Hi, I'm looking for some advice from those of you with experience on group 'dynamics'.
I currently have four young piggies in a c and c cage, 3 girls and 1 boy. The boy is separated with a c and c barrier to allow him company while preventing breeding.
My plan was to get him neutered, when old and large enough (approx 6 weeks) and then eventually allow him to join the girls, and then maybe add one or two more sows at a later date. I felt this would enable me to maintain the group in future years, with one neutered boar and a harem of sows.
My understanding is that only one neutered male can be kept in a group, however, I have seen on here that people keep separate groups each with one boar, or paired boars.
My question is could I introduce another boar as his companion within the current set up, which would avoid the need to put him through the operation? That would be 2 intact boars living next door to a group of sows, or would they still fight as if they were mixing with the sows as they could smell/communicate with them?
What are you opinions on what would keep them happiest long-term?
Thank you, I'm sure some of you have great advice on this!
Hi and welcome!
One neutered boar per bonded group of sows is correct; occasionally two closely bonded, laid-back boars can work out with a group of sows, but much more often than not it ends in fights and bloody bites, especially if you do not have lots of space and the two boys can't have separate territories if they don't get on. You can however keep several sow(s) & 1 husboar groups living alongside each other, as I have.
When neutering a boar of yours you want to make very sure that you have got access to a very good vet, either a general vet with lots of practice in guinea pig neutering (often on behalf of a guinea pig rescue) or an exotic vets with experience in small furries ops. This is in order to cut down on the risk of post-op complications that can be otherwise still rather high. You also have to factor in a full 6 weeks post-op wait in order to make sure that your boy is 100% safe. My Tegan, the little baby in my avatar, is the unplanned gift of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post op boar (not one of mine), just to make that particular point. It can really happen as late as that! Our advice follows the good standard rescues practice.
Alternatively, you can bond your little boy with another boar; ideally at a good rescue that offers a boar dating service under expert supervision, so you come home only with a healthy/already quarantined new companion if acceptance has happened. An age difference/adulthood of one boar is of advantage, as it means that only your little boy is going through the hormonal teenage months. The key to any successful boar bond is mutual liking and character compatibility; age is irrelevant.
However, while you can keep single boars next to sows without problems, the pheromones when sows come into season, especially when they have a strong one, can really upset a boar bond; even more so one with an adolescent.
You need to ideally keep the boars some distance to the girls or above them, but ideally out of sight and reach of pheromones. Neutering both boars will not influence that! My little Nye who I adopted as a companion for my neutered adult adoptee Nosgan (who turned out to be more of a boys' chap than a ladies' man here, too, after he failed to bond with his loving previous owners' sows) is going through all the classic stages of teenagehood even without his testicles. We had some short term separations when too many sow pheromones wafting up from the cages below did cause issues between the two. My reason for neutering Nye is that I have too many (older) sows to risk a pregnancy in case of an accidental meeting.
When you have both full boars and sows, you always need to feed, handle, groom, clean and let roam the boars first so you carry as little sow scent across. I am able to let my two boys roam in the time shared roaming area around the cages, but they are both on the laid-back side. It wouldn't work with two highly dominant boars.
Since we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county, so we can tailor any advice and may be able to give you recommendations re. vets and rescues in your case straight away. Which way you go, will depend to a good deal on your vet and rescue access. Please click on your username at the top, go to personal details and scroll down to location. This will make it appear underneath your username in every post you make. Thank you!
