Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

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Wiebke

Wiebke

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1 Singles and Pairs
Singles: Challenges and solutions for different singles situations (link)
Pairs: A closer look all possible pairings (link)
2 Trios and More by Gender
Boars
- Trios and quartets - Why better avoided
- Large Groups
Sows
- Trios
- Small Groups (quartets and quintets)
- Large Groups
Mixed Genders
- Sow pair with 1 neutered boar
- Sow groups with 1 neutered boar
- Any sows with 2 neutered boars - Why Not
3 Bonding tips and when it goes wrong
(planning ahead and further practical information)


The temptation is always there when you have two adorable and happily settled guinea pigs to stick in another one into a generous cage or to merge your two pairs of guinea pigs. This however can rather easily end in disaster if you do not respect your guinea pigs and their social needs and quirks. Bonding is not quite as easy as introducing your piggies for a happy ever after for you!
Even your pairs may not always be as stable or happy as they grow older. Not all singles will immediately fall in love when seeing another piggy. Some can be actually rather challenging to bond.

1 Singles and Pairs

Singles in-depth
A newly bereaved single is a very different kettle of fish to a guinea pig with social deficits due to too early separation.
Our singles guide looks at the most common singles scenarios with their very different challenges, possible solutions and how you can spot when your guinea pig is transferring their own social species needs onto you. It doesn't necessarily come out the way you would expect.

Wiebke

Thread 'Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities'

Introduction
1 When is a 'single' really a single?
- Bought singles
- Fallen-out and aggressive piggies
- Bereaved guinea pigs
- No interest in other guinea pigs
- Disabled and special needs guinea pigs
2 Companionship options (with pros and cons)
- Dating
- De-sexing (neutering or spaying)
- Living alongside
- Buying a baby companion
3 Caring for single guinea...
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Pairs in-depth
Pairs are by far the most common way of keeping guinea pigs. That's why they have their own dedicated guide. Our pairs guide is taking you through all possible combinations with their individual challenges, strengths and weaknesses - and yes, boar pairs have their strengths, too!

Wiebke

Thread 'A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)'

This guide is an article series that I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine issues 50-52 (May/July/September 2019).
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.

1 Introduction
2 Sexing Guinea pigs: Where to look and feel yourself
- Textbook pictures
- The hands-on sexing check
3 Boar Pairs
- Common misconceptions
- The tricky teenage months
- the 'Golden Boar...
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2 Trios and more

Boars
Boars have such a lot of bad press; but it is not their fault it is our current human pet system that fails them and their social wiring at pretty much every level.

Trios - why not recommended
Trios are the most difficult guinea pig constellation to get right as many of them end with some kind of 2+1 outsider constellation, whatever the age or gender combination. As a combination, there are unfortunately, more failed boar trios than there are successful one. However, the risk of actual fall-outs can vary quite a lot. Unfortunately, what boars are usually not allowed to do is to choose each other - watching who is hanging out with who can actually give you clues for avoiding the most outright disasters. Unfortunately looks tend to come first and shops often have only got a smaller number of boars out on the floor.

Hormones and teenage
Firstly, you need to be aware that the testosterone output varies enormously throughout the course of a life. The biggest hormone spikes happen typically around 4 and 6 months of age, marking the start and end of the descent of testicles. These are the classic fall-out ages for clear personality mis-matches when baby boars start developing their adult identities. There is usually a very scrappy period around 8-10 months. Seemingly problem-free boars can suddenly 'wake' up at one year when most other teenagers are coming out of the worst.

The more same age boars go through teenage at any given time, the more likely are confrontations because a hormone spike can trigger the other same aged boys and seriously destabilise the group.
Sub-adult boar trios have about a 90% risk of ending up with the need to split before the boars reach a hormonally somewhat more settled adulthood.

While young adults still can have the odd strong hormone spike, the testosterone slowly and very gradually winds down and peters out after 5 years or so. Golden oldies boar trios have much higher chance of working as companionship needs come increasingly before dominance, especially if the boars are allowed to choose each other (dating). However, there are also the old boys who'd rather have their own territory and any compan next door.

Personality match
Secondly, the mix of personalities needs to be right. Trios classically fail either because two dominant boys have a go at each other or one is lording it over his two more submissive brothers but the 'pig in the middle' scenario where one submissive boar is getting on with both mates is also not uncommon.
It is unfortunately a myth that being litter brothers is a safeguard against fall-outs. Even there it does very much come down to the personality constellation and the developing dynamics. Three dominant boys can result in three singles, irrespective of whether they are related or not.

