier once introduced, but none of them ever physically suffered by being alone for 2 weeks or so. I was always really wary of introducing a serious illness with a new addition, so felt it was the safer option, although if you're able to rescue they may handle the quarantine process for you before you bring your new pig home.