Senior sow with young boar?

[gayfurryclown]

Hi hi

This is a hypothetical just because I’m curious and wanna learn more.
Say you’ve got a senior sow who’s recently been bereaved, her former mate was another sow. Would it be out of the question to try bonding her with a younger boar?

I know dominant piggies (most often) have one or more of the following traits:
- Older
- Bigger
- Boar

In this case, I imagine the sow would be bigger and, of course, older. Would this be a bad clash with a young boar? How do y’all with more Guinea pig experience see this turning out? Again, I’m just curious, this is not something I’m considering attempting

Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

A bond comes down to compatibility, not necessarily physical size or age.

So, no, bonding an older sow with a younger boar is absolutely not out of the question. Or is entirely likely that she could be the dominant in the pairing - being the boar does not always mean they will definitely be the dominant.

Albeit with two boars but I have, a few months ago, bonded my bereaved 6.5 year old boar (popcorn) one of my other boars (Wilbur) who was not yet 2 years old. Wilbur is the dominant of their pairing, he is physically smaller and obviously considerably younger .
Popcorn was the dominant in his previous pairing. Wilbur was also dominant in his previous (failed) pairing (both Wilbur and Hugo (who lives beside popcorn and Wilbur) hence why Hugo and Wilbur’s bond failed.

Popcorn is simply more about companionship now than hierarchy and happily let Wilbur take charge

 

[Eriathwen]

I recently lost my Tilly who was a few weeks off turning 9, she was bonded to a baby boy in her last few months and absolutely loved him, there was almost exactly 8 years between their ages! She had ovarian cysts so was quite hormonal but that didn't seem to phase him, he adored her and was always cuddled up with her even when she would rumble and mount him
I've less extreme examples but the majority of neutered boars I've added have been youngsters to established herds with larger, older females and it's pretty much always worked well.

It depends entirely on personalities, but neutered males and females are the easiest bonds I've ever done.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi hi

This is a hypothetical just because I’m curious and wanna learn more.
Say you’ve got a senior sow who’s recently been bereaved, her former mate was another sow. Would it be out of the question to try bonding her with a younger boar?

I know dominant piggies (most often) have one or more of the following traits:
- Older
- Bigger
- Boar

In this case, I imagine the sow would be bigger and, of course, older. Would this be a bad clash with a young boar? How do y’all with more Guinea pig experience see this turning out? Again, I’m just curious, this is not something I’m considering attempting

Thank you!

Hi

In my own - ample experience - it all comes down to a) whether a bereaved older sow is open to a new companionship or not (by far not all are) and b) personality compatibility and mutual liking.

I have adopted plenty of non-dominant and lovel natured neutered boars of all ages between 5 months to 5 years who were a total fail upon introduction and have ended up a couple of times with two anti-social sows bonding over their shared outlook.
My highly fear-aggressive Dryw now lives with two runty rescue-born babies I introduced shortly before her then ca. 8 years old 'daddy boar' Pioden passed from old age.
A few old ladies lived out their lives with next door company through the bars and by feuding with their neighbours - still social stimulation of sorts...

Unfortunately, you can never predict the dynamics between two personalities until they meet face to face. If you have to get a piggy on spec and cannot speed date them before you bring the newbie home then you will always have to have a plan B with a divided or adjoining cage for company through the bars allowing full level interaction (scent/pheromones, body language and vocalising) at all times.

If you have the space, getting a couple of baby sow companions for a tricky older sow may sometimes be the best way forward. She may reject a single baby but two can do the trick. And if there is a rejection, then you would at least end up with a bonded young pair that should last you a goodly while and which you could introduce to a neutered boar while they still have the biological urges pushing them if you wish to.

PS: My 5 years old Tesni 'Sun-warmed' fell head over heels for 5 months old Gethin 'Dusky' after her daughter Tegan 'Little Beauty' (the surprise baby in my avatar picture on the left) comprehensively dumped him 2 hours into the bonding. Tesni and Gethin were later joined by her widowed litter sister Ffwlbri 'Moonlight'. I adopted baby Carys 'Love' after Tesni's death aged 7. Ffwlbri lived on for another year, not least because of the renewed zest of life lovely-natured Carys brought her.
Little Carys is now 6 years old and very arthritic; she has sadly lost both her female best friend and the two husboars since Gethin died aged 6 (two of those at a younger age to cancer and one older widowed boar).
Carys now lives in a widows group (none of them very dominant) with a dominant younger boar called Brangwyn 'White Raven' who is thankfully not oversexed and who has calmed down a lot since reaching adulthood a few months ago.

