Couldn't Say No!

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lisaali said:
Have a look at our bonding Section there are loads of guides to help you like the one below..

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/

Lisa & Ali..
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Okay I've read it, but I'm still confused. Should I let them have floor time together a few times and then put them back in their own sides or if things seem okay put them all together in a clean cage? After they have had a couple hours together on a neutral area?

Angela
 
I can't say what is the right thing to do but I can say what we did. Bonding with sows is, I think, different from what you do with boars. We introduced our new girl (when we went from 2-3 piggies) outside in a run on the grass - I know you have humidity issues which make you not keen on putting them on the grass but don't worry anywhere neutral will do. Floor in a different room of your house from usual?

I put them all in together, the sorting out dominant order took a few minutes then they all settled down. I watched them for an hour, then as all was well left them for a short while. I cleaned out their cage and rearranged it then put them all in together. That was it. They have lived together ever since (now with a 4th but not because I had any issues with them as a trio). No need for repeat short introductions.

However, if you are keeping them apart with the divider as the best quarantine you can manage then I would think you ought to not put them together at all without a divider until that quarantine period is over. By having them close during the quarantine you will helping with the bonding process anyway and from what you've said it sounds like it should go well when they are all together.

Congratulations by the way Nessie looks beautiful!
 
Thank you that's what I needed for an answer. Now should I put Nessie in first and then put the other two In or do them one at a time? They have been in the cage with a divider about 2 days now. Should I do that for longer? Or is that enough. Nessie doesn't go to divider too often she has and was biting at it like she wanted in.
Thank you so much :)
 
I don't really know anything about the quarantine stuff. If having a divider in is enough for effective quarantine, then I would say keep them like that for the 2-3 weeks @Wiebke was recommending.

Biting at the bars can be a sign that she'd like to join the others and that might pull at your heart strings but in the long run it would be better to suffer that for a few weeks than have the other two catch an unknown illness which could have much longer term effects.

If you are just using the divider for starting binding rather than quarantine, then I think a couple of days like that is probably enough before a closer introduction.
 
KittyandNancy said:
Okay I've read it, but I'm still confused. Should I let them have floor time together a few times and then put them back in their own sides or if things seem okay put them all together in a clean cage? After they have had a couple hours together on a neutral area?

Angela
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Let them either meet pre-fully-committed-intro through grids or commit fully to an introduction! Once they are together, they will start working through the bonding protocol and every separation is basically an abortion of that protocol! Highly irritating and counterproductive for the piggies when they are not allowed to get on with finding out whether they like each other or not and where in the hierarchy they come!

Imagine yourself meeting your potential Mr. Right through prison bars in a supervised visitor cell for half an hour once a week... ;)
 
Wiebke said:
Let them either meet pre-fully-committed intro through grids or commit fully to an indroduction! Once they are together, they will start working through the bonding protocol and every separation is basically an abortion of that protocol! Highly irritating and counterproductive for the piggies when they are not allowed to get on with finding out whether they like each other or not and where in the hierarchy they come!

Imagine yourself meeting Mr. Right through prison bars in a supervised visitor cell for half an hours once a week... ;)
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Hi and thanks, so if they have been meeting between the bars for a few days should I go ahead and try to put them together on neutral ground and see what happens?

Sorry this piggy stuff is complicated to say the least lol. I just don't want to do something wrong during introduction.
 
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KittyandNancy said:
Hi and thanks, so if they have been meeting between the bars for a few days should I go ahead and try to put them together on neutral ground and see what happens?
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Yes; 1-2 days after the end of quarantine will be enough as your new piggy will have had a chance to settle into her new home. It is a good sign if the two eat at the same time and sleep near to each other. Don't proceed of there are signs of hostilities like teeth chattering. Bar gnawing is likely to be par for the course as they want to meet.
 
Ok I haven't heard any chattering. Nessie takes her vegies out of the bowl and into her hidey to eat. Would it be a good idea to block off the one loft for a time? I think Kitty thinks that's her area. I have 3 of everything so I can have one water bottle and food bowl in the loft and two on the bottom and then two litters and two hay areas on the bottom.

