Advice on piggy group

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Mary

Mary

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Hi just want some advice please on how many piggies in a group I can have. At the moment I have 2 boys that are about 6 months old and I also have 2 boys that are 5 weeks old.
They live indoors in their cages. ( 2 boys in one cage and 2 boys in another)
I am hoping to get a big shed so I can have guinea pigs free range! (so to speak)
I am wondering if its poss to have 4 boys living together as long as they are castrated with female pigs. Or am I best to have the shed split in two with one set of boys with some girls at one end and the other set at the other end of the shed.
 
Mary said:
I am wondering if its poss to have 4 boys living together as long as they are castrated with female pigs. Or am I best to have the shed split in two with one set of boys with some girls at one end and the other set at the other end of the shed.
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I wouldn't. I also wouldn't want to start chopping bits off them if they're happy having those bits still attached. I know people are under the impression this is a routine operation, but it can still go wrong - Why do it unless there's a distinct quality of life or genuine health reason?

If the two pairs of boys are happy together, then simply leave them as two pairs of boys. Trying to get the two pairs to mingle could go horribly wrong, and if they're ANYWHERE near girls could becomes almost certainly would. As could having them still in pairs, if they discover there's girls anywhere nearby.

Neutering a guinea pig involves a potentially severe anaesthetic, delicate surgery, risk of long term complications, and changes their nature not one bit. It makes sense if a boy needs company, will only get on with girls, and there's no way of responsibly caring for the babies that will otherwise appear. It does not make sense if a pair of boys are happily living together, and/ or if you want to put those boys into a mixed group situation. They WILL fight if around girls, gonads or not.
 
Stinklepig said:
I wouldn't. I also wouldn't want to start chopping bits off them if they're happy having those bits still attached. I know people are under the impression this is a routine operation, but it can still go wrong - Why do it unless there's a distinct quality of life or genuine health reason?

If the two pairs of boys are happy together, then simply leave them as two pairs of boys. Trying to get the two pairs to mingle could go horribly wrong, and if they're ANYWHERE near girls could becomes almost certainly would. As could having them still in pairs, if they discover there's girls anywhere nearby.

Neutering a guinea pig involves a potentially severe anaesthetic, delicate surgery, risk of long term complications, and changes their nature not one bit. It makes sense if a boy needs company, will only get on with girls, and there's no way of responsibly caring for the babies that will otherwise appear. It does not make sense if a pair of boys are happily living together, and/ or if you want to put those boys into a mixed group situation. They WILL fight if around girls, gonads or not.
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I work at a vets and the anaesthetic we use is the same as what is used on children. (dose is different!) As long as the animal is heathly at the time, then I cant see any problems at all.
I have also used to run a rescue and have had a quite a few boys castrated. The question was more about a group then advise on castration. I have had males living with females before but only 1 male to a few females.
I am sure none of my rescue pigs ever had a fight because I had another female in the same room.
 
I don't really know the ins and outs, but from what I have read, I think 1 boy to a group of girls is probobly going to be best. I recently had my boars neautered to pair off with my girls, and I would love nothing more than to have them in 1 group.

But I have read that no matter how many girls are in a group, if there are 2 boys, or more, they will still fight over them. If anyone thinks different I'd love to know if its do-able.:)

Good luck with what you decide x
 
No wonder its always so hard to find homes for boys! I wouldnt split the boys up as they do get on. Just wondering if castration makes much differnt with being in a group. I will just have to have a shed of girls then and the boys inside! Unless getting castrated makes much differnce?
 
I have four boys who used to live together but on hitting the 8 month mark have now started to be aggressive towards each other and I have had to separate them into 2 pairs which seems to have settled things. I don't know if this helps you at all. None have been castrated.
 
Mary said:
No wonder its always so hard to find homes for boys! I wouldnt split the boys up as they do get on. Just wondering if castration makes much differnt with being in a group. I will just have to have a shed of girls then and the boys inside! Unless getting castrated makes much differnce?
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Hi Mary, castration only stops babies, it doesn't change their behaviour :)

One boar with a group of sows is fine or you could possibly have your boys in pairs and a herd of girls nearby. However, this set-up would depend solely on your boys personalities - i've had boys next to girls with no problems & yet have had boys who wouldn't be next to any other piggies including other boys :)
 
Mary. What is the anaesthetic in use?
I have a number of pairs of boars who do not fight even though there are groups of sows very close by.
 
