Best Plan For Lonely Boar?

kyliebowers

kyliebowers

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 5, 2017
Messages
98
Reaction score
91
Points
220
I have four sows living together and a lonely neutered boar who I've tried to bond with them.

I've asked for advice here on the forum already on the bonding. Some say keep trying, others say it's probably not going to work out.

So now I need to make a plan for my lonely boar. I've got a few options and would love hear your thoughts-

Option 1: He could go back to the RSPCA - but we really want to keep him. He's such a sweet boy and is part of the family now.

Option 2: He could live next to the girls, but with plexi glass between them. When he lived beside them before, he constantly chewed the bars and I'm scared he will damage his teeth. Maybe with the option of trying to bond in the future when the girls are past the teenage months? (Not even sure if that would make a difference.) My perfect scenario would be bonding them one day (but I know it's not up to me! :P)

Option 3: Put one of the girls with him. But that would leave a trio, which I know are tricky. Plus I would hate to break up a happy group.

Option 4: Get him a friend, run the risk of them not getting on. I've looked at the local rescues on the locator. One has stopped taking in pigs, the other is quite a while away. Plus, I'm 6 months into having guinea pigs and already feel like a crazy pig lady having five! My family think I'm crazy! Haha.

All of the options have their down-side. I just want what's best for the pigs... any thoughts?

IMG_1571.webp

Sweet little Hector sleeping :luv:
 
kyliebowers said:
I have four sows living together and a lonely neutered boar who I've tried to bond with them.

I've asked for advice here on the forum already on the bonding. Some say keep trying, others say it's probably not going to work out.

So now I need to make a plan for my lonely boar. I've got a few options and would love hear your thoughts-

Option 1: He could go back to the RSPCA - but we really want to keep him. He's such a sweet boy and is part of the family now.

Option 2: He could live next to the girls, but with plexi glass between them. When he lived beside them before, he constantly chewed the bars and I'm scared he will damage his teeth. Maybe with the option of trying to bond in the future when the girls are past the teenage months? (Not even sure if that would make a difference.) My perfect scenario would be bonding them one day (but I know it's not up to me! :P)

Option 3: Put one of the girls with him. But that would leave a trio, which I know are tricky. Plus I would hate to break up a happy group.

Option 4: Get him a friend, run the risk of them not getting on. I've looked at the local rescues on the locator. One has stopped taking in pigs, the other is quite a while away. Plus, I'm 6 months into having guinea pigs and already feel like a crazy pig lady having five! My family think I'm crazy! Haha.

All of the options have their down-side. I just want what's best for the pigs... any thoughts?

View attachment 81433

Sweet little Hector sleeping :luv:
Click to expand...
When you tried bonding him before did any of the sows show him any interest?
Do you feel that all the sows are equally bonded to each other or is there one whose slightly on the outside of the group? If there was, maybe she would be happy to keep him company!
Only you know your own piggies so this is just a suggestion to help him .
 
He is cute.
If your 4 sows are already bonded do you have the space for another sow companion for Hector?
There’s also the extra cost I know.
Good for you trying to care for his needs as well as the sows.
 
Janice C said:
When you tried bonding him before did any of the sows show him any interest?
Do you feel that all the sows are equally bonded to each other or is there one whose slightly on the outside of the group? If there was, maybe she would be happy to keep him company!
Only you know your own piggies so this is just a suggestion to help him .
Click to expand...

Not being an expert, I'd say that two of the girls took a disliking to him, one was not too keen and the other (the lowest in the hierarchy) was indifferent. She would be the most likely to accept him I think.

She's also the one that I'd say was the outsider if there was one.

It's difficult to tell whether she's an outsider or if it just seems that way because she's the at bottom of the group. I do feel bad for her when she's kicked out of the best beds etc... might be worth a try. Thank you for your reply :)
 
kyliebowers said:
Not being an expert, I'd say that two of the girls took a disliking to him, one was not too keen and the other (the lowest in the hierarchy) was indifferent. She would be the most likely to accept him I think.

She's also the one that I'd say was the outsider if there was one.

It's difficult to tell whether she's an outsider or if it just seems that way because she's the at bottom of the group. I do feel bad for her when she's kicked out of the best beds etc... might be worth a try. Thank you for your reply :)
Click to expand...
Sounds like she’d be happy to have someone of her own!
 
Merab's Slave said:
He is cute.
If your 4 sows are already bonded do you have the space for another sow companion for Hector?
There’s also the extra cost I know.
Good for you trying to care for his needs as well as the sows.
Click to expand...

My living room has become more of a pig room since Hector came! He's in a large run in the middle of the room at the moment. I'm going to have to make new cages for both the girls and Hector in order to make a more permanent space for him. The girls have an L shape in the corner but I'd need to make two large rectangles to fit all the pigs in that corner long term.

I might try one girl with him and see how it goes before I think about new a new pig. I'm just wondering whether I'll be able to tell where she's the happiest... ah these pigs don't half make is worry sometimes... Thank you for your reply :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top