HELP! Scrapping Brothers - Advice Please

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Jillybean

I've got 3 7 month old brothers - Teddy, Jacob & Harvey. Up to now they've got on fairly well, they have a big pen and lots of hidey places, they live inside. There's been some rumbling and strutting around from which I've been able to tell that Jacob is the dominant one, then Harvey and Teddy just runs away. Last night I could hear all sorts of dominant noises and this morning Harvey has a split lip which I assume was Jacob, unless he's knocked it on something when running away which is probably unlikely. At the moment they're all eating grass together but Jacob still chasing the other 2 a little. Harvey will go to the vets later for a check.

I'm really loath to split them up as once I do it I don't think I'll get them back together. I have 5 girls also so could have one male neutered and hope that he'll mix in with them (I'm OK on the procedure to do this as I've been taking in unwanted guineas into a small herd for about 10 years so know I have to do it gradually etc). I I really don't want to do this because of the risk with an operation but if it's the only option, I will.

Advice please from those who've gone through this! What are your experiences - should I have split them up already (can easily separate the pen into 2) and who gets 'done'? Would it be Harvey as the middle one?

Thanks everyone :). I will look on the Barmy 4 Boars site later which I know is excellent but I'd really like some advice here please. These are the first males I've had so not experienced on this.
 
I have 3 boar brothers they are young and live happily together atm but I would def take one out if that changed and have him neutered and get him a lady or 2. It is such a hard thing to decide but if it were me I would leave the 2 that get on the most and take out the one who doesnt 'fit in'. I also have 1 male with 5 girls and he is just fine and they adore him but that was a slow process but was worth it! If the risk of the op is too big then what about pairing him with another male or getting him a spade female? Let us know what you decide!
 
Are the males in the same room as the females? This could be the problem...

In all honesty I wouldnt seperate them, as I dont think they will be rebonded but keep an eye firmly on them, just in case anything further does happen.

Do they have enough space? 3 or 4 hidey holes, 3 food bowls etc etc....

I would not split them unless I absolutely had to....

If it does all go boobies up, getting him neutered and in with the girls shouldnt be a problem O0 I am all for neutering if it helps them to have a better quality of life :)
 
If you seperate them take the aggressor out (Jacob, I think :) ). If they were mine yes I would seperate into a pair and get the other castrated if (and only if) you have a good guinea surgeon nearby.
 
I really don't know what to do. Harvey has had a whiff of gas to remove the skin which was hanging off. I'm going to put him in a separate bit of the cage because I can't risk Jacob going for him while he's dopy. The vet said they should be separated permanently but it's not my usual vet and you are going to know more about this side of things. I do trust my usual vet.

They have 3 food bowls etc and loads of hidey places. The girls are in the next room at the moment so they've probably smelt each other but they've always been able to smell each other once a day from when they were tiny as they came into the next room for a run. This is just a temporary thing while their room is decorated upstairs (one lot upstairs, one down).

Do you both agree that Jacob should be the one that is neutered (he's the aggressive one). I was going to separate him anyway. If I'm going to get him neutered I could separate him now until he's done? Will he not attack the girls or is it just a male thing?

Thanks both for your advice, really appreciated :). Sorry if it's garbled, I've started a new job this week and am really stressed anyway so I'm not making sense a lot at the moment.
 
Told you I wasn't with it ... just realised that Dazie replied also - there's me saying 'both' through my e-mail. I mean 'all' of you! Dazie - I can't have any more guineas, I'm at my limit now. At the moment they've all had great quality lives with loads of space etc but with all the cleaning out and vets bills, I must draw the line at this.
 
AAARRGH. Still got it wrong. I'm going to separate Jacob out now - if it's likely that he'll be the one moved out anyway. Teddy, my gentle one, won't go for Harvey in his delicate state.

I think I need a bigger glass of wine ....
 
Hmmm I dont know....the most dominant piggy being removed could mean he could have disputes with your sows, and then the two remaining boars may fight for dominance....

Is there a more dominant piggy, and one that easily backs down? If so, I would keep these two together, and neuter the third (if that makes sense) :)
 
Jacob is the most dominant, Teddy is very placid and Harvey is in the middle. What you're suggesting is what I thought of doing to start with - taking out Harvey, to leave a dominant and non-dominant one.

I'm still in a dilemma. I've split the pen and put Jacob in one side and Harvey with Teddy in the other. I thought Harvey would be dopy from the gas but he's not had much and is acting normal. They were all very keen to sniff each other through the bars so I've taken the partition down and they're all mingling. I'll keep an eye on them tonight but think I'll have to separate them overnight. Harvey's split lip happened in the early hours so that's when I think they're active. Trouble is if I separate them overnight, will that mean problems in the morning.

Oh God. This is a nightmare!
 
I would take J out and leave the other as a pair.

I had one boar that hounded a sow but got on with the others (took her out eventually), sometimes a sow will attack a boar, but you could give him his own sow or sows that get on with him, in time they may all get on maybe even at first :) All intros regardless of gender can take time :)
 
Yes I think Jacob has to come out. They're all in together now and there's the odd rumble and chase, Jacob is quite possessive over the 'best' bits of the pen. I could try leaving them all together but it's not worth the risk. I don't think Jacob will back down. He will either have to live next door permanently or be neutered and go in with the girls. That's a good idea that he could have his own sow. I could suss out which one/s he seems to get on with best. I know it can take time introducing them, so far with my girls it's taken anything up to about 3 weeks or so, so I can do it gradually.

If I do go ahead with the operation, presumably I just keep Jacob next to his brothers in the separate pen until he's sterile? (I'll have to look into this more, but I know it's a few weeks).

I've read that the neutering doesn't change their behaviour but presumably it lessens their sexual urges or do they usually still persist to try and mate?

Thank you. Off to get Jacob out now for a cuddle. Feel sorry for him even though he started it! I feel so sad that they're only acting out their natural behaviour but that they don't live in natural surroundings, ie they've not got a mate. Makes me feel cruel but there's no way I'll breed.
 
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