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2 More Lovely Piggies But 1 Big problem..

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4Pigs

4Pigs

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Hi, I've just got 2 new editions to the herd , Poppy and Patch. They are both lovely, very talkative, eat straight from your hand as soon as they smell veggies and are brother and sister, that bit is the problem.
I got them from a lovely little farm who had few piggies, all were in brilliant shape and healthy. We arrived at the farm and instantly heard the familiar wheeking. The pigs were in an outtside run on the grass happily eating away. I was originaly going to only get one more but when I saw them I ended up getting 2. We were told they were both girls so we took them home.
Two days later I had the pigs out and saw Patch acting odly, he was making a low chuckling and circling Poppy, I picked him up and had a look at him. He looked different to Poppy. I read a few books, looked on the internet and anoyling found out that Patch was a boy not a girl (I'm glad I had called him Patch not Poppy as Poppy dosen't quite work as a boys name.)
At the moment I have Patch on his own in a loevly nice big cage with tonnes of hay(which he loves) and Poppy with Pinky and Perky (my other two pigs).
I can't get another pig at the moment and Patch can't go with the other three, I'm not sure if to get him neutered or leave him on his own (I dont like lonely pigs).:{:(
Any advice and help would be usefull
Thanks
 
Neutered with other pigs might be best, since he will be the only male they'll all worship him =] I don't think female pigs have as much rivalry as males.
 
I would also get him neutered as he can then go in with the three girls and as beautifilmuss said they girls will worship him and you wont have any worries about dominance as he will be the only male. You may want to keep a check on his sister as she maybe pregnant? If she was with male piggy's they may have caught her.
 
How old are Patch and Poppy?

Wioth your current set-up, I would recommend to have him neutered as well; but make sure that you find a good vet with lots of experience and wait at least 4-6 weeks afterwards to eliminate the chance of more accidents.

One male with several females comes closest to how guinea pigs live in the wild and are therefore wired for, so they will be very happy indeed. (I know for certain that my Llewelyn is!)

There is a strong chance that Poppy is pregnant, so you may be facing more piggies in about 10 weeks time.
Here is some info about pregnancy:
http://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html - also look up faqs

How to find a good vet:
http://www.guinealynx.info/vet.html
 
My Bo is a very happy neutered boy! Like Wiebke says, it's a natural way for them to live. I'm sure someone in the UK here on the forum will be able to recommend a good vet for the procedure.
 
Do you have a vet? Where abouts are you? There is a thread with a list of vets on it that Glynis put together. I had the same situation, thought they were both girls but they weren't and I had my boy neutered at the beginning of Oct at a practice in Sileby, Leicestershire. They are very good.
 
Thanks for all advice, this is very helpfull!
Poppy and Patch were about 8 week old when we got them and we have had them for about 4 weeks now. When we got them and noticed patch was a boy I wondered if poppy was pregnant as she is bigger and they are both fed the same amount (Ithought males were usually bigger?)
Thanks Wiebke for the websites and advice.:):)

We do use a vet surgery we knoq quite well and have taken the pigs there before.

How risky is the operation and how much does it cost?
 
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All operations carry a risk but i'd say lessened if done by a vet who neuters regularly. Most rescues will recommend the vet they use themselves.

I had one of my boys neutered in February & it cost £45.69 :)
 
I had my two boys done this year as they fell out and I paid £40 per pig which included pre and post op visits, I also took one for an extra visit as I was worried as he was chewing his stitches and they didn't charge me as he was fine! I have a great vet!
 
more on this subject?/

4Pigs said:
Hi, I've just got 2 new editions to the herd , Poppy and Patch. They are both lovely, very talkative, eat straight from your hand as soon as they smell veggies and are brother and sister, that bit is the problem.
I got them from a lovely little farm who had few piggies, all were in brilliant shape and healthy. We arrived at the farm and instantly heard the familiar wheeking. The pigs were in an outtside run on the grass happily eating away. I was originaly going to only get one more but when I saw them I ended up getting 2. We were told they were both girls so we took them home.
Two days later I had the pigs out and saw Patch acting odly, he was making a low chuckling and circling Poppy, I picked him up and had a look at him. He looked different to Poppy. I read a few books, looked on the internet and anoyling found out that Patch was a boy not a girl (I'm glad I had called him Patch not Poppy as Poppy dosen't quite work as a boys name.)
At the moment I have Patch on his own in a loevly nice big cage with tonnes of hay(which he loves) and Poppy with Pinky and Perky (my other two pigs).
I can't get another pig at the moment and Patch can't go with the other three, I'm not sure if to get him neutered or leave him on his own (I dont like lonely pigs).:{:(
Any advice and help would be usefull
Thanks
Click to expand...

Its all go with piggies isn't it? We had a surprise delivery a couple of weeks ago. She will be v. hungry if she's pregnant, my Mabel never stopped and just got bigger and bigger. And don't believe any vets that tell you she's NOT pregnant I , and lots of others on here have been told that only to find some babies a few days later!
I was wondering how Patch is coping on his own? I am being a terrible wimp about separating baby Mike from his family but I have got to do it in the next day or so.
Can Patch still hear and smell the other piggies? Do you think that makes him lonesome? From babyhood to neutering age and then another month making sure all swimmers have left the building (!) is such along time and like you I do worry so much for lonely pigs. -c
 
What is the earliest the piggy can have the operation ( I hate to see piggys alone! :(:( )

How long after the operation do you have to wait till they can be put together?
 
Don't know how old he would have to be but it should be 6 weeks before he can go in with girls.
 