Disabled/Carer scenario
Trios and quartets containing one or several disabled boars have very different dynamics. Often a healthy companion takes over the role of being a carer companion; not rarely this is a sibling but other boars can also find their inner nursery nurse and tap into that unless they are rather dominant. Social needs come before dominance in these groups; especially as the disabled ones cannot challenge for leadership.

Adding a third to a working pair
If you have a very happy pair, are in love with your boys and want more, please opt for a second pair rather than trying to add a third piggy that can cause the pair to fight.
Even adding a baby boar to an adult trio can destabilise the existing bond and lead to the boar pair falling out with other. Please abort any bonding for good asap if the stress is coming down between the bonded pair in order to prevent a permanent fall-out.
At the worst (and we have seen this happen quite a few times on here), you can end up with three single boars that won’t go together.


Quartets - why not not recommended
The same as for trios goes for boar quartets, only even more so! There is a near total fall-out rate for boar quartets with younger boars.
Unfortunately, you won't be left with two nice pairs - it happens but but it is rather rather rare. In our long term experience, you are most likely going to end up with one pair and 2 single boars, but we have also had several members ending up with 4 single boars that would not go back with each other again. This goes for both starting out with 4 baby boars (being related doesn’t matter one bit) or for merging two bonded pairs. With a very few exceptions, boar quartets only work with older or disabled boars. Never count on you being that exception!

The only (very few) longer term successful boar quartets I know of provide either a very large habitat that allows each boy to have their own space and the option of a more amicable separation of bed and table, involves different disabled/carer companion group dynamics or an old age pensioner group where testosterone has long since fizzled out and the boys are more like sows without the need to dominate the boar world.
If you want to add more boars to your household, please opt for a second separately bonded pair. It is misconception that more space is a guarantee for a group success - all that the extra space is to minimise bad fights and allow a more friendly separation which can be formalised with a divider.


Large groups
If you want a stable boar group, you need lots of space (ideal 1 sq metre per boar) and ideally more than 10 boars to form a stable bachelor herd - basically a large room or predator and heat/frost safe outbuilding.
You will also still need extra separate accommodation in case there are problems or you need hospitalisation and/or quarantine. But bigger bachelor herds can work.

More information on Boars:

Wiebke

Thread 'A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars'

1 Common myths and misconceptions
2 The different ages (including teenage)
- Important biological facts
- The formative 'School Weeks' (3 weeks - ca. 4 months)
- The Teenage Months (ca. 4-14 months)
- The Adult Years (ca. 15 months - ca. 4-5 years)
- The Golden Age (ca. 4-5 years until end of life)
3 What do boars need? (List of boar dos and don'ts)
- Space, space and more space!
- Respecting the hierarchy
- The 'one for each...
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Sows
Trios
Adding a third sow to a well bonded couple can work, but it can also be an outright failure depending on the personality constellation. The outsider problem is also a concern. In my own experience, trying to introduce a single guinea pig to a well bonded pair has been the bonding that has most often failed for me. Very often a well-bonded pair is not open to another piggy

The exception is introducing a neutered boar, as he is a natural outsider who is not part of the sow hierarchy. However, he has to be accepted by both sows, which does not necessarily happen.
A neutered boar cannot heal a dysfunctional sow bond; he is inevitably going to associate with just one of sows if there is a rift.

In any case, if you want to add just one guinea pig to a bonded sow pair (wether that is a sow or neutered boar), you’d do best to date them at the a rescue for compatibility and mutual liking or better have a plan B at the ready in case the bonding is not working out the way you want to.

What can however work well is to introduce two younger sows, ideally sub-adult sows to a bereaved sow if you are planning to continue with guinea pigs. The instant rise in status for the single sow and the distraction with having two piggies and not just one to focus on can actually make acceptance possible even for some more fear-aggressive sows. As with any combination, it all comes down to the personality mix. You have to accept that there will be quite a bit of dominance against the sow ranked immediately below to ensure the top ranking.

Quartets and quintets
Smaller sow groups of 4-5 sows are generally working well, especially in an indoors or insulated shed setting.

When you want to merge two bonded pairs of sows, it works best if the pairs are of different ages and one of them is ideally not yet fully grown. This means that the leadership cannot be challenged. It also means that each sow has a closer friend and an outsider situation is much less likely as you start seeing group dynamics emerge.
Acceptance of a younger pair of sows is more likely to happen than that of a single sow in quartets - but as with all piggy bonds, there are never any guarantees; both ways stand and fall with the personalities involved. I have success with adding singles and doubles but also fails. It usually depends on where the new sow fits in and especially whether she challenges for leadership or ranking with an exisiting sow with issues. Dating and having a plan B are usually the best way forward.

