Hi, we already have two guinea pigs, Buddy and Barney they have just turned 1. For a while we have wanted female piggies but how would we go about it? Would we have to keep them separate forever?
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Hi! Great that you are doing your research first!
Two boars and two sows don't work. Please also note that when introducing sows into a boars-only space, you have to be very careful as sow pheromones can cause your boys to fight so they have to be ideally in another room or at least well out of sight and reach of pheromones.
If you start out with two bonded boars, you can either have two different pairs, you can only ever have two separate groups, whether that is one boar and one sow pair each, two boar pairs (a quartet is the most unstable boar combination with a near total fall-out rate in sub-adults and younger adults) or you can have two neutered boar/sow pairs.
Please take the time to read this guide here. The temptation to have one big happy piggy group is always great when you have a happy experience with a pair. Unfortunately guinea pig society is not wired like human society; it works in different ways.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Please also note that neutering your boars is not going to change any of that; neutering only takes away the ability to make babies but doesn't chance social behaviour or personality one bit.
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts
If you want to add to your household, please think it over carefully. If at all possible, please consider adopting an already bonded pair from a good rescue with mandatory quarantine/vet care, pregnancy watch and respect of character compatibility when pairing up. it is a bit more of an effort, but it is worth it for total peace of mind and avoiding all the usual pitfalls that can await the unwary.
Recommended UK rescues:
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Recommended rescues in some other countries:
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations
(These rescues have all been carefully vetted, as anybody can call themselves a rescue or a breeder without licensing needed and any control in place.)
