Introductions

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Gems

Gems

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Well we have Sam and Sookie and have set up a seperate pen and put them all in, I've no idea whether its going well or not :{

Sam's going round humping everything, Sookie is going for them all so Sam seems to be chattering his teeth very loudly at Sookie. Athena, Pepper and Sandy don't seem to know what to do with themselves and are trying to keep out the way poor little things.

Don't know whether they'll be able to all go in together as Sookie doesn't seem to want to share Sam or her space with the other girls.

How long should we leave them in together?
 
Sookie was just attacking any of them that came near her, including Sam. I've had to seperate them, Sam was fine with the girls but Sookie was tearing fur out of them, no blood drawn thankfully.
 
Mmm - probably not the best start, but don't give up. Sookie may just take a bit more time. What a fiestly lady. Just take it slowly, she sounds like she wants to be boss.
 
Oh we won't, we've got the cage they're in right next to the girls so I'm hoping they might get used to each other. Sookies such a sweetie when she's by herself but my gosh when we put her in with the girls it was as though she was posessed!

Been and bought them some houses and treats... told you they'd be spoilt!

Not sure how long to leave it before we try putting them all together again?
 
I would recommend to leave it for at least a couple of days to a week.

Sookie sounds like she was simply on complete overload; give her time to get the hang of her surroundings and her friends-to-be. It might also help Sam to calm down; boys often overreact when they are suddenly confronted with new girls. (Don't I know it! mallethead)

Perhaps it can help if you give them all a bath before they meet, so they can bond by all smelling of "Eau de Sam".
 
Thanks for the tips :)

She's quite nervous so maybe it was all a bit much to take in. As I said we've got the cages next to each other so hopefully they'll get a bit more used to each other. Sam's already been climbing up the cage to see the girls lol

So do you think it's best if we leave it until say next weekend so it gives them a week to settle in and see how it goes then?
 
Gems said:
Thanks for the tips :)

She's quite nervous so maybe it was all a bit much to take in. As I said we've got the cages next to each other so hopefully they'll get a bit more used to each other. Sam's already been climbing up the cage to see the girls lol

So do you think it's best if we leave it until say next weekend so it gives them a week to settle in and see how it goes then?
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I would think that that is not a bad idea. After all my additions to the tribe I have noticed that it is quite helpful to keep piggies you want to introduce next to each other, so they can get to know each other and do not feel so strange and overwhelmed when they finally meet.

You have to brace yourself, however, for some possible stiff between the two top ladies. They need to sort out the dominance between them and if neither is willing to give way easily, there may be the occasional "handbags at dawn". I had that situation between Nia and Taffy.

Here is a collection of tips for introductions which you might find useful. I always read them through myself, so I have more ideas to fall back on if plan A is not working out: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38562
 
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I had a read through that thread before we got them, it was very useful.

It's quite sweet watching them, Sam keeps climbing up the cage to watch the girls and Sandy does the same to watch him, he's very interested in them. I think he's chewed on the bars a few times to try to get to them lol
 
Yes I agree, leave them to settle a bit. I think Sookie probably was reacting as she felt threatened in a new environment with new guineas, so give her and Sam time to settle and relax in. I think Gaile had a similar experience with hers and left it for two weeks before trying again. Fingers crossed for you x
 
Introductions part 2.....

So we bathed all the piggies tonght ( Sam DID NOT like his bath! )

We've built a seperate pen, put a clean fleece in, loads of food and hay. They've been in there for at least 30 minutes and so far it's been pretty uneventful. Sookie and Sam are kind of keeping their distance from the other girls, there was a little chasing by sookie to begin with and Pepper, Athena and Sandy seem a bit nervous but theres not really been any major fighting at all. Sookies been pottering around next to them all and hasn't gone for them for a while, Sam's pretty uninterested in everything rolleyes

They all seem to be eating happily next to each other now so we don't really know what to do?!
 
Please can someone advise, we don't know what to do next!

There's been a bit more noise and rumbling but nothing major. Do we put them in together now or leave it and introduce them gradually?
 
Sorry, being a bit dim tonight. Do you mean you've made a separate run and they're now all in it and you want to know if they can all go back into the same cage?

I've not bonded any pigs but the advice tends to be not to keep doing introductions because they have to go through the whole dominance thing each time.
I assume you've cleaned the cage and moved things round ready for them to go back in. With the baths as well it seems you've done everything right.
Hopefully someone with experience will come along but my feeling is to just go for it and keep an eye on them.
Good luck. :)
 
Sorry yeah we made an extra run then we let them have the run of downstairs so they had plenty of space. We've cleaned the cage out and have put them all in so we're just watching them to see how it goes. Sookie's still chasing a bit but I don't think it's too bad, just a bit of head butting. It's got me on edge watching them though! So much so I'm now on my third glass of wine rolleyes
 
Sounds like it's all going to plan so far. Guess Sookie's still sorting out if she's the boss.
Well done with the wine intake. One sniff of a cider and I'm gone. :(|)
 
So far so good.

Sam is a very very happy boy. Both him and sookie have already mastered the ramp and he was popcorning and running round in the hay loft so I think we'll have to reinforce it as he's a big boy so the whole top level was bouncing! He also popcorned half way down the ramp and kind of tumbled down the last part bless him. Sookie has also been popcorning and running round.

They're all out munching on hay and there pellets, so hope this will work out so keeping my fingers crossed!
 
With girls, any aggression usually shows within the first 30 minutes and then again just after the move to their new home.

Just let them get on with sorting out the hierarchy and their relationship in the next few days. You might get the odd "handbags at dawn" if Sookie or your other head girl are both going for top spot and neither girl is stepping down. http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38561

The group will merge further once all girls have been in season (which will probably a lot livelier than usual, so brace yourself)!
 
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