Yep, my pairs of boars get on ok and they're in a shed with females in smelling distance. But I've not known anyone keep a group of sows with more than one boar, even if castrated.

I've got 3 boars together but they're a funny bunch and I wouldn't try it with any of my others as you risk splitting up the pair and ending up with lots of single (grumpy!) boars

Sophie
x
 
I have 5 entire boars, 1 neutered boar, and 3 girls all living in the same room. No probs whatsoever with 'smelling distance'. Neutering does increase your options of boy/girl combinations though. Lots of options to consider. (Sorry no help there was I?!) x
 
What I cant understand is that if you take away the testicles why do they still fight with each other? If they have no testostroame (sorry cant spell it) then they should be ok.As other animals this wouldnt happen as you remove the need for them to mate and it carms them down.
Would also like to know of anyone that has 2 castrated boys that live with a group of females.
 
nutmeg said:
I have 5 entire boars, 1 neutered boar, and 3 girls all living in the same room. No probs whatsoever with 'smelling distance'. Neutering does increase your options of boy/girl combinations though. Lots of options to consider. (Sorry no help there was I?!) x
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Thanked you any way chick!
 
Even though people do see neutering as 'safe' I have had two boars have post op abscesses which did eventually heal but took a lot of nursing and one that abscessed and sadly herniated he was operated on again to try and repair the herniation but sadly he had to be put to sleep under anesethetic as the herniation could not be repaired so I was left with a dearly loved guinea pig passing away and a £450 vet bill. All the ops were performed by a very experienced vet who had been neutering for sprowston guinea pig rescue for many years so even in the most capable hands things can go wrong and unless neutering is essential for a piggys welfare I would not do it again. If I did any boys would be driven to the CCT for the operation.

As for two boys living with girls I have only ever seen it work once where the boys were kept with over 20 females in an absolutely enormous area (well over 20ft by 20ft) If the boys are in with girls they will naturally fight for dominance as they would in any herd structure which may end very badly. One boar to several females works very well and I have a herd here who get on famously witho ** very happy boy but he was only neutered as he had lost his cage mate at a young age and subsequently failed to bond successfully with other boars so we decided his best chance of a permanent family was with females. His castration went without any problems and he is a happy chappy.

It is strange that castration does not seem to change their behaviour but it is true unlike dogs etc it does just take away their fertility. If two boars are prone to fighting or in a situation that would encourage hostility ie. two in with females they will still act as any boar would. I have seen first hand that castrating two males who were fighting made no difference at all (not my own piggies I would hasten to add)

Our piggies that are boys in pairs some will live peacefully with the smell of girls some won't depends on the individuals character.

Having lost a very dear pig due to complications after castration surgery and nursed two back to health after abscess I would urge you to think carefully about if your boys need to be castrated at all if they are already happily living in pairs.

A shed of sows sounds a fine idea if you wanted a castrated boar to lead the herd and keep them in order then several rescue centres have neutered boars available although the boy does not necessarily run the herd. In our herd it is Bandit who is the top of the heirachy then Marble the boy lol.

If you are thinking of keeping the boys in the same shed as the girls make sure the boys ae housed above the girls and you use different dustpans etc for cleaning out also handle the boys before the girls I find this minimises the risk of the lads arguing over smells.

Good luck on what ever you decide.
 
Thanks Vikki for such alot of advice and finding the time for such a long post. I am wondering if males will fighas hard!t as its a herd that they live in. I know in the wild that any males are driven out of the pack once they reach a certain age. So in the wild its not natual for them to live togther. Well thats my thought! And I thought Dog behaviour was hard work!

Also wondering why they should be housed at the top.
 
I think the housing on top bit is to do with anything from the top cages 'wafting' down into or round about the bottom cages. So.. if boys are underneath girlie type smelly things may waft down past the boys and make them a bit unsettled (polite way of saying randy!) Us girls have more sense of course, and if any boy things waft down, we just turn our noses up. lol x
 
nutmeg said:
I think the housing on top bit is to do with anything from the top cages 'wafting' down into or round about the bottom cages. So.. if boys are underneath girlie type smelly things may waft down past the boys and make them a bit unsettled (polite way of saying randy!) Us girls have more sense of course, and if any boy things waft down, we just turn our noses up. lol x
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The same for us humans then!
 
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