My Mork had the op over 3 weeks ago now. It cost me £50 all in and he's fine as our vet is really cavy savy. And we were lucky too I guess.

He's living side by side with the girls until next week when I am going to let them live together (as long as we have the correx to make a proper upstairs).
 
An alternative to having him neutered (or at least if you want to consider all of your options before going ahead with it) might be to keep him separate until Poppy gives birth (if she is pregnant), and if you end up with a baby boar (or boars) you could house him/them with Dad, and he won't have to be neutered. Obviously you don't want Patch to be lonely, but if he is within sight and sound (and smell?) of the girls, he should be okay. (Boar experts, please correct me if I'm wrong on any of these points!)

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
 
Flower_Girl said:
An alternative to having him neutered (or at least if you want to consider all of your options before going ahead with it) might be to keep him separate until Poppy gives birth (if she is pregnant), and if you end up with a baby boar (or boars) you could house him/them with Dad, and he won't have to be neutered. Obviously you don't want Patch to be lonely, but if he is within sight and sound (and smell?) of the girls, he should be okay. (Boar experts, please correct me if I'm wrong on any of these points!)

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
Click to expand...

that is a good option although then the OP is starting in a whole new game as boy pairings can be very different to girls,
If there is more than one boy then that also poses a problem as its rare to find more than two who get along perfectly,
The best idea i would say is to neuter him and let him live with the girls as it makes for very stable pairing,i would house him next to the girls for the moment,and if its a C&C cage make sure you put a closed top on his side as i have heard of a few boys who surprise us and climb the grids,goodluck
 
KingBoris&HisFollowers said:
that is a good option although then the OP is starting in a whole new game as, boy pairings can be very different to girls,

If there is more than one boy then that also poses a problem as its rare to find more than two who get along perfectly
Click to expand...

Yes, this is the slight flaw in the plan. Typical men, eh?! rolleyes :))
 
Thanks everyone so much for the advice!:):)

Patch at the moment is about 15 week old which I think is old enough isn't it?
At the moment he is in a cage next to the girls. He frequently climps up onto his little house to get a better look at them! He sits there and chews on the bars wheeking away until the girls talk to him!:):)


I don't think Poppy is pregnant since it has been about 8 weeks sice she was last together with Patch eventhough she does look a bit bigger than Patch (do sows usually look bigger than boars?)
 
Sows tend to develop a kind tearshaped form. If they are pregnant, you would see noticeable bulges form in front of the back legs where the belly is, if you look from above.

As a pregnancy lasts about 10 weeks, you should be able to notice hard balls (probably moving) when you are holding your hands under her belly (do NOT suqeeze!). Poopy would also have enlarged nipples that are several millimeters long and distictly swollen looking!

If you are sure that Poppy is not pregnant, I would recommend that your boy has the op; cross gender groups are usually very stable - it's how they are wired to live in nature.

Perhaps these pics of my own pregnant sow can help to slove the problem?
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=34000
 
4Pigs said:
Thanks everyone so much for the advice!:):)

Patch at the moment is about 15 week old which I think is old enough isn't it?
Click to expand...

It is dependant on your vet. Some will neuter as soon as the testicles drop, others will neuter when the pig reaches a certain weight & others won't operate until the piggy is around 5months of age. :)

Please ensure you have a piggy-savvy vet who has done neuters before.
If you have a rescue centre that rehomes neutered piggies (not all rescues routinely neuter) ask them who they use.
 
I'm not sure about her. she does feel larger around the belly and it feels quite firm (is it meant to?). How long pregnant is it till their nipples stick out.
Thanks again everyone for your help!:):):):):):)
 
Went to the vets and asked for a price to neuter Patch. They said it would be around 32 pounds which I thought wasn't bad. Going to interrogate them later in week!:):)
 
Gosh, that seems like a very good deal to me: I would usually pay about £25 for a consultation.

Hope you can get your little guy sorted: I have a neutered boar living with 5 females and they are all very happy. I think it is one of the best group dynamics as when I had two sows living on their own they were forever squabbling. Also, my boar is a little (big) chubster and everyone adores him!
 
Briony which vet do you use in Preston .My vet charges £51 for a neuter and I have several boys waiting for the snip so every little saving helps .Hope you dont mind me asking.
 
I've Booked Patch in for this Monday. He's going to the vets for the snip.
Has anyone had a Guinea Pig neutered?
What's it like and what do you need to do?
:)(e.g. swapping bedding, types of bedding):)
Thanks
 
You might find answers to your questions in this thread.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31509

After an operation, it is best to bed your boy on soft fleece, so nothing can stick to or scratch the fresh wound. Some piggies do gnaw on their stitches, so you have to be on the lookout for that and be prepared to take him back to the vets to have his wound reglued.

The most frequent complication are abscesses which can happen months after the operation. Some boars lose their appetite and are a bit slow in regaining their weight, so it might be a good idea to weigh your boy before the operation - then you know what you have to work up to.

Thankfully, the majority of operations is troublefree.
 
I have recently had 2 boys done. One of them before xmas and one last week.

I put both boys on fleece or vet bed and changed them every day for 2 weeks afterwards (that may be over the top but it's what I have done). I had one boy lose his appetite for 3 days and needing syringing I have since found out that he was probably in pain and this time around I gave metacam from the first day after the op and no appetite loss.

I have thankfully (so far touch wood) been lucky and mine have been okay.
 
My little boy was neutered just over two weeks ago, he was bedded on fleece or vet bed and had no problems, though last night he did pee on Barbra's head during play time (they are closely supervised and he was put straight back in the cage!) and then left "boar juice" all over his car.

I did feed him his fave veg after the op tho
 
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