The Best Coupling?

[heavenlydemonick]

I'm just curious for future reference but what kind of piggy couples tend to work out the best? 2 males? 2 females? A male and a female? I know it mostly depends on the pigs specific personality but is there one that works better than others?

 

[JoBo]

I personally think that a neutered male and a few females works really well. Alternatively i would recommend 2 girls together. Everyone else on here will have different opinions though xx

 

[Freela]

My only experience is two sows together. We've had that arrangement twice and it worked well both times. We first had Linney and Frenzy- Linney was always the dominant pig and although she and Frenzy would have the odd squabble they got along well. Frenzy passed away so we paired Linney up with a younger sow, Sundae- Linney was very excited to have company again and Sundae is extremely laid back, so they get along very well (better than our original pair, really.)

 

[Wiebke]

I have had a few combinations. But, provided the pairs are based on mutual liking, they can all work out - the salient point is that the piggies have to take to each other right from the beginning for best results. Sadly, that is not something shops or most breeders are interested in or have the time/experience for!

My favourite combination is a neutered boar - sow combination. But I have had two successful girl pairs as well; letting my bereaved sow choose her next friend at a rescue meant that the second pairing was as loving as the first.

Boar pairs can be absolutely lovely - there is nothing as cuddly as a laid back boar! If they are carefully bonded, they can be as delightful as any other couple. Just chucking together two shop youngsters can be a recipe for disaster come the stroppy hormones time! Either go for two well bonded adults or try to let an adult boar choose a baby friend himself; the age difference means that only one boar will be a hormonal teenager and the dominance is much clearer and not so much an issue - it makes for a much more stable companionship.

My current Tribe has started out with a 3 1/2 year old sow and her 12 months old "toy boy" - both now sadly gone. But it was a very devoted relationship until my old lady passed away, aged 5! It was another rescue dating success.

 

[Ananda]

I have had a few combinations. But, provided the pairs are based on mutual liking, they can all work out - the salient point is that the piggies have to take to each other right from the beginning for best results. Sadly, that is not something shops or most breeders are interested in or have the time/experience for!

My favourite combination is a neutered boar - sow combination. But I have had two successful girl pairs as well; letting my bereaved sow choose her next friend at a rescue meant that the second pairing was as loving as the first.

Boar pairs can be absolutely lovely - there is nothing as cuddly as a laid back boar! If they are carefully bonded, they can be as delightful as any other couple. Just chucking together two shop youngsters can be a recipe for disaster come the stroppy hormones time! Either go for two well bonded adults or try to let an adult boar choose a baby friend himself; the age difference means that only one boar will be a hormonal teenager and the dominance is much clearer and not so much an issue - it makes for a much more stable companionship.

My current Tribe has started out with a 3 1/2 year old sow and her 12 months old "toy boy" - both now sadly gone. But it was a very devoted relationship until my old lady passed away, aged 5! It was another rescue dating success.

Hi, this is what I am getting today so it was a good read. Wiebke, what do you mean by letting the sow choose her next friend at a rescue? thanks

 

[Wiebke]

We call it "piggy dating".

Whenever a piggy of mine died - back when I could only have a pair - I would ring around all rescues we could get to and ask them whether they had a suitable candidate (or more) in.

I'd usually visit the rescue first that had more than one. I would go round with my piggy on my arm and let her sniff the piggies to meet, then let my piggy meet the piggy where there had been most interest under the strict supervision of the rescue lady. I was lucky - the first intro always worked out great for me. Once with introducing two three year old bereaved sows and once letting my middle aged Dizzy choose between three already neutered boars. The age gap is not as much of a major issue as long as the chemistry is there! It could have been a baby sow, too...

I am also lucky in that I have several rescues that allow piggy dating within a reasonable distance of about 1 hour's (plus/minus) drive. If it hadn't worked out the first time, I would have continued with my search until I had found a good match.

 

[CiaraPatricia]

I think if you're getting new baby guinea pigs from somewhere then I'd go for two sows. Two boars usually works fine (though sometimes better if you pair a grown up one with a baby, rather than two babies), but boars are still more likely to fight than sows. Sows almost always get along

If you're getting a boar who is already neutered then I'd get a sow to be his friend. But I wouldn't neuter a boar just to be kept with a sow, unless he really hated other boars. Because you could just get two sows instead, or try to bond the boar with another boar, instead of putting him through an operation that could be risky

 

[Wiebke]

Some rescues neuter their single boars, and sometimes you can find already bonded pairs in rescues, too.

Bonded boar pairs from a rescue are MUCH less likely to fall out because their compatibility has been taken into account. You will also always have recourse to the rescue if you run into problems. It is not as easy if you live where there a few rescues that can do a good deal of the bonding work for you.