Piggy living situations

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Cherpi

Cherpi

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Ok so I'm looking after my friends Pigs, mum and now two babies, a boy and a girl. There was another male which I would keep along with the other male when my friend got back from holiday but he sadly passed away so now I have one male and not sure what to do?

So my problem is I'm going to have to obviously get another guinea pig but I don't really want a boar as they're diffucult to introduce and can fight in the future etc so I thought about getting a sow but my problem is that don't you have to wait to neuter a boar until they're like a few months old don't you? What can I do with him until then? Should I split the hutch and get a sow, should I just keep him on his own for a couple of months or should i just get anothrr boar? I'm just so confused and have no idea what to do!

Any suggestions/advice would be great!
 
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It is important to separate the boar from the sows at three weeks old as he will be fertile.
Can you split the living arrangements so he can live next to the girls until he's old enough to be neutered then re introduce ?
A boar with sows equal great dynamics if it works and you can always add more girls if you wish.
A good rescue will bond your boy with another lonely boar :) No one can foresee that they will live harmoniously forever and may not fall out later in life but to be prepared and have space for this happening is my advice.
I have been incredibly lucky with my boys and is probably down to them having a lot of space :)
 
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You should separate the male baby at 3 weeks old as this is how young they are when they become able to reproduce so that would be your first step.

Guinea pigs are extremely social, herd animals and thrive in the company of another pig, it’s true that males are slightly harder to bond than two females but it’s a complete myth that two male guinea pigs will fight. Compatibility between two guinea pigs is determined by the personalities of the individuals rather than their gender. you just need to get the right match, and most guinea pig rescues offer boar dating, where you can try your pig with other single males and find the compatible companion.

Neutering a guinea pig is a risky operation, no where near as easy as cats and dogs, and it can be expensive too with alot of after care needed, you also have to wait 6 weeks after the operation before he can be with a female guinea pig, in my eyes it’s not a very good option not now anyway, i would use it more as a last resort.

If you have the space I would recommend that you try and find a rescue to help you bond you boar with another boar as your best option.
 
Guinea pig slave said:
It is important to separate the boar from the sows at three weeks old as he will be fertile.
Can you split the living arrangements so he can live next to the girls until he's old enough to be neutered then re introduce ?
A boar with sows equal great dynamics if it works and you can always add more girls if you wish.
A good rescue will bond your boy with another lonely boar :) No one can foresee that they will live harmoniously forever and may not fall out later in life but to be prepared and have space for this happening is my advice.
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He's quite small, he was the smallest from the litter and someone on here said that he can stay with mum and sister until he is around 250g?


twiams said:
You should separate the male baby at 3 weeks old as this is how young they are when they become able to reproduce so that would be your first step.

Guinea pigs are extremely social, herd animals and thrive in the company of another pig, it’s true that males are slightly harder to bond than two females but it’s a complete myth that two male guinea pigs will fight. Compatibility between two guinea pigs is determined by the personalities of the individuals rather than their gender. you just need to get the right match, and most guinea pig rescues offer boar dating, where you can try your pig with other single males and find the compatible companion.

Neutering a guinea pig is a risky operation, no where near as easy as cats and dogs, and it can be expensive too with alot of after care needed, you also have to wait 6 weeks after the operation before he can be with a female guinea pig, in my eyes it’s not a very good option not now anyway, i would use it more as a last resort.

If you have the space I would recommend that you try and find a rescue to help you bond you boar with another boar as your best option.
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I may try to bond two boars then as it seems the cheapest (not that I would mind paying to make bumble happy) and least time consuming option.
 
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250g is the recommended weight as he's thriving but 3 weeks means he can get mum and sister pregnant :(
How old are the babies now ?
 
i second the rescue option, drop your piggy off they find his perfect man friend and you come home with two well matched piggies ... easy :)
 
How much is your boy weighing now? He will hopefully put on some weight in the next few days as babies grow quickly. On average a healthy piggy weighs around 250g at 3 weeks old.
If he is ill or has other major issues or is under 200g, I would leave him with mum a bit longer, as he won't be able to make babies in that state and you can leave him a bit longer. If he is healthy, active and putting on weight well every day (please weigh daily), and if mummy is pushing him away and weaning him, then please separate at about three weeks or soon after, as he won't get much more milk anyway. Make sure that he has a cosy and a (safe) cuddly toy that are smelling of his mum to snuggle into at first in order to buffer the shock of a separation.