Gethin with Tegan just before Tegan sent him packing in the bonding pen (March 2016)


Tegan's mum Tesni with her 'toyboy' (their's was a trule love at first sniff match) (March 2016)


Gethin with old sisters Tesni and Ffwlbri in early 2018


Meeting baby Carys and Ffwlbri in September 2018


Carys with her new girlfriend Tegeirian 'Orchid', adopted to help her over several years older Gethin's eventual loss a year later (June 2020)


Widowed 'husboar' 2 years old Tudur (Tudor) 'Tribe Leader' with Heilin 'Generous' and Carys and Tegeirian in December 2022


Carys with Brangwyn and fellow widowed sows. (Heilin has sadly died a few weeks ago, aged 5, and Esme now lives next door with a more dominant younger widow who didn't gel with the group over who should be the First Lady)
Spring 2024




This here is another life story:
Baby Dryw 'Wren' with 8 years old Hedydd 'Skylark' (just days before her death) and then ca. 5 years old Pioden 'Magpie' in 2019.


2 years old Dryw being bonded with 2 baby girls, Llinos 'Linnet' and Lleian 'Smew', not long before Pioden's passing in November 2021 - the Pandemic prevented an earlier adoption


Since Dryw is not accepting any other piggies, they are still together as a trio. Dryw is no 5 years old and the two tiny cousins (600g on a good day) have just celebrated their 3rd birthday. I hope that my little firecrackers will manage to bond with Brangwyn after Dryw's death since they are only a year older than him. But any bets are off!


I hope that this gives you a bit of an idea? I assure that I have had plenty of bonding fails trying to match up bereaved older sows of mine until finding a new solution for most of them.

 

[gayfurryclown]

Hi

In my own - ample experience - it all comes down to a) whether a bereaved older sow is open to a new companionship or not (by far not all are) and b) personality compatibility and mutual liking.

I have adopted plenty of non-dominant and lovel natured neutered boars of all ages between 5 months to 5 years who were a total fail upon introduction and have ended up a couple of times with two anti-social sows bonding over their shared outlook.
My highly fear-aggressive Dryw now lives with two runty rescue-born babies I introduced shortly before her then ca. 8 years old 'daddy boar' Pioden passed from old age.
A few old ladies lived out their lives with next door company through the bars and by feuding with their neighbours - still social stimulation of sorts...

Unfortunately, you can never predict the dynamics between two personalities until they meet face to face. If you have to get a piggy on spec and cannot speed date them before you bring the newbie home then you will always have to have a plan B with a divided or adjoining cage for company through the bars allowing full level interaction (scent/pheromones, body language and vocalising) at all times.

If you have the space, getting a couple of baby sow companions for a tricky older sow may sometimes be the best way forward. She may reject a single baby but two can do the trick. And if there is a rejection, then you would at least end up with a bonded young pair that should last you a goodly while and which you could introduce to a neutered boar while they still have the biological urges pushing them if you wish to.

PS: My 5 years old Tesni 'Sun-warmed' fell head over heels for 5 months old Gethin 'Dusky' after her daughter Tegan 'Little Beauty' (the surprise baby in my avatar picture on the left) comprehensively dumped him 2 hours into the bonding. Tesni and Gethin were later joined by her widowed litter sister Ffwlbri 'Moonlight'. I adopted baby Carys 'Love' after Tesni's death aged 7. Ffwlbri lived on for another year, not least because of the renewed zest of life lovely-natured Carys brought her.
Little Carys is now 6 years old and very arthritic; she has sadly lost both her female best friend and the two husboars since Gethin died aged 6 (two of those at a younger age to cancer and one older widowed boar).
Carys now lives in a widows group (none of them very dominant) with a dominant younger boar called Brangwyn 'White Raven' who is thankfully not oversexed and who has calmed down a lot since reaching adulthood a few months ago.

