New guinea pig

[mochalily2020]

Hi everyone,

I have 2 old girls (spayed) they are 5 and a half now and we had added a little boy (6 months) to the group to liven them up a little bit. It has worked great ! They love him and he follows them around everywhere. However, I was recommended in the forum to spay him because he will probably eventually need another companion since he is so much younger than the girls. I have his spaying procedure booked in but was wondering about whether or not I should add another young one (around 2 months) to the group so that he gets accustomed to a new member already?

I was wondering if anyone has any experience regarding such a matter? I dont want to stress out the two older girls but they accepted him so well that I thought maybe a bit of overlap would be fine? I would enlarge their enclosure further as well so that each one has plenty of space.

I have attached a photo of our little gang. Oreo (black and white is our boy) Mocha (brown) and Lily (white) are our girlies

 

[Piggies&buns]

You can have a herd containing as many sows as you have space for, provided you only ever have one castrated boar with the sows, but it all comes down to character compatibility not age, so taking all of them dating to find a compatible friend is safest. If you do bring home a new piggy on spec, then do ensure you have your plan b in case the bonding fails.

You will not, however, be able to add any other sows to the group until six weeks after his castration surgery has elapsed, as he will still be fertile during this time so will cause a pregnancy to any unspayed sows.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

What a lovely trio!

A younger piggy can really bring new zest of life to some older piggies. My 7 years old Ffwlbri lived nearly a year longer to 8 1/2 years after I introduced baby Carys as husboar's Gethin's future companion to help him over the loss of sisters Ffwlbri and Tesni (who by then had passed away a few months earlier after her 7th birthday).

Can you please clarify: your two old ladies are currently de-sexed but not your boy? If that is the case, his long term bonding chances are much better if he is de-sexed so you are not just confined to find another de-sexed sow; especially as there are currently no active guinea pig rescues in the Montreal area. if you have access to a good vet and can afford the much higher operation cost, you can then at a suitable time (like after the death of one of your old ladies) look for a young sow at an age that cannot challenge the remaining old lady but where acceptance of a boar and group is very high.

PS: It is confusing for members from countries that use the expression de-sexing for both genders, but in the UK you spay females and neuter or castrate males.

 

[Bill & Ted]

What a gorgeous little threesome

 

[Merab]

They are gorgeous - lots more pictures of them please.
I found the addition of a young boar to a group of older sows gave the girls a new lease of life and certainly livened things up.

 

[mochalily2020]

You can have a herd containing as many sows as you have space for, provided you only ever have one castrated boar with the sows, but it all comes down to character compatibility not age, so taking all of them dating to find a compatible friend is safest. If you do bring home a new piggy on spec, then do ensure you have your plan b in case the bonding fails.

You will not, however, be able to add any other sows to the group until six weeks after his castration surgery has elapsed, as he will still be fertile during this time so will cause a pregnancy to any unspayed sows.

Thank you for the feedback.

So you do not find it prudent to add another baby boar ?

 

[mochalily2020]

Hi!

What a lovely trio!

A younger piggy can really bring new zest of life to some older piggies. My 7 years old Ffwlbri lived nearly a year longer to 8 1/2 years after I introduced baby Carys as husboar's Gethin's future companion to help him over the loss of sisters Ffwlbri and Tesni (who by then had passed away a few months earlier after her 7th birthday).

Can you please clarify: your two old ladies are currently de-sexed but not your boy? If that is the case, his long term bonding chances are much better if he is de-sexed so you are not just confined to find another de-sexed sow; especially as there are currently no active guinea pig rescues in the Montreal area. if you have access to a good vet and can afford the much higher operation cost, you can then at a suitable time (like after the death of one of your old ladies) look for a young sow at an age that cannot challenge the remaining old lady but where acceptance of a boar and group is very high.

PS: It is confusing for members from countries that use the expression de-sexing for both genders, but in the UK you spay females and neuter or castrate males.

Thank you very much for your help.

Yes our two girls are spayed they had had tumors so the vet thought it would be best to spay them as well. Oreo is due to be neutered next week now as well. Sorry for the mix up with the terms neuter and spaying

My husband has fallen in love with a baby boar that a friend of ours has just had but cannot keep but I am a little concerned about adding a new boar to the herd. He thinks that it will be good for oreo to have a buddy closer to his age since he is probably going to out live the girls. Having read so many stories about boars not getring on i am still very unsure.. i was wondering if in your experience you have any tip ? Oreo is 8 months now and the new baby is 2 months old

If they really do not get on we have plenty of space to keep them separated but since you have more experience any help would be much appreciated

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you for the feedback.

So you do not find it prudent to add another baby boar ?

