trying to bond 3 girls and a boy!

[guineamad]

Have read as much as I can, and have pretty much got an idea of what to expect. My 3 girls are all less than 6 months, and we have found a neutered boy also 6 months to try and bond with the girls. We are going to bring them all into the kitchen in the large run, newspaper and a few hiding places, some food, and keep everything crossed it goes ok. Clean the hutch, and add and move things around. Now I know from my rabbits that the boys can get a bit excitedx)...and that the girls will decide when and how to tell him off!:{ Is this quite an easy process with pigs? or like the rabbits, I had to keep going at it for 2 months!

His owner has said he does nip, not bite just nip, he has recovered from his op, and she just feels he needs a herd of his own.drool

they will meet for the first time this week, and as his owner is travelling to us I wanted to make sure I do as much as I can to make it an easy process for her to say goodbye as what it is for him to join the herd.

any tips/ advice would be much apapreciated, have done 3 successful bunny bonds, but never pigs!

 

[popcorn paradise]

My advice would be to keep him away from your girls for atleast 4 weeks as you never know for sure how long its been since he has been done, you dont want any babys on your hands.

With most bonds it will be apparent from the word go if they will get on or not. If they fight and bite each other seperate and try again later.

Odds are they willl be fine, the odd rumble to sort who is boss.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Good on you for asking!

Your boy has to wait at least 4, ideally 6 weeks after the operation in order to make sure that really all tadpoles have dried up. While the percentages are coming down a lot after four weeks, the odd "golden shot" is known to have been fired at five weeks after the op. It can help with overreacting if you can keep the boy where he can interact with his future girls through the bars for a while.

I have collected tips for introductions in this thread here:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38562

Make sure that all hides have two exits, so the girls can escape from a randy boy. Some bondings go very smoothly with a minimum of fuss, others can be quite wild. In one case, a member had a randy boy for several weeks (but she bonded him with ten girls). My Llewelyn went completely overboard with his first wife for two whole days before he found the on switch for his brain again.

The girls will be wheeking and squealing a lot, so don't be put off by that. At that age, you do not have to fear that any girl will attack a male like it can sometimes happen with older "maiden aunts".

Prepare for lots of chasing, humping (a boy in the grip of testosterone is not fussy which end of the girl he's got old of, poor sod!), rumbling and wheeking. Aggression, if any at all, will happen right at the beginning and will come from the girls, as it's them who call the shots.

Ideally give them a few hours in run before you put them into the hutch.

Best of luck!

 

[flintstones]

Wiebke has pretty much covered everything... I just want to say good luck xx.

I have bonded 2 males, which was hell..... I then bonded my boy with 2 18 month bonded sows. It was amazingly easy, I had no humping, lots of Brrrr, and some squeaking . They all now live happily together x).

 

[guineamad]

Thanks everyone, good job you mentioned the 4 weeek rule, with rabbits it was only 10 days so I would have assumed the same for the guinea pigs, still trying to check up on how long it has been since the op, even if I have to wait am probably still going to have him and keep him in a cage for a few weeks, and introduce him to the girls from behind bars!|)

will let you know how it goes!

 

[guineamad]

Wow, we have a new herd mate! he was neutered beginning of feb, so we bought the girls into the house, set up the run and introduced Percy. Went brilliantly, he must have thought he had gone to heaven.@)

There was some chasing and mounting, nothing to bad, and absolutely no signs of aggression. They all fed together and after a while all decided to have a lie down and rest.

This morning, there are still no signs of aggressions, all look very happy, when I came down it was soooo quiet! so I sneaked in and all 4 were huddled up in the pig bed ( a big pyramid shaped soft cat bed). Understandably he is still a bit nervous of me, but he was so close to taking food out of my hand, won't be long I am sure.xx>>>

Now they have all gone back to bed.zzz

Am so happy for all the pigs that it went so well, thanks for all the advice peeps, much appreciated.|)|)

 

[Wiebke]

I am glad that everything went without a hitch! Percy must be in piggy heaven indeed! I am sure that he'll pick up his clues from the girls soon and becomes more courageous!