Were going to do the neutral area intro later today when I have time to be there and clean the cage all out.

Thanks for the help everyone.
 
I would block off the loft, as it is one of the areas that cold spark trouble. Just put a little tray with hay (can be even some newspaper with hay on) downstairs, so it doesn't matter if there are chases through it at first.

Transfer the girls to the cage ideally once they have run out of steam in the neutral area and have had a rest or a nap.

Expect the new top piggy to throw her weight around quite a bit for the first 2 weeks or so. Not pretty to watch, but as long as there are no highly aggressive signs, it has to be sat out. ;)
 
Still hasn't noticed or just hasn't said anything lol. I think he would if he noticed. I got worried though she was running laps and pop Corning on her side lol. He will be at work all day tomorrow so that's when the intro will happen. :D

Angela
 
Thanks me too, but I'm nervous about it. I held Nessie and then Nancy and she just licked my fingers.
 
Awww :) I know I was extremely nervous when I first introduced my trio. Especially with them being boars, I already made up my mind that it was impossible!

But they proved me wrong! I guess you'll just never know until you try :)
 
Okay, so far so good! It's been about 20 min. No teeth chattering or anything, Nessie did try to mount Kitty and every time she gets near Nancy's butt she squirts wee, but Nancy does that all the time to Kitty . Nancy snapped at her a little bit, but nothing serious yet. I think nancy is protecting her second in command spot, they're eating vegies together and just some bum sniffing. So does this sound good like she has been accepted?
 
Okay so the intro went well. I have cleaned out the cage and rearranged it and add three cardboard box hideys all with two exits and two hay trays. I think after a few days I will put the hay bags back in, but thought this would be best at first so they wouldn't fight over who is at the bag.

There has been no teeth chattering, rumbling ect. A little bit of chasing but that is to be expected right? And what I stated in the post before this one.

My three little pigs lol.
image.webp
 
Nope not yet, well he hasn't said anything yet lol lol. I think he would if he noticed there were 3, like OMG you got another one!


So @Wiebke when can I relax about them being together?!? So far so good, I haven't seen anything I would call aggressive yet.

Thanks in advance,
Angela
 
I won't pretend to be @Wiebke but I'd say you can relax now. Dynamics I suppose might change at any point as they grow up (as with any group) so you should always check them all for signs of any injury etc regularly.
 
It sounds like a very smooth intro; I would stop worrying. You will see dominance behaviours like chasing, chucking underpigs out of hideys or food bowls etc. in the next few days, but that is perfectly normal for establishing a hierarchy, first between #1 and #2 and then between #2 and #3. Initial acceptance has happened very easily, so there shouldn't be any major upsets.
 
Yay! Thanks so much. I have noticed Kitty licking Nessie's ear. Nancy not so much lol. I don't I have ever seen her lick Nancy's ear.

When would it be safe to let them have the loft back? Maybe another week?
 
KittyandNancy said:
Yay! Thanks so much. I have noticed Kitty licking Nessie's ear. Nancy not so much lol. I don't I have ever seen her lick Nancy's ear.

When would it be safe to let them have the loft back? Maybe another week?
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Ear licking is called power grooming. It translates as "I like you to become a member of the group I am leading"; it is the most friendly form of dominance and a clear sign of acceptance.

I would let them have the use of the whole cage as you intend it with all hideys and hay loft etc.; they are not going to fall out after this!
 
So you don't think that Nancy could possibly go after Nessie? She seems to be the one that is less thrilled with her arrival lol, or would Kitty put her in her place if she did?

Awesome thank you so much for the help and reassurance.

Angela
 
You will still see the dominance go down the ladder, but generally once a group member has been accepted by the top sow, all you will see is normal dominance until the small print is sorted to each girl's satisfaction; this includes chucking an underpiggy out of prime property to make clear that a higher ranked girl has first claim.
 
They're all SO cute! :love: If in the future they started to get snippy with each other and you thought of making 3 into 4 it would be worth considering a neutered boar - when we lost Rocket the girls were quite catty with each other but bringing Eddie in calmed things down again.
 
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