Help! I think we made a mistake!

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lm451

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Myself and my partner are relatively new guinea pig owners. We own a neutered boar (6-8 months old)and 2 spayed sows. (18 months old) for about 4 months now.

We really wanted a 4th guinea pig to round out the herd. So today we adopted another boar.
We put them in the same room but not the same cage as we know they need to be introduced slowly (separated c&c compartments). Within 30 minutes or so the new young boar(approx 4 months old) and the current boar started biting at each other through the cage.
Concerned, I researched this behaviour and find that boars can not live together with sows.
So we are with a young boar isolated and removed from the same room. (Currently in a bit IKEA box with it's normal cage supplies)... Knowing they are social animals they like to be in the company of a herd. However, we don't know how to fix this. The new boar is completely stationary as it seems terrified.
We thought of the following...

1. Putting them together with the original plan as I seen this can be a personality thing and dominance can confirm hierarchy as seen post, articles of other doing this. (Not confident in this, seems too risky and irresponsible to be honest).

2. Adopt another boar and have 2 completely separate cages. (We are worried that we would have bonding issues for boars with the sows in the same room, as eventually they would need to be as we dont have the space)

3. Return the new boar (this is our last resort and we have never given up an animal before)

Any and all help will be appreciated 🙏

Thank you
 
lm451 said:
Myself and my partner are relatively new guinea pig owners. We own a neutered boar (6-8 months old)and 2 spayed sows. (18 months old) for about 4 months now.

We really wanted a 4th guinea pig to round out the herd. So today we adopted another boar.
We put them in the same room but not the same cage as we know they need to be introduced slowly (separated c&c compartments). Within 30 minutes or so the new young boar(approx 4 months old) and the current boar started biting at each other through the cage.
Concerned, I researched this behaviour and find that boars can not live together with sows.
So we are with a young boar isolated and removed from the same room. (Currently in a bit IKEA box with it's normal cage supplies)... Knowing they are social animals they like to be in the company of a herd. However, we don't know how to fix this. The new boar is completely stationary as it seems terrified.
We thought of the following...

1. Putting them together with the original plan as I seen this can be a personality thing and dominance can confirm hierarchy as seen post, articles of other doing this. (Not confident in this, seems too risky and irresponsible to be honest).

2. Adopt another boar and have 2 completely separate cages. (We are worried that we would have bonding issues for boars with the sows in the same room, as eventually they would need to be as we dont have the space)

3. Return the new boar (this is our last resort and we have never given up an animal before)

Any and all help will be appreciated 🙏

Thank you
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Two boars cannot live with two sows; it will lead to major issues and strife as your existing boar will see the new one as a rival trying to take over his wives and to push him out. It is the sows who will eventually side with one of the boars. In a setting without any option to remove themselves from the premises for the loser, this means fights.

However, what you can do is create two pairs by trying to introduce the under-sow currently living with your old boar to your new boar and see how they get on. You have the fall-back option of trying your second (leading) sow with your new boar if the first bonding doesn't come off. Acceptance is the big hurdle in any cross gender pair. Once that hurdle has jumped, they are the most stable of all bonds.
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

The two pairs can live in adjoining cages as long as you have only one boar per cage so they haven't got another boy to fall out with - this is at the core of the 'no boar pairs/groups' in a sow room. I have several sow groups with one neutered 'husboar' each living with just a divider in between each pen and have done so for over dozen years now. I have currently got 6 'husboars' living next door to each other, each with their wife or wives. You may want to cable tie any dividing grids and make sure that neither boy can jump or climb over or wiggle through the grids because that will mean war and fighting bites.
But they can live alternatively with a little safe distance in between or above each other or in separate rooms - whatever is most practical for your home.

I would however recommend that you keep the sow you are going to introduce next to your new boar in another room for a few days after the end of his 2 weeks quarantine (unless your new boar has been already quarantined before his arrival) so she is not refusing him because she wants to be back with her friends and to also keep them in the other room for several days after a successful bonding to help stabilise the new allegiance. Becoming First Lady of a new group of her own is a career step up and may help with acceptance. However, if the under-sow is very close with her current boar, then you may prefer to try the other sow first.
I usually give my piggies that have been shifted out of one group into a new bond the option to make their opinion known about a week into a new bond. If they are desperate to try and break back into their friends' cage, then the bonding has failed. If they totally ignore their old mates, then they are happy with their new mate/mates. Most are thankfully happy...

The other good news is that the bond with the old friends is not permanently broken and can be resumed even years later; especially when they can stay in loose contact. It has helped me with various 'pensioners' communes where the piggies in question knew each other from old but had lived in different groups in between for various reasons. As long as the break is not a full-on fall-out, most piggies will rebond - which means that you have the option for the sows to reunite in a trio if one of the boars dies first.

Please take the time to read the link below. You will find it very helpful. Be aware that the full bonding process takes around 2 weeks after the introduction until a new hierarchical group is fully settled in their new territory. Give the intro time on neutral territory; if necessary overnight. With cross gender pairings the bond can fail a few days into the post-intro dominance phase if the leadership question cannot be sorted amicably and the 'loser' refuses to give in. You will see a gradual hardening of the fronts.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

I hope that this help you? All the best. We are here for any questions and support.
 
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