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
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