Please definitely do not add another boar in with them. Two boars with sows is a huge no no - it never works and will cause the two boars with fight with each other. You'll then end up with broken bonds and separated piggies. You can only ever keep one boar with a herd of sows.

Two boars can live together happily, provided they are character compatible, but never when there are sows involved. To give Oreo a friend closer to his own age and therefore ensuring he won't be alone once the older girls pass, it will have to be a young sow you bring home (but only once he is six weeks post op).

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

If you really want to take on the baby boar from your friend, then he will need to be kept in a separate cage and have his own new boar friend.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you very much for your help.

Yes our two girls are spayed they had had tumors so the vet thought it would be best to spay them as well. Oreo is due to be neutered next week now as well. Sorry for the mix up with the terms neuter and spaying

My husband has fallen in love with a baby boar that a friend of ours has just had but cannot keep but I am a little concerned about adding a new boar to the herd. He thinks that it will be good for oreo to have a buddy closer to his age since he is probably going to out live the girls. Having read so many stories about boars not getring on i am still very unsure.. i was wondering if in your experience you have any tip ? Oreo is 8 months now and the new baby is 2 months old

If they really do not get on we have plenty of space to keep them separated but since you have more experience any help would be much appreciated

Please don't! You can have only one boar per sow group.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Now that Oreo has been living sows, he may not take as well to being relegated to a bachelor life with a baby boy again as a bonded boar pair. It is a big career step down for boars; not to mention that chopping and changing is very upsetting for piggies. You are working right against piggy social instincts and at the worst, can end up with a right shambles.

 

[Siikibam]

I would leave them as they are - don’t add any more. I would still have him neutered so you have more options in future. Be aware that the sows may not accept another (sow) addition. If you really feel you want one more then get one via bonding at a rescue. Good luck with your three.

 

[mochalily2020]

Please don't! You can have only one boar per sow group.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Now that Oreo has been living sows, he may not take as well to being relegated to a bachelor life with a baby boy again as a bonded boar pair. It is a big career step down for boars; not to mention that chopping and changing is very upsetting for piggies. You are working right against piggy social instincts and at the worst, can end up with a right shambles.

Yes that is what i thought as well. I feel bad for this baby boar but i dont think he is the right match for the herd.

Oreo is due to be neutered so i think adding a young sow will be the safest solution hopefully

 

[mochalily2020]

I would leave them as they are - don’t add any more. I would still have him neutered so you have more options in future. Be aware that the sows may not accept another (sow) addition. If you really feel you want one more then get one via bonding at a rescue. Good luck with your three.

Thank you for your help

Please definitely do not add another boar in with them. Two boars with sows is a huge no no - it never works and will cause the two boars with fight with each other. You'll then end up with broken bonds and separated piggies. You can only ever keep one boar with a herd of sows.

Two boars can live together happily, provided they are character compatible, but never when there are sows involved. To give Oreo a friend closer to his own age and therefore ensuring he won't be alone once the older girls pass, it will have to be a young sow you bring home (but only once he is six weeks post op).

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

If you really want to take on the baby boar from your friend, then he will need to be kept in a separate cage and have his own new boar friend.

Thank you

That is what i thought as well.. i feel bad for the baby boar but i dont think it will work out with oreo who is settled now properly with the sows

I think it will have to be a young sow once he is fully neutered

 

[mochalily2020]

I would leave them as they are - don’t add any more. I would still have him neutered so you have more options in future. Be aware that the sows may not accept another (sow) addition. If you really feel you want one more then get one via bonding at a rescue. Good luck with your three.

Thank you for your help

 

[mochalily2020]

Please don't! You can have only one boar per sow group.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Now that Oreo has been living sows, he may not take as well to being relegated to a bachelor life with a baby boy again as a bonded boar pair. It is a big career step down for boars; not to mention that chopping and changing is very upsetting for piggies. You are working right against piggy social instincts and at the worst, can end up with a right shambles.

I was wondering if you would recommend adding another young female lets say around 3 months or so? We would do this of course once oreo has recovered from the surgery he is being neutered next week.

I told my husband not to get the young boar he wanted as you guys suggested and he agreed so that is good news.

I was just wondering if maybe adding the young sow now with Oreo would give him time to bond with her since they would be closer to the same age just for the future since Lily and Mocha are older than him

 

[mochalily2020]

I would leave them as they are - don’t add any more. I would still have him neutered so you have more options in future. Be aware that the sows may not accept another (sow) addition. If you really feel you want one more then get one via bonding at a rescue. Good luck with your three.

Do you think that it would be good for Oreo to bond with a younger sow now while he is still younger or do you think it is best to wait until he is alone to make such an introduction?

