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Any success stories?!

Patterjack&Piggles

New Born Pup
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Afternoon all.

After much reading on this very helpful forum, I am not very hopeful of my boar trio staying as a trio forever anymore! 😢 I didn't initially want a trio of boys, but at the place where I got them from, they were the only 3 left, and I couldn't leave one on his own! They were also being discounted in order to sell quicker as they were no longer desirable teeny tinys (still young. But not very, very young), and I didn't like the thought of what could potentially happen to them if they didn't find a home.

So, my question is, anyone have any success stories?!

I know I was suckered in, and would have liked to have rehomed; at the time I didn't know such places existed (and have since not found any near me). They have a double storey 5ft by 2.5ft hutch, with at least 3 of everything, and regularly get lawn and floor time in larger spaces (min. 6'x4'), again, with plenty of alone space provided.

Am I still set up for a fall though? (Many thanks for reading my ramble!)
 
I’ve not had a trio, but know what you mean about not leaving the little lad by himself! (I did this with a trio of Sterbai corydoras in my tropical fish tank, thank god I quarantined them years ago!)
Same here though, the threads will be much more helpful than me! Really hope all goes well with you and your little guys x
 
I’ve not had a trio, but know what you mean about not leaving the little lad by himself! (I did this with a trio of Sterbai corydoras in my tropical fish tank, thank god I quarantined them years ago!)
Same here though, the threads will be much more helpful than me! Really hope all goes well with you and your little guys x
Thank you
 
Afternoon all.

After much reading on this very helpful forum, I am not very hopeful of my boar trio staying as a trio forever anymore! 😢 I didn't initially want a trio of boys, but at the place where I got them from, they were the only 3 left, and I couldn't leave one on his own! They were also being discounted in order to sell quicker as they were no longer desirable teeny tinys (still young. But not very, very young), and I didn't like the thought of what could potentially happen to them if they didn't find a home.

So, my question is, anyone have any success stories?!

I know I was suckered in, and would have liked to have rehomed; at the time I didn't know such places existed (and have since not found any near me). They have a double storey 5ft by 2.5ft hutch, with at least 3 of everything, and regularly get lawn and floor time in larger spaces (min. 6'x4'), again, with plenty of alone space provided.

Am I still set up for a fall though? (Many thanks for reading my ramble!)

Hi!

Your chances of your boys making it through are about the same of you ending up with three singles. Both cases are pretty rate - about 10%; you need exactly the right personality mix of two submissive boys with another one that is not so dominant to wage war on the other two.
The most common teenage trio scenarios are one very dominant boar pestering the other two, two boys ganging up on a third or the third submissive boy being caught between two fairly equally dominant boys. All these cases usually end with a separation; you do not have to wait until a full-on fight once it is obvious where things are heading.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

It is good that you have got plenty of space; that will help. You may find that instead of a fight one boar may end up removing himself from the group to the other floor and insist on living up there as a kind of amicable divorce. This is what happens in disputes when boars can get away from each other. The vast majority of fights is caused by a lack of space that doesn't allow the loser of an argument to remove himself from the scene.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Having two floors also means that you have the plan B option to split the hutch into two good sized levels if that becomes necessary.
If you are dealing with a split, I would strongly recommend to contact Suzy from Glynneath Guinea Pig Rescue (upriver from Neath) to find a compatible boarmate for your single boar. She offers residential boar dating so you come home with a new boy only if there has been success and if the resulting bond is as stable as a sow bond. That is well worth the long journey! Glynneath is the only rescue in South Wales that offers this service.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

I wish I had better news or percentages for you! :(
Yes, I have heard of the very occasional successful teenage boar trio that has made it into adulthood - about as often as I have come across people with three boys not wanting to go back with any of the others.
In all cases, plenty of space has been a key factor in combination with a balanced personality mix of mostly laid-back/submissive boys. You can control the first factor, but unfortunately not the second.

But it is great that you have taken all three boys to give them a loving home!
 
Hi!

