When can they live together

[guineapigsh]

Hello, I am currently bonding three guinea pigs. They’ve had a lot of small scuffles and other normal bonding things. Although they seem to get annoyed everyone they pass each other, I’ve also caught them all laying down together multiple times. I’m not sure when to let them live together, unsupervised

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, I am currently bonding three guinea pigs. They’ve had a lot of small scuffles and other normal bonding things. Although they seem to get annoyed everyone they pass each other, I’ve also caught them all laying down together multiple times. I’m not sure when to let them live together, unsupervised

Hi!

What gender are you bonding and how long have they been in the bonding area?

 

[guineapigsh]

Hi!

What gender are you bonding and how long have they been in the bonding area?

Males, and I’ve started by switching their beds do they get used to each other’s scent, etc. I’ve let them play together and eat treats for a couple hours a day, which has been going on for three days now

 

[Hbrown226]

Males, and I’ve started by switching their beds do they get used to each other’s scent, etc. I’ve let them play together and eat treats for a couple hours a day, which has been going on for three days now

Unfortunately male trios rarely ever work.

 

[Wiebke]

Males, and I’ve started by switching their beds do they get used to each other’s scent, etc. I’ve let them play together and eat treats for a couple hours a day, which has been going on for three days now

Hi!

Please be aware that every time you abort the bonding process with boars, they have to start from scratch again.
Once you commit, you have to see through the whole complex bonding process (acceptance, leadership sort-out, hierarchy sort out, which happens in rounds with resting phases in between) in one go until they gel or the bonding fails. After that follows the roughly two weeks dominance phase in which the group is fully established in its territory; during that time you see more dominance behaviours as the relationship between your boys is establishes.
Keep in mind that every time you abort the process prematurely, it is very frustrating for your piggies. They don't do play time; for guinea pigs every meeting is a full-on bonding session.

Give them a couple more hours to settle down together before you move them into the neutralised pen but it looks like they want to be together. If in doubt, leave them where they are overnight.

Please follow the advice in our comprehensive illustrated bonding guide: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Be aware that sub-adult boar trios have a very high fail rate of (ca. 90%) once the boys hit the teenage months unless their personalities are really well balanced out. Trios in any combination are the most difficult constellation to get right and the most likely to end up with an outsider problem of some sort. Boars do best either in pairs or in large bachelor groups with lots of space (and I mean LOTS).
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?