should I neuter my boar

[teddy]

I rescued a boar from a family in my area when he was 5 months old (he was originally from p@h) and I'm unsure what to do. He is just turned 7 months. He lives alone (my 2 sows and other boar live together). And i feel so bad having him on his own! as I want him to be as happy as possible and I think piggies should always have company. He is very friendly and always appears happy but he seems bored a lot and will run laps around the floor every night when he gets floor time! i really want him to have company

I need some advice or ideas what to do, ie. should I look into getting him neutered and pair him up with a sow? he is too old now to pair up with an older boar isn't he? I don't want to jump into anything as i want to make sure i make the right decision!

any help please

 

[piggyfan]

Aww he is so cute. Have you heard of boar dating? This is when you can take him into a rescue and he can choose his own friend. This means he will pick a friend and not fight with them. He is not too old to be paired up with a boar at all. It is a great idea to get him a friend as guinea pigs should never live alone.

 

[teddy]

yeah he is! I've heard of it but not sure if there is any where near me that does it. I'm in Aberdeenshire in scotland?

 

[piggyfan]

Check on the thread here which lists guinea pig rescues. You may have to travel but it will be so worth it. Also you may have a Blue Cross or RSPCA near you.

 

[teddy]

I've just emailed the New Arc rescue centre not too far from me. Not sure if they do boar dating but its worth a try for me to ask

 

[piggyfan]

Great idea. You can always post a thread on here asking if anybody has any boars near by whom you can take your little one dating.

 

[emmalala]

Boar dating is a good plan, or try a younger pig. They feel less threatend by them

 

[teddy]

so with him being 7 months, would my best option be a younger or an older guinea pig? and if they were younger would there be problems once the youngest boar reached 5/6 months?

 

[Connie]

Unfortunatly, unless your boar date their is always a risk of them not getting on when baby hits the hormones. If you can manage to travel, its definatly the best way to to.

 

[Wiebke]

Boar dating is your best option. I would try either of you have the possibility - a big age gap in either direction usually helps, but what is most important is whether the two boars "click". Your boy is right in the middle of the big hormones, so it is not the easiest age for bonding, but it is always worth trying first and it is definitely worth finding an experienced person to do it, even if this means travelling further.

If boar dating doesn't work out, you can always keep neutering as an option. Because of the fairly substantial risk of post op complications (finding an experienced vet is key), neutering is not something to be undertaken lightly.
Here is more information about neutering: http://www.cavyspirit.com/neutering.htm