They are my first 3 piggies so I'm a little unsure as to what is the best transition for them

We will not add a young boar as suggested on this forum. But i was thinking maybe a young sow? Not yet though it would be in a few months once he is neutered. He is due to be neutered next week but i know that recovery takes a little while still

 

[Wiebke]

I was wondering if you would recommend adding another young female lets say around 3 months or so? We would do this of course once oreo has recovered from the surgery he is being neutered next week.

I told my husband not to get the young boar he wanted as you guys suggested and he agreed so that is good news.

I was just wondering if maybe adding the young sow now with Oreo would give him time to bond with her since they would be closer to the same age just for the future since Lily and Mocha are older than him

Please wait at least 6 weeks and see first how his recovery goes.

Tegan, the little baby in my avatar picture on the left, is an over 5 weeks post-neutering op legacy who arrived here as a stowaway in her mother's belly, just to prove that it can really happen as late as that.

There is no rush.

 

[mochalily2020]

Please wait at least 6 weeks and see first how his recovery goes.

Tegan, the little baby in my avatar picture on the left, is an over 5 weeks post-neutering op legacy who arrived here as a stowaway in her mother's belly, just to prove that it can really happen as late as that.

There is no rush.

Oh wow that's nuts!

Thank you for the tip. Have you had any issues with male neutering? I am a little anxious about his procedure next week although I know that it is a lot more straightforward than spaying for the females

 

[Siikibam]

I think you have to consider the fact that bonding comes down to compatibility and not age. And bear in mind that your boy may like the new sow but will the sows accept her? Hence rescue where they can all go and choose together. I believe the sows have their own hierarchy separate from the husboar. I’m not entirely sure on that one though.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I think you have to consider the fact that bonding comes down to compatibility and not age. And bear in mind that your boy may like the new sow but will the sows accept her? Hence rescue where they can all go and choose together. I believe the sows have their own hierarchy separate from the husboar. I’m not entirely sure on that one though.

You are correct. The boar is not part of the sow hierarchy. Any new sows which are added have to be accepted by the other sows and fit into the sow hierarchy

 

[Wiebke]

I think you have to consider the fact that bonding comes down to compatibility and not age. And bear in mind that your boy may like the new sow but will the sows accept her? Hence rescue where they can all go and choose together. I believe the sows have their own hierarchy separate from the husboar. I’m not entirely sure on that one though.

Yes, sows have their own group internal hierarchy.

I would strongly recommend you to read the green information links in my previous post.
The neutering guide link discusses this issue in far more detail than we can on here in any post; our long term forum experiences have all gone into these guides - that is about 15 years and literally tens of thousands of piggies passing through this forum. I would most strongly recommend that you take the time to read the information in order to be able to make an informed decision.

The risk of post-op neutering complications very much depends on your vet and recovery nursing team.
I have/have had around 16 or even more 'husboars' in my life so far (mostly adopted already neutered) but I am lucky to have access to a very good piggy savvy operating vet for any boars that have been neutered by me.

I have very nearly lost one boar to some more unusual post-op complications (neutered by a general vet of the rescue's choice while I was footing the bill after my previous Tribe patriarch had been diagnosed with a deep-seated abdominal tumor that had already spread into the gut and was in the last days of his life).
And my Nosgan lived for 2 years with an inoperable hernia, which he developed some months after his adoption, before a piece of gut slipped through and he had to be euthanized. Again, one of the less common post-op complications. The most common complication are abscesses.

 

[mochalily2020]

I think you have to consider the fact that bonding comes down to compatibility and not age. And bear in mind that your boy may like the new sow but will the sows accept her? Hence rescue where they can all go and choose together. I believe the sows have their own hierarchy separate from the husboar. I’m not entirely sure on that one though.

That's a good point. in Montreal unfortunately there is no such rescue where they help you with the bonding process. I will ask the vet though if she is aware of any place that might be able to do something like this

 

[mochalily2020]

Yes, sows have their own group internal hierarchy.

I would strongly recommend you to read the green information links in my previous post.
And yes, while I have been lucky to never lose a boar, I have come very close to it once due to some more unusual complications a few weeks after neutering. The neutering was done by general vet of choice of the rescue while I paid for the op so charismatic Hywel could be Llewelyn's success of my larfe Tribe group after Llewelyn was diagnosed with a deep-seated abdominal tumor that had already spread to the gut.
And my Nosgan lived two years with a hernia that appeared several months after I adopted him.

I will have a read now thank you for sending the link I had a job interview this morning so was a little busy but I will read it now that everything else is over.

It is great that you have never lost one from neutering I hope everything goes well with Oreo as well