Building up a small group can be done initially easier by merging already bonded pairs as long as you start with the oldest and/or most dominant sow. It means only half the dominance as the pair internal hierarchy is clear.
Acceptance between two adult pairs or trios, especially between two dominant group leaders, is a very different kettle of fish and much less likely. It very much depends on how personality combination in this case and even more so on the willingness of one of the two leader piggies to step down, which is not quite likely; to put it mildly. With an unresolved acceptance or leadership, the sows will usually range behind their own leader (or a bit less commonly) a group member and close ranks against the newcomer/newcomers. In this case the bond has failed once you notice fronts harden.

If at all possible, opt for additions where the existing hierarchy is not upset, but be aware that what looks good on paper may necessarily work out in reality. I have got a nice cupboard full of t-shirts on that score!
The older sows get, the less they are generally accepting of new company; as ever with notable exceptions. Whereas when they are really old, they may again appreciate a snuggle buddy...

Fear-aggression with new piggies can be a major problem that you may not be able to work around. Once sows have made up their mind that they don't like a new one (or a new 'husboar'), then you have had it. They are not going to change their mind for the next few years or ever. But then sows have much more of a status problem when it comes to the sow hierarchy in a group.
All you can do, is giving it a try. You can never predict the outcome. Misfits groups can work surprisingly well whereas other piggies prefer their own 'queendom' but still appreciate company through the bars.

Where small groups can really fall apart is in the wake of the death of a strong First Lady or a crucial group enabler piggy who has held together a group of somewhat conflicting personalities. The change of leadership can result with a fight for the position or a destabilisation if there is no other sow able to fill the role competently or willing to take it on.

Large groups
Group dynamics change again from about 6-7 piggies upward when it becomes increasingly easier to add - provided the First Lady of the group is not challenged and fear-aggressive piggies can be worked in. There is never a guarantee. You can merge several groups but it all depends on whether they can agree on a new First Lady or not.

Personally I would recommend to build up a group gradually from the bottom starting with a strong leader to hold it all together, especially if you want have guinea pigs for a longer time.
Again, the biggest challenge is succession and internal conflicts between individual sows - whether that is a death or a coup by younger sow once the First Lady is starting to struggle with health/age. Ovarian cysts in high ranking sows or several cystic soes can seriously impact on any group.

What you have to be aware of is that a group is never static. It is in fact very dynamic, complex and develops all the time. You will have perfect times and there will be crises. You also have to factor in things like hospital cages and extra pens for bonding that have not worked out but where the pigg/piggies cannot be returned.

More information on sows:

Wiebke

Thread 'Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)'

1 Sexing on arrival
2 Important reproductive Facts
- Start of making babies - seasons - lack of menopause
- Pregnancy
3 Sows in season
- How a season runs
- Strong seasons (snap seasons; the social role of strong seasons; problem seasons)
4 Behaviour and social aspects
- Bonding (Possible combos; acceptance and dating; special bonding aspects)
-...
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Mixed gender pairs and groups

Two sows with 1 neutered boar
Mixed gender trios are generally the most stable of trios since a boar is part of the group hierarchy but not part the sow hierarchy; he is a natural outsider. You are also working fully with their biological instincts behind you instead of against them.

What adding a neutered boar cannot do is to heal an exisiting rift between the sows (he is not part of the sow hierarchy). He will be forced to side with one of the sows sooner or later; more commonly with the First Lady even if his sympathies are with the other one.

The age of the sows also plays a role: Sub-adult and young adult are most accepting of boars because they are at an ideal pup bearing age and the biological are strong. Adult sows, especially from about 3 years onwards are past the ideal age of reproducing and do not longer feel that biological drive as stongly. What they often feel more strongly is the continuing high hormone output, which can make them more crotchety as they get old. Dominant sows at the peak of their lives are generally not minded to hand over any bit of the control they wield over a group. Under-sows are usually more accepting of a 'husboar' (as we call a neutered boar living with sows).

It all comes down to personality compatibility and acceptance. Many boars meeting sows for the first time also don't have the sense to know when not to push their advantage during bonding... Dating is recommended as it all comes down to whether they gel or not - and that is something you just can never predict.

I would recommend to read the mixed pairs chapter in the guide link at the start of this guide since most of it also applies to a mixed trio.

