Introducing A Neutered Boar To Two 15 Week Old Girls

[Teresacholerton]

Hi I am new to guinea pigs but have introduced gerbils many times. I recently bought two 8 week old guinea pigs and they are gorgeous and are settling in well. I have just found a (only just neutered) boar that is in my local rescue and they want him homed with one or more girls. He has apparently had a really bad start in life but he has a lovely personality. Confident and happy to be held by my children ages 8 to 13. I couldn't resist him so we have bought him home. I have a 6ft by 4ft candc cage which I am also going to join it to a ferplast 120cm cage for extra room. He has only just been neutered so he can't be with the girls for 4 to 6 weeks. They will be 14 to 16 weeks by then. My questions are do you think I have done the right thing? Will this be an easy thing to do? Can I let them meet at all in the meantime? I am swapping bedding everyday. Their cages are right next to each other and when I get the girls out I have been letting Fudge in their cage to have a run around and smell. Any tips or advice would be most appreciated. I have watched a few videos on how to intro is neutral territory etc thanks

 

[eileen]

congratulations on your new arrival.it is advised that the neutered boar has to be seperated from the sows for six weeks. as sperm stay in the tubes and can get sows pregnant in this time.you could put a divider in the c and c cage so the boar can see and hear the sows,but no contact,because the act of getting pregnant can happen in a flash ! boar and sow bondings tend to be the most stable once acceptance has happened.Check your neutered boar daily to ensure there are no lumps appearing, abcesses can be a risk,but under a good cavy vet the risks are minimal.

 

[Teresacholerton]

Hi that's great advice thanks I have just ordered 4 more squares for my cage. Do I use 3 and cable ties to keep it secure? I saw another boar at the rescue with an abscess so I will keep my eye out. Is it a good idea to swap their sides around regularly so they get used to each other's smells or does this stress them out?

 

[Janice C]

Hi that's great advice thanks I have just ordered 4 more squares for my cage. Do I use 3 and cable ties to keep it secure? I saw another boar at the rescue with an abscess so I will keep my eye out. Is it a good idea to swap their sides around regularly so they get used to each other's smells or does this stress them out?

Should have their bonding carried out on a completely neutral area that has no smells from either sows or boar!, As said before must wait the fulll 6 weeks before. Allowing them together as he will still try and hump them regardless! Check out the info on here about bonding as it has excellent advice!,
On a happier note the boar will be delighted to have the sows for company and they’ll probably enjoy his company too! One of my neutered boars had been paired off with two older, quiet sows but at every opportunity he nipped in next door and rounded up my 3 youngsters. He actually physically nudged them in the bots with his nose and herded them into his area! He now has the babies and my oldest lady living happily with him!,,

 

[Wiebke]

Hi I am new to guinea pigs but have introduced gerbils many times. I recently bought two 8 week old guinea pigs and they are gorgeous and are settling in well. I have just found a (only just neutered) boar that is in my local rescue and they want him homed with one or more girls. He has apparently had a really bad start in life but he has a lovely personality. Confident and happy to be held by my children ages 8 to 13. I couldn't resist him so we have bought him home. I have a 6ft by 4ft candc cage which I am also going to join it to a ferplast 120cm cage for extra room. He has only just been neutered so he can't be with the girls for 4 to 6 weeks. They will be 14 to 16 weeks by then. My questions are do you think I have done the right thing? Will this be an easy thing to do? Can I let them meet at all in the meantime? I am swapping bedding everyday. Their cages are right next to each other and when I get the girls out I have been letting Fudge in their cage to have a run around and smell. Any tips or advice would be most appreciated. I have watched a few videos on how to intro is neutral territory etc thanks

Hi and welcome!

Please wait until your boar is 6 weeks post-op before you start intros. The little baby in my avatar is the daughter of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine) just to prove the point that it can really happen as late as that. Tegan is not the only case I have heard of. I have however to yet to hear of a post 6 weeks accidents, despite this deadline having been practised by all good rescues in this country and hundreds of boars being paired up with this deadline.

Until then your boar will be perfectly safe living next to the girls with interaction through the bars, as long as he cannot squeeze, jump or climb into their cage. In fact it is going to make for a smoother bonding. Babies at this young age are usually very happy to have a daddy boar to take care of them. My own several husboars have always adored and taken good care of their little wifelets if there were any (I've bonded my boars with sows between 5 weeks and 7 years of age).

Please take the time to read this bonding guide. It takes you through all the stages of a bonding and discusses verious bondings and their typical dynamics in detail. It also has got a chapter on the particulars of mixed gender bondings. You always need to stage any bonding in a neutral area; but a bonding starts before that and ends long after the introductions proper. This guide covers the whole period.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

 

[flowerfairy]

I have only ever done one bond which was very recent and consisted of two sows and a younger neutered boar.

The sows are one and the boar 5 months. They all lived next to each other for the six weeks after his op (there was a lot of cage biting from him).

I put him in a carrier and stripped out his cage, put newspaper and lots of hay in them added the sows and him.

It was pretty straight forward with him getting told off for trying to hump by head sow and wee'd on for the same by under sow.

After a fewnhours and some naps (them) I stripped the rest of the cage put in hay trays and liners plus loads of grass and pellets and let them have the whole space.

Hope your bond goes as well. Best of luck. I bet he will love having two sows.

 

[Teresacholerton]

Thanks everyone I will definitely not let them meet before 6 weeks which is five weeks as if tomorrow. I have ordered the divider and I shall read everything too. Thanks again

 

[Wiebke]

All the best!

 

[Teresacholerton]

Just to update anyone who wants to know. I have put in a very secure divider and put the boy in. All three are sleeping by the divider to benefit to each other and giving each other kisses through the bars. I feel mean keeping them a part but we are on a count down of 4 weeks and five days . If it continues like this I am sure they will get on fine

 

[Wiebke]

Just to update anyone who wants to know. I have put in a very secure divider and put the boy in. All three are sleeping by the divider to benefit to each other and giving each other kisses through the bars. I feel mean keeping them a part but we are on a count down of 4 weeks and five days . If it continues like this I am sure they will get on fine

Thank you for the update! At this young age, bonding sows is usually a doddle, apart from all the drama that inevitably comes with vocal youngsters.

I know how hard it can be to wait it out, but it is really important. Your piggies will make up afterwards and you have none of the anxieties that come with a 10 week pregnancy watch - believe me, THAT wait is even worse!

 

[Janice C]

Just to update anyone who wants to know. I have put in a very secure divider and put the boy in. All three are sleeping by the divider to benefit to each other and giving each other kisses through the bars. I feel mean keeping them a part but we are on a count down of 4 weeks and five days . If it continues like this I am sure they will get on fine

It’s a long hard 6 weeks! Great to hear they enjoy being close to each other just now.