Adding to the herd

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I was wondering how you go about adding guinea pigs later? At the moment we are guinea slaves with L-plates, looking after our pair of female guinea pigs but I can see a time in the future when we might want to rescue a piggie and wonder whether we would have to house any future piggies in a different hutch or whether a sow would fit in with the existing pair?
 
They shoud be fine in a trio of sows i would think... when you introduce them make sure its supervised but i think it would be fine...
 
Reason I ask is that Scamper and Pip aren't the most loving of pairs - they rumble at each other - whereas I'd previously read/been told that any number of sows would be happy together.
 
The rumbling is probably a dominance thing... does one do it more than the other? My boar wilson does this to cindy all the time ;D
 
Poor Cindy, as if she hasn't enough on her plate! ;)
Mostly it's Pip rumbling but sometimes Scamper does too or they both do at the same time! When we give them indoor floortime we now try to keep them apart for a little while cos it seems to help giving them some space from each other. They have a lovely big hutch so sometimes one is upstairs and the other downstairs.
 
Some pigs bond, some don't.... adding extra pigs isn't usually a problem but you do get the odd awkward little so and so :)

If you are going to have a trio, a neutered male might be worth considering, they are good at keeping the peace between fiestier females and mostly easier to intro.

With anything like this, it's just time and patience really. Many will tell you on here I'm sure, some will bond instantly and others, well it's taken weeks, even months to get harmony. Space is key with anything like this too, more the better!

Good Luck! O0
 
Agree with Beks :)

My 8 girls are all in pairs, even though their hutches are pretty big. But they don't or won't get along with the other girlies, only when they are outside in the run. Though they still pair off with their cage buddy :)

I reckon too, they just seem to prefer each others' company only and to add a third, fourth etc. just spoils their relationship :)

Not saying this is what it will be like - I am the one that has the non-bonding lot! ;)
 
That's interesting, Kellyandpigies. Did you get your piggies all together or over time, and I notice you said you have hutches - was this due to them not getting on?
 
Some of them are sisters born on the same day! LOL A couple of others were put together and are older/younger. But get along.

Confusing..............
Icey and Tiny - mother and daughter. Tiny will not share her mummy and bites.
Rattie and Peanuts - Rattie can get aggressive with her daughters. (not Peanuts)
Cutie and Squirt - Sisters who seem to compete.
Cherry and Turvy - aunt/sister of young Turvy (Ratties kids), who again seems to compete for attention

Hutches.. yes... before they were in a massive adapted chichilla cage, and now 6 of them in a 3 block hutch - seperated. :)

But like I said they DO get on in their run :)
 
hi newpiggies, well after adding up the other night i realised i had 38 piggies, awful didn't mean to have that many.

i have 9 boys a group of 3 and the rest in pairs and 3 babies not sure what they are yet.

6 girls share all introduced at different times.

the other girls all live in a rather large homemade cage with different levels and range from 15months down to 4 months. i have never really had any problem introducing girls in together.

the last five girls i got were rescue pigies and have fitted in great
 
LOL! I nearly fell off my chair, Tawny - 38 piggies! :D
I notice you have them in pairs too - is this for practical housing or do they not get on as well if in a larger group sharing the same space?
 
I have 5 girls all living together aging from 9 weeks to 5 1/2 years old..they all get on great i think it depends on the guinea pigs really as to whether they like each other.
 
kellyandpiggies said:
Agree with Beks :)

My 8 girls are all in pairs, even though their hutches are pretty big. But they don't or won't get along with the other girlies, only when they are outside in the run. Though they still pair off with their cage buddy :)

I reckon too, they just seem to prefer each others' company only and to add a third, fourth etc. just spoils their relationship :)

Not saying this is what it will be like - I am the one that has the non-bonding lot! ;)
Click to expand...

I have a non-bonding lot too Kelly ;D  Int it great? ;) 
Mine don't get on in the run - psycho pigs abound in this house :D :D :D
 
newpiggies said:
Wow, what a lot of interesting characters you have, Kellyandpiggies! :)
Click to expand...

LOL and there's a hell of a lot more to them! :)

Niki said:
I have a non-bonding lot too Kelly ;D Int it great? ;)
Mine don't get on in the run - psycho pigs abound in this house :D :D :D
Click to expand...

LOL What a pain! Psycho pigs! LMAO
 
I have 5 Girl guinea's ranging from 7 weeks to about 6 months (maybe slightly older, got one from a petshop so didnt know age, i guess young). ;D
and 4 boy guineas ranging from 9 weeks to 6-7 months.

Females i have no problem with and the males i have had a slight problem that the two adults are in the midst of a dominance battle, (only one guinea got injured, a nip on the ear, nothing much)
 
Hi, Luke Harrison, do you house your guineas in two or more hutches? Do the girls all get on together?
 
i only meant to have 4 ;D originally i bought 2 for my partner, he really wanted them and his mum was ill with cancer and he was so down i got them for him.

i couldn't even hold the box they were in, didn't like little animals that moved quickly ;D so mum had to carry them home.

well after a few days i was in love :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:


i did stop at 20ish but then whizz needed a home and then there was the girls that needed a home and one was pregnant, so u see it wasn't my fault :D

but i love them to bits and they give me a purpose and a nice distraction to all the crap that goes on in life, they do take up alot of time............................... but are worth it for the happiness they give me.

newpiggies by boys are in two cause that's the way i got them to get on, i did have a group of 4 males at one time but had to split it down due to illness and fighting.

i have a group of three lads together.

lads can be in bigger groups than 2 but they do tend to fight more than the girls.

my girls are in very large herds without much problems
 
Hi, Tawny, I can relate to being besotted..ahem, you do have a lot more than your original 4! ;D
 
I'm the same as Tawny and have 32 pigs, my girls are all in one long indoor run 14 of them never ever had any probs introducing newcomers in,my boys are in seperate runs in their own sheds, mainy trios and doubles but have had as many as 7 in one big hugh run, but but but I knew these boys characters and watched them like a hawk basically I honestly believe its down to characters and lots of room seperate drinking and food lots of hidey holes and a lot of patience, obviously not all will take another pig as a cage mate, at the moment I ahev only one boy Jinx alone but he was paralised at chrsitmas and is now making an almost 100% recovery but he sleeps on towels to stop hay catching his leg when it drags occasionally,
 
I'm so proud of Jinx he was not given much hope but not only has he got better but he is still a loving pig who loves a tickle,he is a darling and one of my eldest ones,
 
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