I do not know what to do.

[laceypigalicous]

About one month ago my hamster sadly passed away and my sister decided to get guinea pigs instead this time. There were originally 3 at the pet store together (all males), but I could only get 2 so I bought two of them and then 2 weeks later we came back to get the third one who was then by himself. They do live in a very large cage (an XL dog crate that is 11 square feet) and many hideouts and toys. After first they all got along and seemed happy to be together again, but now the new guy keeps trying to mount both of his brothers, he is very aggressive with them, and I constantly find him tumbling around the cage with one of his brothers. I have not found any bite marks, loss of hair, or scratches on any of them, but I wonder if the new one might feel better being alone. I heard about separating them for a day (but keeping them close by each other) to see how the bullied guinea pigs react, but I do not know if that will help them or hurt them.

 

[sport_billy]

Boar trios rarely work unfortunately, how big is there cage? Do they have one of everything?

 

[laceypigalicous]

Their cage is 5.5 feet by 2 feet with a second level (which does not make much of a difference) that is 2 feets by 3 feet. I have several food spots, 3 hideouts, and 2 water bottles.

 

[Wiebke]

About one month ago my hamster sadly passed away and my sister decided to get guinea pigs instead this time. There were originally 3 at the pet store together (all males), but I could only get 2 so I bought two of them and then 2 weeks later we came back to get the third one who was then by himself. They do live in a very large cage (an XL dog crate that is 11 square feet) and many hideouts and toys. After first they all got along and seemed happy to be together again, but now the new guy keeps trying to mount both of his brothers, he is very aggressive with them, and I constantly find him tumbling around the cage with one of his brothers. I have not found any bite marks, loss of hair, or scratches on any of them, but I wonder if the new one might feel better being alone. I heard about separating them for a day (but keeping them close by each other) to see how the bullied guinea pigs react, but I do not know if that will help them or hurt them.

Hi!

Most baby boar trios sadly fail during the teenage months. It is difficult enough to balance two personalities hitting the big testosterone spikes at the same time, but three is generally too much, unless they are all very much on the laid-back side and have oodles of space. Quartets have a near total failure by the way.

I would recommend to take the third boy out and keep him alongside the others in a way that allows full interaction and stimulation for scent, view (body language) and voice so he doesn't count as a single piggy, just as a bonded piggy with his own territory. That gives your original pair the best chance at making it to adulthood as a bonded pair.

Please take the time to read the two links below to understand what is going on and what your options are; they go through all the aspects in detail to help you make an informed decision and deal with the situation in a way that sustainable in the long term and doesn't create more problems down the line.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[VickiA]

I’m afraid I agree. Boar trios just don’t work in young piggies. Best to separate the third one now and keep one pair happy while you figure out what to do with the solo piggy

 

[laceypigalicous]

Thank you all so much!