Who should I seperate?

[wind1]

I have 6 girlies living as a group in one hutch. This has been a temporary arrangement for the last couple of months while I sorted out other hutches. They were originally in a group of four and a pair. I now want to seperate two of them into a new hutch. The obvious choice would be the two which lived together before but these are the oldest two at 4 and 3. So as much as I don't want to think about it the 4 year old is likely to go first :0 which would leave one on her own. She would then have to get used to living with another or being intergrated back into the group of 4. Confused yet? I am!
My other option is to take two of the group of four all aged around a year and have all lived together since babies. Then the older pair would stay with the other two younger ones.
What should I do?

 

[Wiebke]

Have you noticed any special friendships? Your consideration that it will be easier on the remaining guinea pigs if their is still another companion is a very valid one.

I couldn't help but register how much of a relief for me it was that Llewelyn was very sad when his five year old lady died this summer, but he didn't pine thanks to his two remaining young ladies.

If your two older girls are getting on really well you might not wish to separate them, but perhaps you could have two younger girls with the two older ones and a group of two young girls? I would think about the group dynamics before you make the split.

That said - there is no guarantee that one of the young ones won't fall ill and die first....

Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[Nickylowe40]

could you not keep the group together?

I have a group of 10 girls, that live together very happily. they have a large enclosure with a child play house, 2 double hutches and a single. The only time they are put in their hutches is of a night time, but its lovely to see them all running round together x

 

[wind1]

Space does not allow me to keep them all together. The hutches are in a shed, there is also another hutch with 3 girls in. I also have a rabbit living free range in the shed so there is no room for a space big enough for all 6 girls to stay together. I think I am going to put the older 2 on thier own as they are very quiet girls and led a very peaceful life together before I put them in with the youngsters. They all get along well but I'm thinking they may like thier peace and quiet again.

 

[Wiebke]

As the girls are getting on well now, there is every chance that they will get on later in life.