Your chances of your boys making it through are about the same of you ending up with three singles. Both cases are pretty rate - about 10%; you need exactly the right personality mix of two submissive boys with another one that is not so dominant to wage war on the other two.
The most common teenage trio scenarios are one very dominant boar pestering the other two, two boys ganging up on a third or the third submissive boy being caught between two fairly equally dominant boys. All these cases usually end with a separation; you do not have to wait until a full-on fight once it is obvious where things are heading.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

It is good that you have got plenty of space; that will help. You may find that instead of a fight one boar may end up removing himself from the group to the other floor and insist on living up there as a kind of amicable divorce. This is what happens in disputes when boars can get away from each other. The vast majority of fights is caused by a lack of space that doesn't allow the loser of an argument to remove himself from the scene.

Having two floors also means that you have the plan B option to split the hutch into two good sized levels if that becomes necessary.
If you are dealing with a split, I would strongly recommend to contact Suzy from Glynneath Guinea Pig Rescue (upriver from Neath) to find a compatible boarmate for your single boar. She offers residential boar dating so you come home with a new boy only if there has been success and if the resulting bond is as stable as a sow bond. That is well worth the long journey! Glynneath is the only rescue in South Wales that offers this service.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

I wish I had better news or percentages for you! Yes, I have heard of the occasional successful teenage boar trio that has made it into adulthood. In all cases, plenty of space has been a key factor in combination with a balanced personality mix of mostly laid-back/submissive boys. You can control the first factor, but unfortunately not the second.
But it is great that you have taken all three boys to give them a loving home!
Thank you very much for the advice, at the moment there seems to be one who isn't completely part of the 'cool gang' but no major fall outs as yet, they all tend to have their own 'bedroom' to retreat to and just remove themselves. Fingers crossed!
 
@Betsy had success for quite a long time i think. But i think that was 2 boars with multiple females
Yes I did have success for 3 years of 2 boars living with 3 sows but had to split them after Christian started bullying Dennis and not letting him get to food until everyone else had had what they wanted. Dennis is so much happier now he is living with Betsy and has started to rumble. :)
 
I’ve seen successful boar trios but none of them involved juveniles all of the same age, I’m afraid. It’s not impossible. Just very unlikely to work in the long term.
All you can do is be as well read up on what to expect, look for the signs (even if you don’t want to see them) and have plan B ready for if and when it kicks off and you have to remove one.
 
Thank you very much for the advice, at the moment there seems to be one who isn't completely part of the 'cool gang' but no major fall outs as yet, they all tend to have their own 'bedroom' to retreat to and just remove themselves. Fingers crossed!

With teenage boys (between 4-15 months but hormone spikes that can last into adulthood) all you can do is play along; hope for the best and prepare for the worst - it is quite a drawn out rollercoaster ride. When the testosterone hits, it will generally do so very suddenly and emphatically, but that can unfortunately quickly change the whole group dynamic.

Adult boar trios where the boars have chosen each other (often cases where a bereaved neighboar they have known for a goodly time through the bars is accepted into their home) can work brilliantly and so can trios of pensioners where the testosterone has long fizzled out...
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
 
I’ve seen successful boar trios but none of them involved juveniles all of the same age, I’m afraid. It’s not impossible. Just very unlikely to work in the long term.
All you can do is be as well read up on what to expect, look for the signs (even if you don’t want to see them) and have plan B ready for if and when it kicks off and you have to remove one.
Plan B has been figured out, and they are being watched. I thought horses and dogs were stressful, these guys are on a similar level!
 
With teenage boys (between 4-15 months but hormone spikes that can last into adulthood) all you can do is play along; hope for the best and prepare for the worst - it is quite a drawn out rollercoaster ride. When the testosterone hits, it will generally do so very suddenly and emphatically, but that can unfortunately quickly change the whole group dynamic.

