Three’s a crowd

DevonElvis

DevonElvis

New Born Pup
Joined
Mar 21, 2021
Messages
5
Reaction score
4
Points
40
Location
Witheridge
Hi All, when we bought our daughter her guinea pigs we were told they should always be in pairs and don’t like being solitary. When we went to the pet shop they had three we were told were brothers housed together, couldn’t bear to leave one so bought all three. The hutch is fairly large, ultimately they run wild around the garden. Recently two of them have turned on the other one. The first time he suffered bad cuts so we built and extension on the hutch so we could separate them. Now the two still run around the garden and sleep in the same side of the hutch together. The other has become reclusive. I want him to have freedom again again too, though he shows no interest in leaving his side. If I open both doors the other two go into his side and turf him out and occupy his side, he’ll be found in a corner of the garden cowering. I don’t know if I should let nature take its course and a pecking order be established, re-home the bullied one or just keep them separated. Help! They are around 30 months old.
 
:wel:
Sadly three boars together doesn’t tend to work out favourably for the long term. Boars really need to be kept in pairs only. Attempting three usually means fights occur and they need to be permanently separated. Very rarely you’ll get a functioning trio but they are in the minority. It’s incredibly difficult to get a trio to function as getting the character compatibility is very difficult, plus the space it requires is huge (any cage they are locked into needs to cover at least three square metres)

Now they have fallen out, please ensure they are kept separate at all times. You unfortunately cannot leave a door open and let them wander into each other sides. This will be seen as a territory invasion and will cause further fights but as they don’t like each other, then they will not want to be together.

Your single boy will need either to be kept single but permanently side by side with the pair so they can interact through the bars only - no run time together, or any physical contact at all. Or, to have his own new live in friend (ideally a new friend found via boar dating at a rescue centre); or you do mention rehoming, that is of course something only you can consider. if he is rehomed, then ideally surrender him to a rescue as he will then be bonded with another single boar and rehomed.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
 
Last edited:
Hi, pecking order won’t be re-established boar trios rarely work and sadly thus has happened here. The forum is full of stories of pet stores selling trios of boys.

Please don’t re introduce as this could result in serious fatal injury
 
Piggies&buns said:
:wel:
Sadly three boars together doesn’t tend to work out favourably for the long term. Boars really need to be kept in pairs only. Attempting three usually means fights occur and they need to be permanently separated. Very rarely you’ll get a functioning trio but they are in the minority. It’s incredibly difficult to get a trio to function as getting the character compatibility is very difficult, plus the space it requires is huge (any cage they are locked into needs to cover at least three square metres)

Now they have fallen out, please ensure they are kept separate at all times. You unfortunately cannot leave a door open and let them wander into each other sides. This will be seen as a territory invasion and will cause further fights but as they don’t like each other, then they will not want to be together.

Your single boy will need either to be kept single but permanently side by side with the pair so they can interact through the bars only - no run time together, or any physical contact at all. Or, to have his own new live in friend (ideally a new friend found via boar dating at a rescue centre); or you do mention rehoming, that is of course something only you can consider. if he is rehomed, then ideally surrender him to a rescue as he will then be bonded with another single boar and rehomed.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Click to expand...
Thank you. That’s just the sort of advice I needed, at the moment they are separated by a wire mesh partition, while the pair have a roaming life, the bullied one hasn’t but appears to be very healthy.
 
I completely understand why you didn't want to leave him behind and it sounds like he was happy until the trouble started whereas he would have been very upset alone in the pet shop. Some boars are happy with through-the-bars neighbours: so they can see each other and interact through the bars but feel secure that no-one is going to invade 'their' territory but it sounds like your lad isn't one of them. My big boy on the left (George) was a third boar who got picked on by his brothers and he was surrendered to the Blue Cross in Tiverton where he was neutered (they nearly always are) and we got him. He's with sows now and living his best life☺

You've got a few choices. One is to surrender to a reputable rescue where he will likely go the same route as George. If you are going to keep him he should be separate from the other pair at all times and this includes 'running wild' as even if they're not actually fighting nobody's going to be happy about it***. He will also need a friend for company - your best bet here is to find a rescue that does 'boar dating' and they will try and match him with a friend. You can't really go for a sow - even if you get him neutered, and then wait the required 6 weeks for everything to clear, there's no guarantee she won't fight him (as poor George found out when Zara arrived!) and her scent can make the other two fight each other as well! A baby boar would most likely suit in the short term as your number 3 will be the dominant boy but there's unfortunately no guarantee that they will still get on as baby hits his teenage years - they might, they might not - but if you're in love with him it's one way to go. Double and triple check the sex of the new arrival though! (Guides at the top of the page on the green bar are very useful here!)

