3 new boars

Jennacornwell27

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Can someone please help. I have got 3 boars, 2 are 6 weeks old and 1 is 5 weeks old. I picked them up on Monday and they are very happy in their hutch, eating and drinking and squeaking away. I have handled them every day but for a minute at a time as they all really squeak and one even bit me. What can I do? I don't want to stress them out but I also want them to get used to human contact. Please help x
 
It takes a lot of time before they get used to being handled. They are so young you need to take things slowly.
I’ve had my boys (one is five months old and the other is six months old) for eight weeks and it was only yesterday that one of them finally let me stroke him and I haven’t even been able to get close enough to be able to pick them up without them panicking, so I am letting them come to me in their own time when they realise they can trust me. There are lots of guides on here on how to get them used to you. They are prey animals, so they are trying not to get eaten, they don’t realise that you won’t hurt them.
Can I ask though - do they all live together in one cage? If they do, then you may need to keep a very close eye on them as they age and their hormones kick in, and be prepared to separate them (meaning that one will then end up on his own, and will then need another friend to be bonded to). It is highly unlikely that three boars living together will work long term - it’s generally recommended that only two boys can live together.
 
Thank you for your reply. The lady who I brought them from had put them together before I picked them up and she said as they are born within the same fortnight they should be OK... Fingers crossed x
 
Sadly it doesn’t always work like that...being born close together and being put together at a young age does not guarantee three boys’ relationship surviving long term. Make sure they have a lot of space, remembering that boars need more room than the average trio of sows, and plenty of hidey houses (open ended are best to avoid a piggie being cornered) and several food bowls and water bottles and then keep a close eye on them. Have a plan to separate with a spare cage in case their relationship turns sour when hormones kick in.
Have a look at the bonding guides on here so you know what dominance behaviour is normal and when to step in. Good luck with them. I really hope it works out as it would be lovely to hear of a boar trio going the distance!
 
Agree also, it’s likely your boys are going to fight. Sorry the lady lied, she was most likely a breeder and will say what they want to make a sale!
Your not the first or the last to land here to be told the truth.
Be prepared to separate and have a separate cage and then going to a rescue for Guineas pigs and bonding your lonely boar with a new boar friend.
Stick around, read the forum, learn about the proper world of guinea pigs and how to care for them.
😉
 
Welcome to the forum, you'll get tons of great advice and information here. As has been said before, a trio of boys has a high fall out rate, and it's mostly down to their personalities rather than what you do. That said, even compatible boys may fall out if they don't have space and their own stuff. The 4-14 months are the most likely to be when you find out. Make sure you have a plan so that if they do fall out, you can intervene quickly -NOT with bare hands though, as you can get a nasty bite if you get in the way of a full on fight.
I have 3 boars, similar to yours, one is slightly younger but all from the same herd. They are about 18 months now, so hopefully they've made it through (although I still have plan b). They have had their moments, and I have popped in a divider on a couple of occasions when tensions were running high, which gave them time to settle down, but they've never got to a full fight. If that happens, it's pretty much game over.
My boys have a 5x3 grids c&c with a loft, they had lots of 2 entrance hideys and three bowls, water bottles etc., although I have reduced this in recent months because they all eat together and I know their favourite places to sleep, so removing stuff gives them more runaround space.
I believe that, other than personality, the biggest factor is space, space and more space.
Good luck with your three, I hope it works as well for you as it has for me, but I know I'm in the minority with a 90% fallout rate in the teenage months, so if it doesn't work, you're in good company.
 
I welcome to the forum. Great advice given. Best plan with a trio of young boars is
“Prepare for the worst but hope for the best. “
 
I find with my young kids that a towel on their lap with the guineapig placed on top and then the ends of the towel lifted over the gp's back and bum to form a snug helps both the kids handle and the go settle and feel secure.
 
Thank you for your reply. The lady who I brought them from had put them together before I picked them up and she said as they are born within the same fortnight they should be OK... Fingers crossed x
Once their hormones kick in, things may change. If you plan to keep them together, they need a lot of space. Best of luck!
 
I've just been offered 3 young boars - if I only take 2 the other will be lonely. Not liking to think of an animal being lonely because my heart is too big for its own good, I've said yes. I am buying a c&c cage 4ft with a loft, there will be lots and lots (most of the day) of floor time and my daughter's bf has offered to build a big 6ft outside run for dry days. I do not want to breed from the gps so do intend on having them snipped (May need further advice on this at a later date) am I still risking it with 3 boars? I can separate them by dividing the c&c cage if necessary and will happily get the lone one a new friend.
Sorry to the op for jumping in on your post, I just didn't know if my question warranted a new thread with this 1 being here. But please remove my post if it's not ok.
T.i.a. x
 
I've just been offered 3 young boars - if I only take 2 the other will be lonely. Not liking to think of an animal being lonely because my heart is too big for its own good, I've said yes. I am buying a c&c cage 4ft with a loft, there will be lots and lots (most of the day) of floor time and my daughter's bf has offered to build a big 6ft outside run for dry days. I do not want to breed from the gps so do intend on having them snipped (May need further advice on this at a later date) am I still risking it with 3 boars? I can separate them by dividing the c&c cage if necessary and will happily get the lone one a new friend.
Sorry to the op for jumping in on your post, I just didn't know if my question warranted a new thread with this 1 being here. But please remove my post if it's not ok.
T.i.a. x

Like has already been said, it’s usually a matter of waiting to see what happens with the trio.
The best thing is that you’ve given them a lot of space.
Make sure to have multiple food bowls, water bottles and hay racks so they don’t get possessive.
And have hidey houses with more then one exit, just to be safe.

The main issue with boys, is once they fall out it’s almost impossible for them to go back together and if they draw blood it’s usually a sign that they can’t ever live together again.

This doesn’t mean that your boys WILL fall out but it’s a very valid possibility that you have to be prepared for. For their whole lives really.

Youre doing a lot of good stuff.
Lots of space Ect,

I am intrigued by your comment of getting them snipped, does this mean you have females at the moment as well?
Be careful with this situation, smelling/seeing females can cause male bonds to break down.
So just wanted to check that out ☺️
 
Thank u for the information. No, I don't have any piggies yet. But I was wondering that if having the snip will prevent aggression due to hormones. And then I was thinking that if any of them have to be separated then I would have to get a friend so if they had the snip, I could get female as a friend?x
 
Having males neutered does not make any difference to their behaviour, it won’t make them less dominant or change any aggression levels. It only stops pregnancies.
As Thelottiediaries has said, If you had to separate, then putting a female in with the lone Male while still within sight and smell of the other males, could cause problems with the pair of males still living together. If the relationship between the boys did break down, the best thing would be to take the lone Male boar dating and find him another male friend.
 
I have decided to try to find a lone boar and have 2 seperate cages with 2 in each.x
That’s good news, if you check out the forums rescue finder you’ll be able to do Boar dating for you lone Boar,
A good rescue will look at what single males they have available to find the best match,
They’ll let your lone male choose which friend he would like, which takes the pressure off you to bond them yourself, which can be very stressful 😔
 
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