Adult boar trios where the boars have chosen each other (often cases where a bereaved neighboar they have known for a goodly time through the bars is accepted into their home) can work brilliantly and so can trios of pensioners where the testosterone has long fizzled out...
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
The best is being hoped for, but the worst has been prepared for now, thanks 😊
 
Plan B has been figured out, and they are being watched. I thought horses and dogs were stressful, these guys are on a similar level!

Oh piggies are a whole new level of stress. I think they come up there with moving house and dealing with parking fines..
 
I have a boar trio who have been together since birth. Two are from one litter and the third is, I assume the half brother or cousin. I have had numerous scares where I thought I would have to separate them, but they are now over 2 yrs old, and still living together without any bloodshed.
I believe the reason mine work is complicated.
a) personality - I have a very special laid back leader of the gang - Little Dude. He protects Groucho from Chicco most of the time, although he has had a go himself from time to time. I firmly believe that Groucho and Chicco wouldn't even make it as a pair if Little Dude wasn't there.
b) space. They have a 5 grid by 3 grid C&C with a loft. Groucho spends a lot of time on his own in the loft, but he wheeks for the others if I take him out of the cage, so I know he still wants to be with them. (Add to this multiple places to hide and eat)
c) Without a and b this wouldn't be relevant, but I do believe that the fact they have always been together is the final deciding factor for my three. They have never had to go through a bonding, and to be honest, I don't think it would have been successful if they had.
So, yes, there are some success stories, but there are a lot more failures. Give your guys the best chance, but if it doesn't work, it's not your fault. Don't permanently separate them at the first sign of trouble - I've had several temporary separations - usually I've just given them an hour or so time out just to let things clam down. Even 2 years in I still have a plan B, so don't expect an easy ride.
OK - warnings over - my three are also the most entertaining group and I love watching the dynamics between them. When a trio works....it's the best. :nod:
 
I have a boar trio who have been together since birth. Two are from one litter and the third is, I assume the half brother or cousin. I have had numerous scares where I thought I would have to separate them, but they are now over 2 yrs old, and still living together without any bloodshed.
I believe the reason mine work is complicated.
a) personality - I have a very special laid back leader of the gang - Little Dude. He protects Groucho from Chicco most of the time, although he has had a go himself from time to time. I firmly believe that Groucho and Chicco wouldn't even make it as a pair if Little Dude wasn't there.
b) space. They have a 5 grid by 3 grid C&C with a loft. Groucho spends a lot of time on his own in the loft, but he wheeks for the others if I take him out of the cage, so I know he still wants to be with them. (Add to this multiple places to hide and eat)
c) Without a and b this wouldn't be relevant, but I do believe that the fact they have always been together is the final deciding factor for my three. They have never had to go through a bonding, and to be honest, I don't think it would have been successful if they had.
So, yes, there are some success stories, but there are a lot more failures. Give your guys the best chance, but if it doesn't work, it's not your fault. Don't permanently separate them at the first sign of trouble - I've had several temporary separations - usually I've just given them an hour or so time out just to let things clam down. Even 2 years in I still have a plan B, so don't expect an easy ride.
OK - warnings over - my three are also the most entertaining group and I love watching the dynamics between them. When a trio works....it's the best. :nod:
Yay! Thanks for your reply, your 3 sound similar to mine. It's nice to know it's not definite doom and woe!
 
Yay! Thanks for your reply, your 3 sound similar to mine. It's nice to know it's not definite doom and woe!
Not definite no. A trio of young boars has something like a 90% failure rate, but I always say that that means there's a 10% success rate. Not great odds, but it CAN work. All the best, I hope your guys are three of the lucky ones!
Here's my three little miracles. Little Dude at the front, Groucho in the snuggle sack and Chicco with the pretty blonde face. DSC_0997.JPG
 
Not definite no. A trio of young boars has something like a 90% failure rate, but I always say that that means there's a 10% success rate. Not great odds, but it CAN work. All the best, I hope your guys are three of the lucky ones!
Here's my three little miracles. Little Dude at the front, Groucho in the snuggle sack and Chicco with the pretty blonde face. View attachment 115766
They are cuties! Thank you for the good wishes x
 
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