Adopting a boy pig

AliP

AliP

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We have always had girl piggies and currently have 3. We are adopting a make (to live in a separate cage obviously) who has nowhere else to go. Would we expect either party to struggle being near each other? Would neutering be the right way to go, or not necessary as they will live in separate cages?
 
If he is not used to sows then he is going to have a reaction to being next to them, seeing them, smelling them. It should calm down in time though but you are going to see him pace bars, chew them etc due to the excitement. You will likely see reactions from the girls as well.

If you have no intention of ever bonding him with your sows then there is no need to neuter him but you must make sure his cage is very secure and ideally has a lid so he can’t escape - boars have been known to climb bars/break out of cages to get in with sows.
Neutering him will only prevent pregnancy, it doesn’t change boar behaviour at all, so neutering him but still keeping him single would be pointless.

However, it would be great if you could consider neutering (and then after the six week post op wait) and bonding him with your sows. It would be better for him to be in a cage with them but side by side is enough if bonding really isn’t an option.
There are obviously considerations to bonding - ie cage size, the ages of everyone etc - but we can help further with that if you would like us to.

Depending on his background and age, you may need to consider quarantining him in a separate room for two weeks before allowing him next to your girls. Babies under four months of age cannot be quarantined due to their desperate need for companionship and interaction.
 
Thank you that’s extremely helpful. He is around 4, comparable with the girls who are 3,4 and 5. He was adopted at around 1 with 2 others who have died and has lived alone since.
So first step, quarantine? Or see how he reacts first. They would potentially be in the same room but not directly next to each other.
I would not be against eventual bonding if that would be better for him.
Thank you for your help
 
Quarantine: If he is really struggling being alone then you may decide to not quarantine and instead put his cage directly next to the girls.
If you do quarantine then Ideally it is in a different room entirely. If you cannot do that then keep him as far away as possible for the quarantine period.
Then, post quarantine or if you decide not to quarantine, you will then need to move his cage directly next to your girls cage for them to interact (with security measures - lidded cage or c&c cage two grids high at the divide just to be sure) between the bars.

Regarding neutering and bonding.
He is on the older side to be neutered. It’s not totally out of the question but you will want a knowledgeable and experienced vet and to be sure he is as healthy as he can be going into anaesthesia.
However the other thing to consider is your girls are past ideal pup bearing age, and sows once they are older than about 3 can be less willing to accept a boar at all. It does come down to compatibility so nobody can say whether they would or wouldn’t accept him but it is a lot to consider given everybody’s ages.
In this situation it would be perfectly feasible to decide to just keep him side by side permanently.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Quarantine: If he is really struggling being alone then you may decide to not quarantine and instead put his cage directly next to the girls.
If you do quarantine then Ideally it is in a different room entirely. If you cannot do that then keep him as far away as possible for the quarantine period.
Then, post quarantine or if you decide not to quarantine, you will then need to move his cage directly next to your girls cage for them to interact (with security measures - lidded cage or c&c cage two grids high at the divide just to be sure) between the bars.

Regarding neutering and bonding.
He is on the older side to be neutered. It’s not totally out of the question but you will want a knowledgeable and experienced vet and to be sure he is as healthy as he can be going into anaesthesia.
However the other thing to consider is your girls are past ideal pup bearing age, and sows once they are older than about 3 can be less willing to accept a boar at all. It does come down to compatibility so nobody can say whether they would or wouldn’t accept him but it is a lot to consider given everybody’s ages.
In this situation it would be perfectly feasible to decide to just keep him side by side permanently.
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Ok that’s incredibly helpful thanks so much. He arrives tomorrow afternoon so I will no doubt be back in touch! Thanks again
 
AliP said:
Ok that’s incredibly helpful thanks so much. He arrives tomorrow afternoon so I will no doubt be back in touch! Thanks again
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Yes, boars can jump surprisingly high, so keeping him well contained is very important ❤ Congratulations on your boy, I'm sure you will adore him and he will be very spoiled 🐾
 
Truffolo said:
Yes, boars can jump surprisingly high, so keeping him well contained is very important ❤ Congratulations on your boy, I'm sure you will adore him and he will be very spoiled 🐾
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Thank you we are excited! It’s going to be an adventure!
 
