Old Boar Question

WWDrew

WWDrew

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I’ve been reading a lot in the bonding section. At what age does male Guinea Pigs almost run out of producing testosterone? Which might make it easier to bond them.
 
Boars can be bonded at any age: the success of a bond is about character compatibility, much less about age.

It’s only that it can be tricky bonding two teenage boars of a similar age due to them both being hormonal at the same time… however even then it is entirely possible to bond two compatible teen boars who want to be together
 
As a general rule, in our rescue most solo boars under 18 months of age are neutered. Over 18 months we try boar dating. But to be honest it all depends on the boars individually.
 
I know from your other posts that you have a single boar and a sow herd.

As we advised then (if are not able to have you boar neutered and then bonded with the sows), your boar can live by side side with your sows for interaction through the bars (as long as the cage is secure).
However if you want have a new friend, then you shouldn’t wait for him to be older just because hormones are less.

Generally speaking, bonded boar pairs need to be kept away from sows. Your boar may well be used to sow pheromones but if you were to get him a new boar companion, then that other boar may not be used to them and may react strongly to being in the same room as girls. That has the potential to cause issues for a bonded boar pair - not always, but sometimes, so it is something to be aware of if you tried to find him with another boar and tried to keep the boar pair and the sow herd in the same room
 
WWDrew said:
I’m just racking my brains around Pepper. Bean is going to meet the girls in a month.
Click to expand...

Ok.
So once Bean goes to the girls, the cages can’t remain stacked. A single piggy needs to be side by side with others to enable interaction.

How old is Pepper?
Do you have the option of dating him at a rescue?

If Pepper does get a new boar friend, then you still ought to swap the cages around so he and his friend are in the top cage. You always need the sows to be at the bottom so that smells and poops cannot fall downwards.
If the sows are at the top and a boar pair at the bottom then there is a risk of sow smells and poops falling down to the boars cage which then poses a risk of causing the two boars to fall out over smelling the girls
 
Piggies&buns said:
How old is Pepper?
Do you have the option of dating him at a rescue?
Click to expand...
Pepper is 5.5 years old and they’re no rescues here in Canada BC that do dates. If he had a friend that was blind would that stop them from falling out? I’m just trying to think outside the box. I will definitely change their cage layout.
 
WWDrew said:
Pepper is 5.5 years old and they’re no rescues here in Canada BC that do dates. If he had a friend that was blind would that stop them from falling out? I’m just trying to think outside the box. I will definitely change their cage layout.
Click to expand...

A bond comes down to character compatibility - the two piggies have to like each other. Nothing else matters - not age, not whether one is blind etc
If two piggies aren’t compatible they will fall out regardless of anything else.

If you can’t date, and have to bond on spec, then you will need an alternative living arrangement which would be the two of them living side by side.
You would be in no different a position in the case of a failed bonding (only in that you would have one extra piggy). The cage set up would remain the same - a herd in one cage and two singles in two other cages.

If you don’t want to risk a failed bonding then the only thing you can do is have Pepper stay single but live side by side with the sows and bean
 
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