I would recommend to have him bonded with an older "uncle" boar under expert supervision at a good rescue; this ensures that he also has somebody to teach him the piggy ways and to socialise him. A good age gap will also go a long way towards keeping the relationship stable and the dominance clear when your little boy is going through the hormonal teenage months.

However, the key to any successful boar bond is character compatibility - it really makes all the difference if you can have your little boy meeting and bonding with likely boars under expert supervision; the fall-out risk is a LOT lower that way than if you just chuck together two youngsters (even if they are brothers). It is really worth travelling to a rescue further away for that kind of added security! Ideally, you find a rescue that offers residential boar bonding that offers this time consuming service (not all rescues can afford to); "speed dating" at a good rescue is the next best option.

Sadly, both your closest good standard rescues that we can vouch for are a bit further away, but still at a manageable distance, either in Barnsley or Keighley (they are both on the map of recommended rescues tha you have been given in a previous post). I can recommend them most warmly. You and your little boy will be in very safe hands there! I have rehomed from either rescue myself.

Boars are usually neutered once their testicles have fully descended and they are a good weight; that means a wait until 4-6 months. The success of a neutering operation very much depends on finding an experienced vet with a good track record in piggy neutering. Sadly, the risk of post complications and even death at worst is still far more common than it should be. :(

Even with a successful operation, your boy then faces another 6 weeks post op wait until he is 100% safe to go with sows. I have a baby from a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post op boar (not one of mine), just to prove that point!

If you are thinking going down the neutering route, it will take a lot of time and some very thorough research on your part in order to minimise all the risks. While I am a big fan of neutered boars living with sows, I'd rather see a little chap live happily in company much sooner!
PS: IF there is really a fall-out (and with careful choosing and bonding, the risk should be well below 10%), your boy is then at the right age for neutering, so it could be used as Plan B.

Unoftunately, whichever way you decide to go, there is no absolute guarantee of success, but by going a bit out of your way, you can reduce any risks considerably.
 
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Wiebke said:
How much is your boy weighing now? He will hopefully put on some weight in the next few days as babies grow quickly. On average a healthy piggy weighs around 250g at 3 weeks old.
If he is ill or has other major issues or is under 200g, I would leave him with mum a bit longer, as he won't be able to make babies in that state and you can leave him a bit longer. If he is healthy, active and putting on weight well every day (please weigh daily), and if mummy is pushing him away and weaning him, then please separate at about three weeks or soon after, as he won't get much more milk anyway. Make sure that he has a cosy and a (safe) cuddly toy that are smelling of his mum to snuggle into at first in order to buffer the shock of a separation.

I would recommend to have him bonded with an older "uncle" boar under expert supervision at a good rescue; this ensures that he also has somebody to teach him the piggy ways and to socialise him. A good age gap will also go a long way towards keeping the relationship stable and the dominance clear when your little boy is going through the hormonal teenage months.

However, the key to any successful boar bond is character compatibility - it really makes all the difference if you can have your little boy meeting and bonding with likely boars under expert supervision; the fall-out risk is a LOT lower that way than if you just chuck together two youngsters (even if they are brothers). It is really worth travelling to a rescue further away for that kind of added security! Ideally, you find a rescue that offers residential boar bonding that offers this time consuming service (not all rescues can afford to); "speed dating" at a good rescue is the next best option.

Sadly, both your closest good standard rescues that we can vouch for are a bit further away, but still at a manageable distance, either in Barnsley or Keighley (they are both on the map of recommended rescues tha you have been given in a previous post). I can recommend them most warmly. You and your little boy will be in very safe hands there! I have rehomed from either rescue myself.