Sow groups with 1 neutered boar
Any group with just one neutered boar and any number of sows can work.
The crucial point in my own experience is that any newly introduced sows should be ideally either submissive or already used to living in a group. Introducing dominant sows or those not used to a larger group can fail. Ideally you build up a larger group around one dominant leader, whether that is a neutered boar or a sow; all the other new guinea pigs should not be able to challenge this.

When adding guinea pigs without dating, you have to always have an alternative solution at the ready, in case the bonding doesn't come off. You also have to keep in mind that group dynamics change over time, and not always necessarily to the better. I have and have had a fair number of neutered boars living with one to up to thirteen sows. While having a large group can be fascinating, it can also give you major headaches. Generally smaller groups of 4-6 piggies with or without a 'husboar' (a married neutered boar) seem to work best in terms of long term stability.

Sows with 2 neutered boars - why not
Merging two neutered boars with two sows is a big NO NO!
This grouping will pretty much always end up with fights as soon as the sows come into season.
Neutering doesn't do away with the mating drive nor how dominant a boar is. It will not make two fallen-out boars gel again.

If you want your boys to live with sows after neutering, then you have to plan for two separate mixed gender pairs.

A boar can live with as many sows as will have him (and it is the sows who call the shots, including allowing him to mate when they are ready) but two boars with a smaller number of sows in a cage setting won't work.
PS: The same goes for two full boars with a spayed sow or two - you are highly likely to end up in trouble very quickly.

Here is detailed information about what neutering can do and what not and about nuetering operations.

Wiebke

Thread 'Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care'

Introduction
1 Neutered Boars
- Myths and facts
- When is boar neutering useful?
2 Neutering Operations
- Finding the right vet
- Operation costs
- Neutering age
- The operation
- Post-op care and recovery (with list of possible neutering complications)
- The necessary 6 weeks post-op wait
3 A Real Life Example
- How a problem-free...
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Large groups with any number of sows and neutered boars
Again, if you want to have a number of neutered boars and sows living together, you need LOTS of space to pull it off in order to allow the various subgroups to have their own space and territory, like ideally at least half a room or a whole room.

As an example for a good place that works, I am linking in a German facebook page.
They have got a fully enclosed sizeable patio garden with avian protection over the top as well, and a dedicated side building for their around 60 guinea pig to use for their frail guinea pigs with extra care needs as well as protection during cold or hot weather. All boars are neutered.

You will find that the guinea pigs organise themselves in small sub-groups that live together in their own little territory and denning area. Often several sows are associating with a neutered boar of their choice or some bachelor boars hang out together. This mirrors the way guinea pig society is wired to work and explains why some group bondings work and others don't.

We can all dream... here is somebody who has made that dream come true!
Faszination Meerschweinchen
 
3 Bonding tips and when it goes wrong

When adding guinea pigs it always pays to have a plan B in case things don't go to plan. I have had piggies that have taken me to plan E and one (an abandoned ex-single) even got as far as plan H! But I did eventually find her the squishy submissive friend who loved Beryn and had the patience to allow her to work through her massive fear-aggression issues.

Practical tips
- When getting a pair of boars, consider that boars-only pairs and groups need extra space. For pairs, I would recommend to plan for a setup that divides into singles cages for a 'neighboar' set up. All you need is extra grids for a divider - which also come in handy with teenagers.

- Extra dividers or a spare traditional cage also come in handy with any midsize or larger group for illness, quarantine, acclimatising new arrivals pre-bonding, separating feuding boars or sows etc.

- When adopting guinea pigs, please ask beforehand whether a place is willing to take a failed bonder back (minus the adoption fee for their effort, obviously).
When taking your guinea pig rescue dating, please bring any speed dated piggies back in separate carriers. Their bonding is not advanced and stable enough. A sudden freak in close confines can lead to bloody fights with serious wounds and a failed bond.
Wiebke

Thread 'Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs'

1 Intro: Reality check on where your pets come from
2 Are guinea pigs really the right pet for me?
3 Rescue adoption
- What extra services do good rescues provide that other places don’t?
- What about not recommended rescues? How can I spot a bad place?
- Shelters and rescues – is there a difference?
- How does the adoption process run?
4 Pet shops
- How will you choose your pets?
- Why...


Some bonding tips
- Give any new arrivals time to settle in, to get over their initial over-excitement and get to know their future mates. The more extraneous stress factors you can remove pre-bonding the greater a chance of success you have. Never count on a bonding to work.

