What to do now?

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Max&Ruby

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I just tried to put my bonded pair Max(neutered boar) and Ruby(sow) together with our new comer Reily(sow) for the first time. Reily went after and almost bit Ruby. While I was grabbing Reily with a towel to remove her, Max lunged at her making a noise Ive never heard before, hard to explain, but it was a very low pitch. Ruby is fine, shook up but just fine physically.

I am mad at myself for thinking she would get along with the other two. Max and Ruby bonded instantly, figure they all three would to without a problem. I don't want Reily living alone, but not in a position to get another pig. Then what if her and new comer don't bond? My current living situation is a little one bedroom apartment, with my daughter and I, we are already really cramped as it is, so space is a major factor. What to do now?
 
Were they introduced in a neutral area?
I posted this on your other thread. Re-posting it here.

For introduction, you can put their cage next to each other once the quarantine is over. I won't put them together until you get the new cage ready. Don't put any of them in the new cage until you do the intro so the new cage will not be anyone's territory.

Once the new cage is ready, introduce all of them on neutral area (none of them have been to, and no guinea pigs scent in the area). Monitor them for a few hours, if they get along, put them in the new cage and keep them together. Don't keep separating them and putting back together. They will have to go over their dominance each time you put them together.

Here are some useful guides on introduction.
http://cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm#Introductions

This one is written for boars intros, but it's really useful for any gender. Since boars are harder to introduce, you can apply to sows too.
http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46468


Edit to add:
This is from the introduction info on cavyspirit website:
Safe, non- combative, dominance behavior
Rumblestrutting
Butt sniffing
Butt nudging
Chasing
Butt dragging (they are leaving their scent)
Mounting (any which way: rear mount, head mount, side mount, flying leap mount!)
Nose face-offs (higher in the air wins, one must lower their nose to be subservient to the other)
Teeth chattering: a little (signal of dominance)
Raised hackles (hair on the back of the neck and along the spine)

Posturing for possible attack, battle for dominance is escalating
Teeth chattering: sustained (signal of anger, aggression, warning)
Nips, light bites, may result in little tufts of fur in their teeth
Wide yawn, but this is no yawn, they are showing their teeth
Snorting (like a strong puff or hiss)

These behaviors may sound serious and they should be monitored VERY CLOSELY, BUT do NOT separate the pigs exhibiting this behavior, yet. This is when the average pet owner loses it and pulls the pig out. Most of the time, this behavior will continue for a while until one backs down.

Fighting with intent to harm
Bite attacks are no longer warning nips, they are lunges with intent to harm.
Combination of raised hackles, loud and angry teeth chattering, rumblestrutting in place with the head staying in one position while facing the other guinea pig doing the same thing. Usually a signal of a biting attack. But they may back down before they engage.
Both pigs rear up on their haunches, face to face. This is a clear, brief signal of their intent to launch full attacks at each other. Separate if possible before the attack.
Full battle. The pigs are locked together in a vicious ball of fur. This is very serious. Separate immediately, but be careful. Throw a towel over them and use a dustpan or something other than your hand to separate them. Unintended bites from their very sharp incisors can cause serious damage.
Click to expand...
 
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Max&Ruby said:
I followed your advice to the tee. Set a new bigger area for them since neither cage is big enough. Put them in neutral zone.
Click to expand...

well I guess I shouldn't have separated them so soon. Just don't want anyone of my pigs getting hurt, even by another one. mallethead How long should I wait until I try this again? Or should I try it again?
 
Give them a break and try to bond them again. It looks far worse then it is. It is only if they draw blood that you have to separate and cannot possibly bond them. You do have to face the possibility that they will not bond and you may have to find a friend for the newcomer. I know all about lack of space as I have a studio flat. I got rid of my television to give my girls more space. :(|)
 
I got rid of my kitchen table and have them set up in there now. I was telling someone about the situation at work and was over heard by a lovely school teacher from the school down the street, she asked if it didn't work out if I would possibly let her have Reily as a classroom pet. I told her I would see how things go, but I am not sure I really want that for Reily. Going to put them next to each other so they can hopefully bond a little between bars.
 
Please do not let Reily be a classroom pet. It is such an unsuitable environment for a guinea pig. He would be so scared from all the noises and the children are not going to know how to handle him.
 
that was my polite way of saying no. I just didn't want to say no, she is such a wonderful teacher, always buying her class candy and ice cream, when she runs into students at the store she always takes the time to talk to them on a personal level. If it doesn't work out, my close friend will more than likely take her, but I insisted on getting a younger female to pair her with. Well more than insisted, told she had in order to take her. She lives in the same apartments I do so it would be really easy to keep an eye on her. My friend would adore her and give her all the time in the world, where I would have to split my time between the three or four of them. I am considering moving back home with my Dad, if I do I will have the space, and extra money to make sure they all get a truly wonderful huge set up. My Dad has the tools that I could really build them a nice bad ass custom cage, which I am dying to do.
 
i remember one of my teachers in kindergarten having a bunny she brought in from home every Friday. She would let him run the classroom while we all worked quietly at our desk, but none of us were allowed to handle or pet him.
 
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