2 vs 3 pigs

[xxangelxx2440]

Hi, basically I use ro have 2 females and one male all together, (females 5/6 and male nearly 3) but now that one female has passed on and the other won't be around for much longer, I have asked in my local pet store and new females and they currently have 3 females who will be ready in January.... so basically I would like to know what the best way of introducing them would be? Should the five of the all meet at the same time, or just pit the females together for a couple of days the introduce the male? I've only ever had males previously and the last two where sister and came together, but now with her being so old I don't know? And I'm worried about the male being on his own once my female passes and the doing the introduction, 3 vs 1 doesn't feel right..... so any advice?

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry you lost one of your girls. If you decide to go down the pet shop route, you will first have to quarantine the three in a different room for two weeks. The other important thing would be to double check the sexes. When bonding, it needs to be all five in a neutral area where no pig has been. Just a pile of hay and their veg as usual. You will also need a plan b in case things don’t work out and they don’t get on.

I believe the boar will be outside of the sows’ hierarchy. He has his place in the pecking order but the sows’ hierarchy is separate to the overall group one. I hope that makes sense.

Is it possible for you to travel to a rescue nearby where your pair can choose their own friend? I’m not sure where you’re located (please put your country as it makes it easier to tailor information) so I’ll link to U.K., other countries and North American rescues. I’ll also link to the bonding how-to and levels of dominance behaviour.

Good luck!

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs


Rescue Locator
Guinea Lynx :: US Guinea Pig Rescue and Shelter Organizations
Guinea Lynx :: Canadian Rescue Organizations
Guinea Lynx :: World Rescue Organizations

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

I am very sorry for your loss.

Please quarantine your piggies; especially if one of your piggies is on the frailer side. Respiratory infections are especially rife in American pet stores while ringworm is a very common UK problem.
Also double-check the gender upon arrival. Mis-sexing is sadly not at all uncommon.
Make sure that you have got plenty of cage space.
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs
New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights
Cage Size Guide

You always introduce a group all together. Our bonding guide will talk you through the whole process from start to finish including the prep, the different stages of the bonding process and the behaviours and dynamics connected with it, with pictures and videos of several group bondings. The guide also contains information on the 2 weeks post-intro phase in which the group is fully established with plenty of dominance behaviours.
Here is the guide link: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Please make sure that you can have a split cage alternative if the bonding fails. There is never any guarantee and there is most definitely no magic wand measure that any bonding comes off. Having a plan B at the ready is crucial.

 

[xxangelxx2440]

Hi, yes sorry I live in the UK, and in our local pets at home they rehome guinea pigs, not sell them, it's a charity that the store is partnered with so you donate what ever amount you want to the charity instead of paying for the pigs, I've already got the location set up for them to stay in for a couple of days just unsure of how to introduce them to each other.

 

[xxangelxx2440]

As for illnesses 2 of the girls in the store are already ill and have had treatment, that's why I have to wait, and the 3rd is already blind in one eye..... so worried about finding her a home, the store already does all health checks and takes it very seriously, at the minute the have one rabbit in the front and only the 3 girls in the back until they are at full health, vets checked all 3, and as soon as they are better they'll call me.

 

[Wiebke]

As for illnesses 2 of the girls in the store are already ill and have had treatment, that's why I have to wait, and the 3rd is already blind in one eye..... so worried about finding her a home, the store already does all health checks and takes it very seriously, at the minute the have one rabbit in the front and only the 3 girls in the back until they are at full health, vets checked all 3, and as soon as they are better they'll call me.

Good! Sadly, far too many shops are sub-standard.

Take the meantime to please read through the guide links.

PS: It would really help us if you please added your country to location in your account details (via clicking on your username on the top bar). We are dealing with members and enquiries from literally all over the world and from very different conditions and backgrounds. By having it appear with every post you make will all allow us to tailor any advice so that it applies to what is relevant for you. The less we know, the more general any information will be so it fits anywhere. Thank you for helping us to help you best.

 

[Siikibam]

As for illnesses 2 of the girls in the store are already ill and have had treatment, that's why I have to wait, and the 3rd is already blind in one eye..... so worried about finding her a home, the store already does all health checks and takes it very seriously, at the minute the have one rabbit in the front and only the 3 girls in the back until they are at full health, vets checked all 3, and as soon as they are better they'll call me.

I would still double check the sexes to be sure. And book them in with your own vet a week after quarantine. What are the girls ill with?

 

[Swissgreys]

Hi, yes sorry I live in the UK, and in our local pets at home they rehome guinea pigs, not sell them, it's a charity that the store is partnered with so you donate what ever amount you want to the charity instead of paying for the pigs, I've already got the location set up for them to stay in for a couple of days just unsure of how to introduce them to each other.