***I've got the same problem this summer as George was attacked by Zara who hates his guts so my two pairs will have to be kept separate outside as well as in. My patch is so tiny I'm thinking pen in my sow pair on the grass and let my boar/sow pair circle them. George's new pal Flora is the lively one - the others are getting on a bit!

Good luck!
 
Thank you, I’m in Witheridge, I’m offering ‘Elvis’ to a good home in the village but if there’s nobody suitable I’ll have to consider a rescue. Thank you.
 
Sorry you find yourself in this situation. I think this is why boars get such a bad reputation. Boar pairs can be lovely but a trio rarely works. I'm happy you've found the forum though. The advice given above is very good. Maybe our rescue locator could help if you want to find him a friend through boar dating or put him up for adoption.
 
It's nearly always better to go through a rescue as they will be able to check any new home is suitable and make sure he is safe and well matched with any future friends. Sadly there are people out there who may be inclined to buy Guinea pigs for the wrong reasons such as snake food or human food. And not every pet owner is willing to do what it takes to give them a good life.
 
:agr: Sorry your boar trio didn’t work - I can completely sympathise that you didn’t want to leave one behind! I would also suggest a rescue, at least you’ll know your boy is going to a home that has been checked etc. You don’t live far from me and there are quite a few smaller rescues that are recommended on the forum that aren’t too far that will ensure he goes to a lovely new home.

Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
 
So sorry to hear your boar trio didn’t work out. Please look into surrendering the solo to a rescue. Otherwise, the fate of piggies given away on free sites varies tremendously. He could end up in another unhappy bond and moved from home to home or injured. A rescue will help to find him a suitable bond or neuter him so he can live with a sow. And they will vet his new home to check it is suitable.
 
Thanks, we live in a small village so would have an idea of the home he was going to. I’ve looked at the rescue places listed and they all seem a fair way from EX16 8AH - he’s well and happy at the moment ( isolated ) so I’m not just going to ditch him, there will be a lump in my throat when he goes!
 
Fair enough, if you can do your own home checking that’s great. But are you thinking of giving him away as a solo to live alone or are you thinking of trying to do a bonding session with another family’s piggy to go to be part of a pair in a new home? I suppose because I help run a rescue I tend to see more of the solo boars, some of who have lived alone for many years and can be truly depressed by being alone. That’s why we run a boar dating service and a neutering programme for boars we can’t bond with other boars.
 
Aw, you sound so lovely, not wanting to leave one behind but pet shops really should not sell 3 boars together, they should have responsibility for giving you the best chance of success.

I think surrendering to a rescue feels worse than finding a home yourself but it will give him the best chance of a really happy future. As you travel the forum you will see what funny little characters they can be and how difficult it can be to bond them. Rescues have lots of time, space and piggies to pair them up with for a really stable happy bond. Rehoming yourself either risks another situation where he is unhappy like you had, or him being alone. As a herd animal this doesn’t suit.

Theres a good chance at a rescue he will end up neutered and with at least one wife.... oh yes...
 
I’m more than happy to let him go to a rescue if anyone can point me in the direction of one near me. Like I said he’s healthy and happy when he’s not with the other two. I’m not going to let him go just anywhere and only want the best future for him.
 
Welcome to the forum.
So sorry you have found yourself in this situation.
I know we have members who live in the south who may know a good rescue @Bill & Ted ?
There’s a couple in the Bristol area too, I believe.
My geography of Devon is pretty useless so I don’t know how far you are from Bristol if there’s nothing closer.
Hope you do find a lovely home for your boy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top