Lone boar- what do I do now?

Engel

Engel

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi all, a few days ago Jupiter passed away leaving Apollo alone. I have 5 other piggies (3 sows and 2 neutered boars). I don't know what would be the best way to go about in regards to housing him.

For a bit of background, they're in 6ft hutches in a 7x5 shed.
Top hutch: RB Jupiter and Apollo
Middle hutch: Basil (neutered), Eris and Mia
Bottom hutch: Cyril (neutered) and Blossom

I'm currently making a small c&c and bringing Po down to interact with the others during the day but at night he's back up in the hutch. I understand that a piggies mourning period is much shorter than ours so I want him to have interaction 24/7 preferably. Ideally I'd want him to choose who he wants as neighbours but having him next to the trio would be difficult and there'd be a space issue, so I guess having him next to the pair would make life easier.

Option 1: I'm thinking of an L shape hutch with a strong mesh divider so pigs can interact but I don't know if anyone has done that before or if it's even possible.

Option 2: I don't know how I feel about this, but I could split Blossom and Cyril up and have Blossom live with the trio and Cyril can live with Po. The only issue I can forsee is one of the boys passing leaving either Po in the same position he is now OR Cyril not bonding with one of the girls again.

Getting another guinea pig is not an option for health reasons.

Any input will be greatly appreciated
 
Hi its a tricky one indeed. Only my opinion and I'm no expert at all I think splitting already bonded guineas would be risky as they may not bond with others and Apollo may not bond with Cyril, hope I'm getting names the right way around. However as you say ideally Apollo needs to be neighbours with one of the sets. Also is Apollo also neutered? 🤔
 
CTWC said:
Hi its a tricky one indeed. Only my opinion and I'm no expert at all I think splitting already bonded guineas would be risky as they may not bond with others and Apollo may not bond with Cyril, hope I'm getting names the right way around. However as you say ideally Apollo needs to be neighbours with one of the sets. Also is Apollo also neutered? 🤔
Click to expand...
No Apollo isn't neutered.
 
Good point. Not sure. But he’s probably used to her smell already 🤷🏻‍♀️
 
CTWC said:
Can uneutered males live alongside a sow? 🤔
Click to expand...

Yes a single can but the cage needs to be very secure.
A bonded boar pair sometimes can if they are used to sow pheromones, but even then they are better off to be above sows.
A bonded boar pair who have never been around sows should not live side by side.
 
CTWC said:
Can uneutered males live alongside a sow? 🤔
Click to expand...
Normally the answer would be no. Apollo and RB Jupiter knew no different and lived in close proximity to sows they're whole lives.

I've made a decision to put Po as Cyril and Blossoms neighbour. I've made a divider and in the process of making a extension to the hutch. This will mean the pair will have 2x4ft (or just over) and Po will have 2x4ft (or just under). I'll post photos when I'm done as it's difficult to explain what I mean. Hopefully this will give others ideas should they end up in the same predicament as me.
 
I think I misunderstood what you meant @CTWC. I thought you meant boar pairs. Single boars can but it needs to be really secure. I don't have a choice in the matter as both groups have girls. If I had a second boar pair I'd put Po next door to them as a first choice.
 
This is what I've done and the best thing is I didn't need to go out and buy anything! The divider is really secure and I really struggled to get it in there as the size is a bit snug. I've meshed one side of the divider. Is it worth meshing the other side too or is that overkill? I've tried pushing my whole weight against the wood and most against the mesh and it won't budge. IMG_20240726_162000_833.webpIMG_20240726_162014_807.webpIMG_20240726_162022_362.webp

Please ignore the state of the proplex and shed in general. Will look better once everything is put back and cleaned.
 
It's all done and furnished. Po has moved in! Cyril and Blossom were a bit unsure to begin with as Po went from being in a completely different cage to being in a hutch connected. They all decided to eat from the same hay pile afterwards though, with Po pulling bits through the mesh. He seems much happer already. They've been chutting away between each other and exchanged sniffs and nose boops. My head feels more settled now. I have been worrying the past few nights, wondering if he's ok. I've been trying to spend as much time with him during the day but I knew that isn't the same.
IMG_20240726_170152_842.webpIMG_20240726_170245_565.webpIMG_20240726_210016_818.webp
 
I slept better last night but was eager to see the pigs. I did worry about the set up, what if the pigs bite each other through the mesh, what if the hutch fell apart, what if the divider broke. Really silly things as I know the chances of any of these happening is very slim. Po and Cyril have been neighbours before with no issues and I have a habit of being a bit over the top when making things secure and really test things to make sure there's no weak spots.

Everyone seems happy and walked in to a very vocal and happy Po. He's eaten every veggie I threw in the hutch and is now starting on his pellets. I'll keep an eye on his weight just in case he pines for Jupiter, but he seems much brighter today.
 
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