Gethin with Tegan just before Tegan sent him packing in the bonding pen (March 2016)
View attachment 256507

Tegan's mum Tesni with her 'toyboy' (their's was a trule love at first sniff match) (March 2016)
View attachment 256508

Gethin with old sisters Tesni and Ffwlbri in early 2018
View attachment 256509

Meeting baby Carys and Ffwlbri in September 2018
View attachment 256510

Carys with her new girlfriend Tegeirian 'Orchid' to help her over several years older Gethin's loss (June 2020)
View attachment 256511

Widowed 'husboar' 2 years old Tudur (Tudor) 'Tribe Leader' with Heilin 'Generous' and Carys and Tegeirian in December 2022
View attachment 256530

Carys with Brangwyn and fellow widowed sows. (Heilin has sadly died a few weeks ago, aged 5, and Esme now lives next door with a more dominant younger widow who didn't gel with the group over who should be the First Lady)
Spring 2024
View attachment 256512



This here is another life story:
Baby Dryw 'Wren' with 8 years old Hedydd 'Skylark' (just days before her death) and then ca. 5 years old Pioden 'Magpie' in 2019.
View attachment 256515

2 years old Dryw being bonded with 2 baby girls, Llinos 'Linnet' and Lleian 'Smew', not long before Pioden's passing in November 2021 - the Pandemic prevented an earlier adoption
View attachment 256529

Since Dryw is not accepting any other piggies, they are still together as a trio. Dryw is no 5 years old and the two tiny cousins (600g on a good day) have just celebrated their 3rd birthday. I hope that my little firecrackers will manage to bond with Brangwyn after Dryw's death since they are only a year old then him. But any bets are off!View attachment 256527


I hope that this gives you a bit of an idea? I assure that I have had plenty of bonding fails trying to match up bereaved older sows of mine until finding a new solution for most of them.

Wow. Thank you so much for this wonderful response. All your pigs are beautiful and must’ve had a sweet life to live 8 whole years. I love all these names so much. Your adoration for these little creatures is clear enough for the blind to see.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. <3

 

[Wiebke]

Wow. Thank you so much for this wonderful response. All your pigs are beautiful and must’ve had a sweet life to live 8 whole years. I love all these names so much. Your adoration for these little creatures is clear enough for the blind to see.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. <3

Thank you. I do love all my piggies past and present. The piggy names are all Welsh.

Considering that Hedydd and her sister (or half-sister) Heulwen 'Sunshine' were both rescued as babies from a "cats' takeaway" free roaming uncontrolled backyard multiplying situation, it is amazing - Heulwen also died around her own 8th birthday just a bit earlier that summer (2011-19). Hedydd was still nursing when they came out of that place but Heulwen needed to sit out a 10 weeks pregnancy watch in rescue because she must have been the only survivor from the first litter (Hedydd was the only surviving baby from hers. Their mother went on to give birth to 6 more very similar looking girls in rescue but neither their mother nor several of those sisters lived long. They have come here all the way from South Wales as playmates for my surprise baby Tegan 'Little Beauty'- she's the baby in my avatar on the left and also lived to the 8th anniversary of her inception if sadly not her 8th birth birthday but she beat her aunt Ffwlbri by a matter of a few days to become my then longest serving Tribe piggy. I lost Heulwen, Ffwlbri (pronounced Fullbree), Tegan and Hedydd in the space of less than 3 months.

You can meet all my forum time piggies past and present via the Tribe Gallery link in my signature if you are interested. There are quite a few, each with their own life story.

Thread 'Wiebke's Tribe Photo Gallery'

Dec 10, 2021

This is a gallery of all the faces and stories of my current and past Tribe piggies. Wiebke's Tribe are specifically the guinea pigs I have had since I became a forum member in March 2009, which has roughly coincided with the start of my Tribe group adventure. I have had other piggies previously, both as a child and teenager and then again as an adult before I joined the forum.

My forum blog thread about my current piggies is in this thread here: Wiebke's Tribe - Sows and the City Boars

Since my Tribe founding patriarch was a guinea pig rescued in Wales called Llewelyn (who kept...

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