Males or females?

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JenniPigi

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Hi, I'm getting two guinea pigs soon, but I'm not sure whether to get males or females. Initially I planned to get females, as my research says that males smell worse, but I've just learned that 80% of females develop ovarian cysts.

I don't think I would get surgery done on my pigs, unless it was a very minor procedure and they were still young, as I don't know if it's very humane.

But I wanted to ask for advice on whether the pigs' sex makes much of a difference.
 
Welcome to the forum, well done for researching. I am a fan of boars. My boys are very soppy, silly and affectionate. I'm lucky with them but all boars get mellow with age as their testosterone decreases. They also need a bit more space. Apart from the occasional hormone spike, usually during their "teens" boars don't smell. No guinea pigs smell as long as spot cleaning is done every day and wet hay is removed.
Sows continue to have seasons about every 2 weeks throughout their entire lives without the piggy equivalent of menopause. This doesn't necessarily mean they won't mellow though.
Both genders have pros and cons. One of which is that boars are limited to only living in pairs. You can have a neutered boar with more than one sow but the group can only have one boar however many sows are in it.
Instead of getting young piggies can I suggest you look into adopting? There are so many in rescues needing good homes.
 
Well done for researching first 👏
Here is a thread full of information worth knowing before acquiring guinea pigs, including info on gender groupings and also the benefits of adoption rather than buying.
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

This is the forums list of recommended rescues, it would be lovely if you were able to give a forever home to two of the many piggies needing new homes, and a good rescue would help you avoid the many pitfalls of buying from a shop or breeder.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/guinea-pig-forum-recommended-rescues.196734/
 
Welcome to the forum

I’m a boar owner and I love having boars.
They do smell a bit more when scent marking, hormone spikes etc but there are ways and means to combat it. Things like how you clean the cage - counter-intuitively, if you clean the whole cage in one go or clean too often you will make the smell worse. Removing all their scented bedding in one go will cause them to fk on a dominance scent marking frenzy to mark everything back up again. Making sure you always leave some soiled bedding in the cage really helps them to feel settled and makes be smell less.

Any essential surgery, regardless of their age, isn’t inhumane. By far not all sows who develop cysts need surgery though.

Wiebke

Thread 'A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)'

This guide is an article series that I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine issues 50-52 (May/July/September 2019).
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.

1 Introduction
2 Sexing Guinea pigs: Where to look and feel yourself
- Textbook pictures
- The hands-on sexing check
3 Boar Pairs
- Common misconceptions
- The tricky teenage months
- the 'Golden Boar...
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Hi and welcome..
We have all boars but I guess it's personal choice however as mentioned above please, please, please consider adopting from a rescue 🙏🙏
 
JenniPigi said:
Hi, I'm getting two guinea pigs soon, but I'm not sure whether to get males or females. Initially I planned to get females, as my research says that males smell worse, but I've just learned that 80% of females develop ovarian cysts.

I don't think I would get surgery done on my pigs, unless it was a very minor procedure and they were still young, as I don't know if it's very humane.

But I wanted to ask for advice on whether the pigs' sex makes much of a difference.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Good for you doing your research.

Every pair combo has their own challenges, pros and cons. Whatever pet or pairing you look into, there is never any 'ideal', guaranteed problem-free one. They all have their own individual strengths and challenges.

In terms of sows, the majority of ovarian cysts actually goes unnoticed and never causes any symptoms or problems. Guinea pig sows don't have the 100% cancer link that rabbit does have - ovarian cancer is still comparatively rare, hance why there is not the strong spaying policy. What you can never predict is whether you get a problem with hormonal cysts or - in older age - large fluid filled cysts.

As to boars, it depends on how sensitive to smells you are. You usually get used to them unless they have a hormone spike, especially during teenage.

You may find these links here helpful in weighing up the pros and cons. In the end, it usually comes down to which piggies you fall for...

Wiebke

Thread 'Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?'

1 Singles, pairs or groups?
2 Boars
3 Sows
4 Neutered boars with one or more sows
5 Babies or adults?
6 Adopting or buying?


1 Singles, pairs or groups?

There is in principle nothing in it but personal preference. Guinea pigs are individualists with very distinct personalities, so generalisations fall necessarily short. But there are some aspects that are worth considering when you are thinking about getting your cavies – and please, always get two!

Singles
Guinea pigs...
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Wiebke

Thread 'A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)'

This guide is an article series that I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine issues 50-52 (May/July/September 2019).
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.

1 Introduction
2 Sexing Guinea pigs: Where to look and feel yourself
- Textbook pictures
- The hands-on sexing check
3 Boar Pairs
- Common misconceptions
- The tricky teenage months
- the 'Golden Boar...
  • Like

Wiebke

Thread 'Quick Information Bundle For Wannabe Owners'

Here is a collection of threads that deal with the most important aspects a future owner will usually want to know or should be made aware of:

Guinea pigs as a species
Guinea Pig Facts - An Overview

Family and classroom pets
Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents
Children And Guinea Pigs - Age Appropriate Interaction And Responsibilities.
Guinea Pigs as Classroom Pets - Why Not
Guinea Pig Names: considerations, solutions, inspiration and resources

Choosing the right...
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I've had pairs of sows for the past 15+ years. I love my girls! They've all been lovely and have all had very different personalities, I've had cautious girls, very bold girls, cuddly girls, and girls who are very busy and don't want to sit. They've all been great in their own way, though. One of the nice things about girls is that it's sometimes easier to pair them up... I've had rotating pairs of girls, since my initial pair lived very different lifespans. I've introduced an older girl to a new companion several times and I've never had a problem getting a girl to accept a new companion. I've had some pairs that bickered more than others, but never to the point that I had a bond that failed, and even the bickering pairs was just a matter of a bossy head pig who liked throwing their weight around more than was necessary!

As for ovarian cysts, I've had eight girls over the years and only one had an issue with ovarian cysts. Knock on wood, but it's not an issue that has cropped up a lot. Most of the health issues I've dealt with have been unisex issues- most of my vet visits have been due to dental issues, bladder issues, or abscesses, and those are equally possible with both males and females.

Hope this helps a bit, I'm sure you'll love your pigs whether they are boars or sows!
 
Thank you so much for all your advice, I'm definitely considering rescuing, but if I buy them I will only do so from a reputable and ethical breeder.
 
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