Male And Female Guinea Pigs

[Sach15]

I have 6 sows and 1 boar. The boar is coming up to 3 weeks so we are going to separate him from the sows. We are not sure whether to get him castrated and them put him back in with the sows or just separate him and get him a friend. They live in a 6x4 shed with boxes etc. Could you keep him in the shed with another boat if separated from the sows or would their pheromones cause the boars to fight?

 

[Pets Palace TV]

From my experience, I had two males living together - we moved them into the same shed as the females (living separately of corse) and because of the females, the males started fighting, and resulted in us having to separate them. On the other hand, I previously had another boar pair but they did not change their behaviour with the sows being around and the males lived happily together. I think it depends on personalities etc. Not sure how early they can be neutered but my neutered male is so much happier now living with sows

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! There are advantages and disadvantages either way, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Any boar pairs would need to ideally live above or away from sow pheromones when they come into season. Ideally you dat your baby at a good rescue that offers this service, so you have a better chance of the boars not falling out or have the backing of the rescue in case things go haywire. the key to a successful boar bond is mutual liking and character compatibility in their adult identities. An age gap is often helpful, as that means that only one of the boys is going through the difficult hormonal teenage months.
The littlest rescue may be the place to contact in your area, as Windwhistle Warren has just closed down.
The Littlest Rescue | Facebook

The earliest a boar can be neutered is 4-6 months once the testicles have descended and he a healthy weight, pending a pre-op check at the vets. You are then facing a full 6 weeks post-op wait until your boy is 100% safe to go with sows. I have the unplanned surprise daughter of an over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine) living with me. Crucial for a more likely problem-free neutering op is a good vet with experience with either guinea pig neutering or small furries ops.
Guinea Pig Vet Locator