Boars are usually neutered once their testicles have fully descended and they are a good weight; that means a wait until 4-6 months. The success of a neutering operation very much depends on finding an experienced vet with a good track record in piggy neutering. Sadly, the risk of post complications and even death at worst is still far more common than it should be. :(

Even with a successful operation, your boy then faces another 6 weeks post op wait until he is 100% safe to go with sows. I have a baby from a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post op boar (not one of mine), just to prove that point!

If you are thinking going down the neutering route, it will take a lot of time and some very thorough research on your part in order to minimise all the risks. While I am a big fan of neutered boars living with sows, I'd rather see a little chap live happily in company much sooner!
PS: IF there is really a fall-out (and with careful choosing and bonding, the risk should be well below 10%), your boy is then at the right age for neutering, so it could be used as Plan B.

Unoftunately, whichever way you decide to go, there is no absolute guarantee of success, but by going a bit out of your way, you can reduce any risks considerably.
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I will weigh him when he goes into his pen, now the problem is that no one in my house drives and to only person who has a car is my grandad and he wouldn't take me there back and then again there and back. URG this is so hard!
 
Just to present the alternative - I had a girly unexpectedly give birth - she had two girls and a boy.

I separated the boy at 3 weeks then put him in a Ferplast 140 in the same room as the girls but obviously he had no access to them at all. 6 months on I had him neutered - it cost £40 at a vet I trust with small animal operations (they have successfully neutered male mice in the past and have done multiple rat operations for past ratties). The operation went very smoothly. The site was amazingly neat and Dumpling had no problems whatsoever with the neuter. 6 weeks on Dumpling rejoined his family and they are all now living happily together.

I thought about rehoming but at the optimum age for rehoming him he had Ringworm so had to remain isolated anyway. It took a few weeks for the Ringworm to fully clear up and then a couple of my girls got it too extending the period I had to quarantine Dumpling. So by the time everyone was fully clear etc I decided I may as well keep Dumpling. Besides which I was worried about rehoming him and wanted to keep him.

I didn't want to risk having a boar pair with girls in the same room and there's no room spare in my house for boars to live away from the girls (I have dogs). So adopting a second boar was never an option.

I have many rescue animals myself so if you can find a suitable boar who can live away from the girls then go for it. But if time goes on and your search is unsuccessful at least you have another option.

Hope things work out for you anyway xx
 
Cherpi said:
I will weigh him when he goes into his pen, now the problem is that no one in my house drives and to only person who has a car is my grandad and he wouldn't take me there back and then again there and back. URG this is so hard!
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I haven't got a car either, but I have transported piggies between 7 weeks and 9 years old over quite long distances on the train (well over 3 hour journeys) without problems, sometimes as part of an even longer rescue piggy transport.
You should be able to get from Hull to Barnsley or Keighley via Leeds quite easily,I would think, especially if you can pre-book a cheap ticket via the internet; that is how I get to rescues and even my specialist vet in Northampton (like I will tomorrow). I am also planning to pick up a couple of reserved piggies from Milhaven Rescue in Keighley next month as soon as one of them is fit enough to travel - and I am coming all the way from Coventry. A timed advance ticket will cost me only £17 each way; that is less than I would have to spend on petrol. I can also look better after the piggies (who usually just fall asleep for most of the time, especially if they had a nice big dinner before setting out) when sitting on the train.
I am using this site for getting cheap tickets on timed trains, but there are others. http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

PS: You can switch from daily or every two days weighing of vulnerable pups to weighing weekly once he has settled well into his new life, but I would strongly advise you to weigh your piggies once weekly throughout their lives. Weight loss is often the first sign that something is wrong. Piggies are very good at hiding problems until it is nearly too late with only very subtle signs, but the scales don't lie! Simple cheap kitchen scales from the supermarket with a suitable dish will do.
http://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html
 
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I've done 'pigs on public transport' too - brought 4 all the way back from Wales via the services of Richard B and Virgin Trains!

We also had a budgie with us who proceeded to sqwauk half the way from Birmingham to London...
 
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