is it too late for these piggies to become tame?

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misty2008

Today i bought 4 female guinea pigs from a breeder who was selling up.(hes decided to go into budgies)mallethead They are 4 and 8 months old and two are over a year old. they have never been handled. I know guinea pigs can be shy by nature but these are really terrified. Do you think they will get used to people? They didnt have names and i was given a 3ft hutch for them:( I have got my own hutches. The two older ones are obviously pregnant and the 8month old was in the hutch with her two 6week old sons. I hope she's not pregnant by them?:{

When i answered the free ad in the paper i expected to rehome a couple of piggies who werent wanted anymore:0 but there were loads of piggies on an allotment. He had a gorgeous red self with three 2week old babies AND dad pig was still in with them.mallethead I wanted to save them all but i dont have that much money, unfortuantly. I hope they all find good homes.
 
i would say it is never to late!give them a few days to settle and after that try to pick them up with a towel to avoid scratches and to make them feel secure,hold them for 5-10 minutes each 2-3 times a day just stroking there heads,do not try to do anything other than that at this stage,also include yummy food when you have them out so that they know you bring good things,persevere with this and you should see good resluts but it will probably take quite a few months but its worth the effort,good on you for saving them and shame on the breeder x
 
I agree, Lila was very shy becuase when I got her I had no time to tame her down. She is almost 7 months old now and tho she was never as bad as yours she didn't take long to tame. I also found on top of King boris's post that Just letter her sit on my chest for 30 min a night helped tame her down. Good luck
 
Yes they will get used to people. My Haggis was terrified when he arrived. I used to wrap him in a fleece blanket to hold him but made great progress with him when i bought him a cat igloo; i could have him near enough to me to talk to him/stroke him & he felt safe at the same time.
It does take time but they do get to know your voice & that your voice means veggies! :(|) :(|)
 
Would definately echo the above posts, don't get disheartened if it doesn't happen quickly as it can take ages for them to get used to people and handling, likely to be months rather than weeks, but with patience and perseverance you will definately get there! Well done for taking them in and having a go :)
 
It does take time. My first pig Sunshine was terrified for months, he was from a pet shop. Another boar Twinkle still doesn't like to be held but I've 20 pigs here at the mo and I would say 18 are fine with it!

Don't give up, talk to them gently, let them gain your trust. Once they take food off you it should become easier. Actually Twinkle takes food off me he just hates that initial feeling of being picked up. :)
 
No, it is no too late to tame your lot - but t may take time! Patience and persistence will get them round eventually, bit by tiny bit, some quicker, others slowlier.

PS: All your sows are most probably pregnant, as boys can have "live ammunition" from three weeks onwards! Better have them checked by your vet and separate mommy from the boys immediately. If you have problems, you can also contact your local rescue.
http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp

Whereabouts are you and where is that breeder?
 
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