Please do be aware of how Pets at Home adoption usually works.
They simply take back animals that are unwanted, and put them up for 'adoption' but you still pay to 'adopt' (buy) the animal, and Pets at Home still potentially make money, whilst looking ethical.
Obviously they do offer vet treatment which is of course excellent, and they also make donations towards some animal charities, but it isn't the same as adopting directly from a registered charity or rescue.
It is interesting that you say your local store doesn't take the fee - you make a non fixed donation directly to a charity (I am assuming this isn't the Pet's at Home Foundation and is an actual specific independent charity).
I have never come across this before and it is unusual to have 1 store take a different approach. It would be interesting to know which charity you end up making a donation to, as when I contacted Pets at Home about their 'adoption' policies they gave the impression it was the same across all of their stores.

 

[xxangelxx2440]

As far as I know my local store in the Midlands, UK, only house the small pets but it's the charity that the money goes towards..... I adopted my boar for £10, they might have recently changed it but as far as I know its the charity that rehomes the small pets, and the fee is only a donation.

 

[xxangelxx2440]

OK, I went to get the three girls today, apparently one suffered from bloat and had been really bad, the second had lost its left eye..... like my older sow and the 3rd looked around 4 months old.... she's 2 years old and I'm guessing it was from lack of vitamins while growing up, and only currently weighes 785g. Each pig had a set price of £12.50, but again, it went to the charity and considering how much they spent on the pigs for vet bills I didn't mind.
Apparently the three where used for breeding purposes, and the previous shop claimed that the owner said the eye never formed..... but our local shop thinks differently, due to their damaged ears, they think that she got into a fight that got nasty and the Owner didn't care enough to get it treated, so now there's no eye in there (the fuzzy one is the one who lost its eye, and there's a brown stripe right through it) the middle is the one that didn't fully grow up, the white.... or squeeker had bloat.

 

[Siikibam]

Please double check to make sure that they are all sows. Don’t go by what they tell you. So the previous owner surrendered them to p@h? Well done for taking them on though.

I would also say that what you have fed them is unfortunately not suitable. Carrots are high in sugar and should only be given as an occasional treat. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts? are also high in calcium so should also be fed occasionally. And (if I remember correctly) I think they (and cabbage) can cause bloat if fed too much. I’ll link to the feeding guide below.

Hope they’re settling in well. Do remember to give them a week to settle in then you can start the weekly weighing and health check. Are you going to have them seen by your vet or are settled with their health check at the shop?

PS beautiful

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[xxangelxx2440]

It wasn't just carrots there, there was cabbage, broccoli, cabbage and a red pepper (remains from chiratmas from the family) along with 2 chopped up carrots. Yes the vets and shop checked and even I've checked, now are 25 I have had pigs since I was 7 and can tell the differences, and since they where used to be breeding pigs then yes they are females, today they have spent the day outside in the run while my pigs ran free in the garden..... (don't worry they are trained to stay on the grass and not explore..... plus the only cat in the area is terrified of small animals since it got attacked when it's family bought a rabbit home..... and this is why guinea pigw are better lol) my black boy (Acer) actually started sniffing the girl without an eye and she sniffed him back, as for the tiny female I'm gonna go back to pet at home and ask for their advice on the best care possible for her, and also if she is 2 because she really does look 4/5 months old...... big paw and everything, and if she is then will there be any long term medical needs that I NEED to know about.......
they sadly didn't come with names either so still thinking of those, right now I'm thinking along the lines of Pixie for the tiny one.... it just fits.

 

[Siikibam]

Please don’t put them outside now. It’s likely too damp and cold on the grass. Especially if they’ve been living indoors.

They shouldn’t be allowed in the same area as your other piggies either. They need to stay quarantined for the two weeks.

Too much cabbage can also cause bloat. It’s good they had some red pepper in there. But I’m afraid that’s still too big a portion of carrot and too many brassica veg.

 

[xxangelxx2440]

OK thanks for letting me know, I'll go more for peppers, lettuce and less of cabbage, though they rarely have the latter I mainly go for lettuce but since the white female recently recovered from bloat I'll try and avoid it more. As for isolating them I was told that as long as there's bar between them they can meet, like two c&c cages next to each other, I just want them to be aware of each other before meeting and to calm down around each other, they have been alone in that shop for 3/4 weeks already isolating and recovering so they should be okay to be near each other, nothing to pass along.

 

[Siikibam]

I would still quarantine them properly in a separate room for the full two weeks. They haven’t been alone if they’ve been together as a trio.

Meeting through bars is also no indication of whether they will get on when you put them together for introductions. But hopefully it will all work out. The sows’ hierarchy is separate to the one with the boar.