New baby just arrived - bonding advice please

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AHGuins

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Our 5 week old guinea pig baby boar arrived this morning.

Currently in a large bonding pen with an older male (4.5 years old).

After a hectic initial few minutes of scurrying and humping (baby humping older boar) there has been over three hours of peace and quiet.

They've napped, washed - but not at the same time - and eaten hay and a small amount of grass side by side.

The only confrontation happens when baby gets up in the older guinea's face - then the 'chin up' posturing happens but they both then go their separate ways. They aren't spending much time close together but seem happy in each other's company ...

Would it be ok to transfer them to their large home now or should we let them get to know each other for longer in the pen? Their permanent home is a converted single bed base so 3ft by 6ft-ish in size.

Thanks!
 
Their behaviour sounds good.
Leave them in the bonding pen for longer. The longer they are in there the better as it means that they will sort their hierarchy more before going into the cage (moving to the cage will set off a new round of dominance so the longer they’ve had to get themselves sorted before going into the cage, the better)
Have you cleaned the cage down so it doesn’t smell of your original piggy?
 
Piggies&buns said:
Their behaviour sounds good.
Leave them in the bonding pen for longer. The longer they are in there the better as it means that they will sort their hierarchy more before going into the cage (moving to the cage will set off a new round of dominance so the longer they’ve had to get themselves sorted before going into the cage, the better)
Have you cleaned the cage down so it doesn’t smell of your original piggy?
Click to expand...
Yes, I stripped out the corex style floor - thoroughly cleaned the rest of their home and laid new flooring.

They will have two of everything - plus new hideys and washed fleece so no existing piggy smell should be there!

Is there anything I can watch for that might indicate they are 'ready' to move or is it a case of the longer the better?

They are set up in the spare room so could stay in there for 24hrs plus if need be...
 
AHGuins said:
Our 5 week old guinea pig baby boar arrived this morning.

Currently in a large bonding pen with an older male (4.5 years old).

After a hectic initial few minutes of scurrying and humping (baby humping older boar) there has been over three hours of peace and quiet.

They've napped, washed - but not at the same time - and eaten hay and a small amount of grass side by side.

The only confrontation happens when baby gets up in the older guinea's face - then the 'chin up' posturing happens but they both then go their separate ways. They aren't spending much time close together but seem happy in each other's company ...

Would it be ok to transfer them to their large home now or should we let them get to know each other for longer in the pen? Their permanent home is a converted single bed base so 3ft by 6ft-ish in size.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hi!

Yes, you can transfer safely. Just make sure that there are no hideys with only one exit as dominance behaviour is going to persist roughly for another 2 weeks until the group is fully established. It sounds like you have got a feisty youngster, so you have to brace for a potentially lively teenage.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Yes, you can transfer safely. Just make sure that there are no hideys with only one exit as dominance behaviour is going to persist roughly for another 2 weeks until the group is fully established. It sounds like you have got a feisty youngster, so you have to brace for a potentially lively teenage.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Now safely transferred and there's been some repeat of the earlier scurrying - but no humping from baby this time... the older boar has found his feet a little and returned the favour, but not too excessively. Both happily exploring and eating.

We're braced for a tough teen period and have a divide we can slide in to split them at a moment's notice - should we need to!

A nervous few hours - but thanks for all of the advice 🙂
 
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