- Always conduct any bonding on neutral ground outside their cage or usual plaground. Guinea pigs are territorial (which most owners are not aware of). If you simply stick a piggy into a cage, the cage inhabitants will feel invaded and the invading piggy will feel very much on edge and is highly likely to over-react with a deep defence bite. Most bites to the face are actually defence bites from piggies that feel trapped where the only way out is to fight their way out.
'Neutral ground' is any place that is not part of their usual territory but it can be the same place. In a pinch a bathtub or shower cubicle will do with a large fleece or beach towel for grip, some soft hay but now piggy furniture. An outdoors run can be used indoors for bonding; that is what I usually do. A totally new cage can be used for bonding as well but not something that smells strongly of just one piggy.
Here is our very detailed bonding guide which takes you through the whole process, including the 2 weeks post-intro in which the new group is fully established/re-established in its new or old territory.

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours'

1 Introduction
2 Pre-bonding
- Quarantine and sexing
- The need for a plan B
- The rule-breaker: Youngsters under 4 months (sub-teenage)
3 Setting up an introduction
- Getting to know each other
- ‘Buddy baths’ – why not
- Scent swapping - why not
- Setting up a neutral bonding area
- How to start the bonding
4 Acceptance phase: Do we like...
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- Once you have committed to a bonding, you need to see it through. There is no such thing as 'slow bonding' without any dominance. Guinea pigs don't do play dates. For them every single meeting is a full-on aborted bonding session that cuts right across all their instincts and social wiring. Dominance behaviours are right at the very core of guinea pig society; they live in a hierarchical group. Any early abort is ever so frustrating and upsetting for them.
Please also accept that guinea pigs have to restart their bonding ritual right from scratch after each session unless you allow them to get past accptance and leadership sort-out.

- Please give your piggies plenty of time to work through the roughest part of the group establishment in the bonding pen; if necessary overnight if there is no major aggression in it. This means that when you move them to their cage, they feel bonded and are much calmer setting up house in their new shared territory with much less chasing etc. Make sure that any huts and tunnels always two exits. A children's stool or two is also ideal - it provides cover but is open to all sides.
- Only separate a bonding asap if you see major warning signs; if the tension rises and stays high in a sow, mixed or group bonding because of an unresolved acceptance or leadership issue and the bonding has stalled without any fights or a guinea pig with social/fear-aggression issues is clearly on overload.
If there has been no outright aggression, then you can restart on the next day, you will see a much calmer bonding if the tension was just down to stress or a quick escalation in tension if the bonding has failed. Make sure that you have thick oven gloves handy. Never go between piggies on edge with your bare hands; instinctive deep split-second defence bites are triggered by sudden movement.

boureki

Thread 'Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs'

1 List of dominance behaviours in ascending order of aggression
2 What may cause this type of behaviour in boars?
3 When do you see these behaviours in sows?
4 What can trigger fall-outs?
5 Further helpful guide links


I thought it may be handy to have a sticky on typical dominance behaviours for a reference - hopefully it may help humans understand guinea pigs and their behaviour a bit more and hopefully prevent some avoidable problems!


1 List of dominance behaviours...
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Failed bondings
- Consider a divided cage set-up for bereaved or unbondable singles. They still need the stimulation from companionship even if they are happier with having their own territory as a group of one. A failed bonding is always gutting but as long as you have planned ahead for a potential failure it is not an outright catastrophe!
Here is advice on how to work out whether a bond has failed or not:

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...
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How do guinea pigs work as a species?
- If you are interested in what makes piggies tick socially and what is behind all the various recommendations in this guide, you may find this article series here highly interesting. Guinea pigs are much more complex than we usually give them credit for.
I am exploring social identity and how much of their wild ancestor species wiring has translated into our pet environment. Research is mainly concentrating on the differences between domestic and wild guinea pigs but not on what is actually still alive and kicking in our own pet piggies. And where their social instincts are causing problems because of the restriction of a cage setting. This article is very much in the way of a first foray into unexplored territory.

Wiebke

Thread 'The Herd, the Group and I: Investigating Guinea Pig Identity and Society'

Introduction
1 A Look at Social Identity
- Identity and Self-awareness
- Herd and Group: Juggling social identities
2 Herd Behaviours
- On the move
- Shared herd feeding
3 The Group and I
- Group identity vs. individual identity
- Group establishment and affirmation
- Use of the denning...


Above all: Please always check whether you are trying to make fit your guinea pigs into a wishful dream of yours or whether you are fitting your arrangements to make things work for them.
 
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