Can I ask for advice? Squeaky seems more withdrawn recently. Would it be better to move him side by side to the girls and end the quarantine early?
 
Are you planning on getting him neutered and bonding him with the girls ?
If that’s the case he can live alongside them until he’s safe

If you don’t plan to have him neutered then he will need a companion of his own

Someone more experienced than me can advise on keeping an entire boar next to sows.
 
AliP said:
Can I ask for advice? Squeaky seems more withdrawn recently. Would it be better to move him side by side to the girls and end the quarantine early?
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Yes - If he is struggling alone then you can decide it isn’t in his best interests to finish the quarantine and you go ahead and move him beside them early.

The interaction side by side should be enough long term.
If it isn’t enough and given you are potentially going to face issues with neutering/bonding (as we discussed above regarding everybody’s ages), your alternative is for him to have a male friend.
If you were to decide he needed his own male friend then a boar pair should not be kept in the presence of females (smelling sows can cause a boar pair to fight) so they would need to be moved permanently to another room or you need to stack cages (sows at the bottom) or keep them across the room or ensure you have dividers higher and wider than the cage to stop them seeing and smelling each other
 
Hello. Squeaky has settled well but longs to be in with the girls. I am taking him to exotic vet today for assessment of if he’s suitable for neutering. As we are not convinced of his age I wanted him to be seen by an expert.
If it’s a yes and he has the procedure would we then need to bond them in a neutral space or just let him through to the girls?
 
If he can be neutered then you have to wait six weeks after the procedure before bonding them. He will remain fertile for the six weeks after the op.

Bonding must be done on neutral territory.
You cannot just let him through to the girls as doing that is a territory invasion and can cause the bonding to fail.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours

As I mentioned, keep in mind the girls ages also. Older sows past normal pup bearing age can be reluctant to have a boar live with them so he may be able to be neutered but the girls may reject him. At the end of the day, you won’t know unless you try so you may consider it still worth a go!

Let us know what the vet says
 
Ok so the vet said he is a good weight and healthy, his teeth indicate he could be a bit younger than 4.
I’m obviously having time to think about it because as you say, the girls might not accept him even if we go ahead. They don’t seem at all concerned about him living adjoining, is that a good sign?
 
The reaction or non-reaction of the girls from between the bars gives no indication whatsoever as to whether they would accept him or be able to form a relationship with him.
The only way to know whether a bonding will work is to try it (obviously after he is neutered) and see what happens.
That is what will make this a difficult decision I’m afraid - it’s a tricky one as the age of your sows isn’t going to be on your side but while we can give the general advice, we can never predict what will actually happen

Would having another piggy be an option at all? I’m just wondering if he is struggling being alone whether you can have him neutered, after the six weeks try him with your girls but if it fails, then get him his own baby/young sow to live with?

I’ve added a guide below - the section on mixed gender groups may help you

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
 
Thanks so much for all the info which is so useful.
I don’t know that he’s struggling as such, he seems happy being right next to them but it feels a little prison like for him.
I wil follow your advice. Thanks again
 
I have found personally that pigs are always happier living in a herd than as neighbours-if the bond works(!).

Neutering now while he is relatively young and healthy gives you choices down the line. If one sow rejects him, the others may not. As the herd evolves, you may be able to reintroduce later. I've had a good experience of bonding in a neighboar.
 
AliP said:
Good morning. Update is that Squeaky had his neutering operation done on Wednesday and to our great relief all went well.
Can I double check, is it 6 weeks before we can attempt bonding with the girls? The vet said 12.
Thanks
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Ah that’s great news …hopefully the girls will accept him and he’ll have a happy life with them 🥰
 
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