Does anyone know if my c&c cage is big enough?..please!

[Alison c]

Hi all I’ve had great advice from this fantastic forum in the past and if anyone can help I just need to know if my c&c cage is large enough for my boys I have 3 boys one is just over a year old and 2 are 14 weeks the cage is 7x2 with a 2x1 hayloft at each end they seem to love it and do plenty of popcorning and zoomies.
But I’m just a bit worried that it’s not big enough, as I know you have to give boys lots of space x thanks so much for all your help x

 

[Piggies&buns]

So it’s a good size for a boar pair (5x2 being recommended for a pair). However, attempting to keep three boys together is problematic in itself so whether the cage is going to be big enough for that is very hard to say - it may be ok but equally you may need to go bigger but due to the problems in attempting to keep three boys together, no amount of space may help if they don’t want to be together. A boar trio has a very high failure rate (90%) and the majority won’t make it to adulthood as a trio. Your youngest are just coming into their teenage months and this is where any problems are going to start to show. The link below explains.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

 

[Alison c]

So it’s a good size for a boar pair (5x2 being recommended for a pair). However, attempting to keep three boys together is problematic in itself so whether the cage is going to be big enough for that is very hard to say - it may be ok but equally you may need to go bigger but due to the problems in attempting to keep three boys together, no amount of space may help if they don’t want to be together. A boar trio has a very high failure rate (90%) and the majority won’t make it to adulthood as a trio. Your youngest are just coming into their teenage months and this is where any problems are going to start to show. The link below explains.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Thanks so much for your reply and the link it was very helpful so far there has been no problems or bickering everyone just runs around like they love each other they’re very odd piggies but I love them ...

 

[Alison c]

So it’s a good size for a boar pair (5x2 being recommended for a pair). However, attempting to keep three boys together is problematic in itself so whether the cage is going to be big enough for that is very hard to say - it may be ok but equally you may need to go bigger but due to the problems in attempting to keep three boys together, no amount of space may help if they don’t want to be together. A boar trio has a very high failure rate (90%) and the majority won’t make it to adulthood as a trio. Your youngest are just coming into their teenage months and this is where any problems are going to start to show. The link below explains.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Sorry me again just wondering when will I know if they’ll be ok together?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Sorry me again just wondering when will I know if they’ll be ok together?

They will need to make it out of their hormonal teens before you will have a better idea of what will happen. Their teenage months are from 4 to 14 months of age. I guess they will be around 18 weeks old now so you will start seeing dominance and the hormones starting to rise about now. So it is from now until they reach 14/15 months that are going to be the trickiest time. There are pronounced hormonal spikes within their teenage times that are roughly at 6 months and then again around 9/10 months. It was the 10 month spike that really saw tensions rise between my own boar pair. I had to carefully increase their cage size (changing cage size can create its own territory and dominance issues) to give them even more room to get away from each other and then things started to settle down.
The majority of boar trios won’t make it to adulthood together though and will need to be separated. Even after they hit adulthood and if they remain together that far, you are still always going to have to watch them and be prepared.

 

[Alison c]

They will need to make it out of their hormonal teens before you will have a better idea of what will happen. Their teenage months are from 4 to 14 months of age. I guess they will be around 18 weeks old now so you will start seeing dominance and the hormones starting to rise about now. So it is from now until they reach 14/15 months that are going to be the trickiest time. There are pronounced hormonal spikes within their teenage times that are roughly at 6 months and then again around 9/10 months. It was the 10 month spike that really saw tensions rise between my own boar pair. I had to carefully increase their cage size (changing cage size can create its own territory and dominance issues) to give them even more room to get away from each other and then things started to settle down.
The majority of boar trios won’t make it to adulthood together though and will need to be separated. Even after they hit adulthood and if they remain together that far, you are still always going to have to watch them and be prepared.

That’s great thanks very helpful....so far I have Made sure they have plenty of places to go hide, plenty of water bottles, food bowls and hay stacks so they don’t have to share things will work out x

 

[Claire W]

Fingers crossed that things work out for your trio

 

[Alison c]

Fingers crossed that things work out for your trio

Thanks I hope so but if not I’ve plenty of space to make the cage bigger or separate the boys not the best pic but this was the boys eating their hay this afternoon

 

[Piggies&buns]

Ensure you respect their hierarchy (handle the dominant piggy first), ensure all hideys have two exits (you don’t want a piggy to be able to be cornered by another). The general rule is don’t give boys any reason to argue!
Otherwise, I’ve got my fingers crossed for you! When a trio does work out, because it is such a rare thing, it is so lovely to see!
Keep us Posted!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m just cross referencing back to your other post regarding the new mum and baby you brought home and linking this in with the ‘don’t give boys any reason to argue’. If the boys smell a sow, it can cause them to fight, particularly given a trio is generally very unstable, being near a female is very likely cause a big fall out. Please ensure the males are nowhere within pheromone reach of the mum and baby. Mum and baby preferably being in a separate room.