Introductions In Brand New Environment

[mrsvej]

Hello!

I have a bonded girl/neutered male pair that I want to introduce to my lone girl pig.

I have read lots about doing this on neutral territory with minimal obstructions and then popping them into a cage after a few hours.

This may sound daft - but I have a bought a big new shed for them all - so it is new to all 3 of them. Am I best just starting in there and then leaving them to it after a while if all seem to be calming down - just keeping an eye on how they are doing?

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks, Vickie

 

[Wiebke]

Hello!

I have a bonded girl/neutered male pair that I want to introduce to my lone girl pig.

I have read lots about doing this on neutral territory with minimal obstructions and then popping them into a cage after a few hours.

This may sound daft - but I have a bought a big new shed for them all - so it is new to all 3 of them. Am I best just starting in there and then leaving them to it after a while if all seem to be calming down - just keeping an eye on how they are doing?

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks, Vickie

A neutral area simply means a space that is not part of the usual territory of any of the guinea pigs that are involved in the bonding, so if they all move to a brand new set-up, then you can bond in there. Just make sure that the area won't have any hideys whatsoever at first, as this can invite tussles until acceptance has happened and the dominance has been decided and the boar excitement has died down.

I hope that all goes well. Some very closely bonded long standing couples may not accept a newcomer, especially one that disrupts the existing hierarchy. How old are the piggies involved?

 

[mrsvej]

Hey, thanks for your reply I think the bonded pair are around 2.5-3yrs (guessing as they are rescue pigs I have owned for around 18mths now) the lone female is around 1.5yrs x

 

[Wiebke]

Hey, thanks for your reply I think the bonded pair are around 2.5-3yrs (guessing as they are rescue pigs I have owned for around 18mths now) the lone female is around 1.5yrs x

Just see how it goes; whether it works or not very much depends on where your single girls fits in or whether they cannot come to any agreement. Give them time to get to know each other beforehand. Bonding a single piggy into a group means that the single piggy can often be very insecure and put up a false dominant front in my own experience. Take your time and if necessary, separate overnight if you feel that tensions are high and they are not getting anywhere or if tensions/signals of aggression are suddenly escalating.