Questions ...

Adding a neutered boar or sow?

  • Sow

    Votes: 3 42.9%
  • Neutered boar

    Votes: 4 57.1%

  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.

Maisy and Poppy

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Dec 8, 2014
Messages
2,577
Reaction score
1,342
Points
825
Location
Surrey, UK
Hi,

I have two guinea pigs Maisy and Poppy who are both sows and 1 year 2 months old.

I have the rose cottage hutch from pets at home which is 2 storey, 150 cms long , has one large sleeping area and it is basically the same as Aymee's.
How many guinea pigs could live in the hutch ? How many guinea pigs could live in it if it was attached to a large run?

I would have as many guinea pigs as possible but my parents say one more guinea pig more max.

One of my Mum's friends has two sows guinea pigs, around 9 months, who live outside. Their hutch has a thermal cover and is roughly 100cm long and 2 levels.

Her friend has three kids who I would say are are 8, 5 and 3. Their Mum does all the work and the guinea pigs never get handled and are so skittish even though they have had them for 8 months.

Their Mum threatened to rehome them and they didn't fuss!

So basically they invited me round to see their piggies and the Mum was so impressed at how I looked after mine she asked me to take on hers. My Mum said I could only take one but it seemed a shame to split them up as my girls would bully her.

Then I looked on pets4homes and I saw a brown crested boar free to a good home because he and his brother were fighting. I don't want him to go to a bad home as he is free so if ai get him I would neuter hoping to go with my girlies.
If one of your piggies were neutered can you give me as much info about the topic as possible please and links would be very useful.

Which option do you think would be best? Getting a sow or a boar to be neutered.

Thanks very much,
Emily X
 
I don't know what to think personally, so I hope someone else can give advice, but I can give my opinion based on my own experience.
I have added to my piggy herd of sows several times (I started off with one sow, added another and I recently added my sixth piggy, though I've only had a maximum of four at any one time).
I won't bore you with all the details but I CAN say it's not always gone to plan.
Sows will not automatically accept a boar. If you introduce a boar it can only be done after six weeks post-neuter, and then it's down to luck of personalities. I currently have my herd now split, since one sow fell out with the other two, and rehomed a neutered boar with the thought that if it didn't work out with my lone sow he would probably be accepted by my sow pair. How wrong have I been! My lone sow sort-of accepts him, but they do seem to have an on-off relationship. He is the sweetest boar, so gentle and calm with her, but she gets stressed whenever he gets close. BUT she sometimes gets close to him on her choosing and gently nose-boops or snuggles with him. It works on her terms only, so it's not the best of matches to be honest, though he does seem to really like her.
One of my other girls though reacted by attacking him. Properly attacking him, so he absolutely cannot live with them. This is a sow who previously has accepted all other sows readily, easily and affectionately, so I had (wrongly) expected her to accept my boar. This example shows that sows will not automatically accept even the sweetest of boars.
Sows will usually accept each other but as my lone sow proves this is not always the case. It was difficult to integrate her, she lived with the others for a year and then fell out.

My view is that you are best off trying to take them 'dating'. Rescues will usually provide this service to help find the right piggy to fit in well with your existing pair, whether it be neutered boar or sow. I love your idea of rescuing that lovely boar that you have your eye on, but you would be leaving it down to luck. You could have a blissful herd, a fractious but ok herd, or you may not be able to have him live with your pair at all, and then you have to come up with some kind of solution.

If you cannot 'date' your piggies then adding another baby (sow) will usually work well. She will very likely automatically be seen as not a threat and will be bottom of the pecking order quite naturally. This status is likely to continue throughout their time together but may change. Again rescues often have babies :) A new baby will often be 'shown her place' and it doesn't look very pleasant, but they soon settle.
 
Last edited:
Thanks so much for your replies. Would you be able to tell me who you voted for in my poll as the computer is playing up and normally I can see who voted for who. I think 2 people have voted for sow and one person has voted for a neutered boar.
 
I really don't know what to suggest as bonding really depends on each piggys character and not on their gender so I can't imagine a neutered boar or sow would provide much difference. I would think carefully about how it might impact your current pigs as I originally started with Bumble and Bea (Bea being bossy and non cuddly, whereas Bumble wanted to cuddle up with her pal). Bumble was getting injuries from being kicked away etc so I decided to get Peter and have him neutered. The neutering went absolutely swimmingly with no problems at all, as did the bonding session. However, it was this moment that Bea decided to go cuddly and take Peter as her husboar leaving poor Bumble out on a limb with no one to cuddle up to so I ended up getting a 4th pig after that. I could not in a million years have predicted how in love Bea & Peter would have become and it was an adorable partnership but it did leave one poor piggy more isolated.
 
I'm not sure what to suggest in terms of the pigs. It will largely come down to personality matches.

My 4 girls sleep in the Rose Cottage at night. During the day they have a large run area :)

I'm currently renovating the bottom of my garden as an area dedicated for them. The hutch will be extended and a permenant run area on their own grass patch! :)

I wouldn't happily house any more than 2 or 3 in the Rose Cottage as a permenant home.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
 
I personally wouldn't take one from a bonded pair.I would advise dating as you may be putting him through the stress of neutering for nothing.
 
I think it depends on the personality of the piggie rather than whether it's a sow or boar! :) good on you for thinking it all through before rushing into anything :)
 
(Michelle) When I had piggies myself I added a neutered boar to 3 bonded sows and it all went fine. Introduce them and supervise their 'date'. Living accommodation as much space as possible is always best with plenty of hiding places.
 
If your parents would let you take both of the sows, I would say of those 3 options to try that one. You could perhaps try them together in a neutral environment but remember that there will be natural squabbling to sort out pecking order.

There are lots of things to think about though - more piggies increases likelihood of vet treatments being needed and are your parents going to be ok with that? Are you able to save money to create an emergency fund? Others have said to think carefully about how many to house in your hutch - you know how much time you might be able to give them out of the hutch which should help you decide on that. More piggies also equals bigger amounts of fresh hay required and fresh veg, of course.

I know you know all these things because you are great at taking care of your piggies and obviously really care. I only mention them because I'm often tempted to take on more piggies (we've got room!) but have come to realise that I might be ok right now but I need to just enjoy the ones we've got (and save up for vets bills just in case!). If we take on any more, I'd be too busy constantly cleaning out and working to earn money to actually enjoy them.

Good luck with your decisions!
 
I have a neutered boar and he gets on fine with my girls. But I wouldn't put him through that if possible. And I wouldn't take one pig from a bonded pair. I am just saying what others have said. You could look in some rescues and save piggys life.
 
Thanks both of you.
I am in Farnham and my local rescue has no guinea pigs. Does anyone know of any other rescues near me?
In the night my piggies (4 or 3 piggies )would go in the rose cottage and in the day they would go in a diy massive playpen made from wood and mesh that is 200 x 200cm.
Would this be okay?
 
Neutering I've heard can be dangerous and stressful to the pig so don't get the male and taking a bonded pair and splitting them up is kinda cruel in my opinion Id go with the dating idea I just did this with my two males and it went super well. Hope it all works out the best for you and your piggies :luv::luv:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top