best way to introduce a neutered boy to a girl?
- Thread starter lauralucy
- Start date
- Status
Doeylicious
Adult Guinea Pig
Yep just the same, we did Dodge and Cherry in an ELC ballpit with lots of hideys, food and hay!
Those two were a bit lively, Dodge humped her and humped her and humped her til she told him to go away, then they quietened down! This lively intro seems to have made for a very, very stable pair tho.
My others basically just said 'oh hi, nice to meet you, lets eat this hay!' you would have thought they had been together forever!
A sow really going for the boar when he tries it on is what to look for most IME. It should go smoothly hopefully!
Fingers crossed x
Those two were a bit lively, Dodge humped her and humped her and humped her til she told him to go away, then they quietened down! This lively intro seems to have made for a very, very stable pair tho.
My others basically just said 'oh hi, nice to meet you, lets eat this hay!' you would have thought they had been together forever!
A sow really going for the boar when he tries it on is what to look for most IME. It should go smoothly hopefully!
Fingers crossed x
I would recommend to keep them next to each other for a few days until you see signs of flirting through the bars - that way your intro will go smoother.
Do the neutral space thingie with all the trimming. Make absolutely sure that there are no hideys, nooks and crannies with only one entrance, so that the girl can feel cornered and attack. If you have food, have a big flat plate that can stand up to two piggies racing straight over the top and scattering everything.
Acceptance with girls happens usually pretty straight away.
Good signs:
- girl allowing boy to hump her straight away (i.e. acceptance)
- LOTS of squeaking, even if most of it means "leave me be, I'm not ready - YET" - a vocal girl means that she's interacting positively
- LOTS of chasing and humping from all directions. A boar on testosterone overload is not a pretty sight, but you have to sit it out even if it takes more than day for the boar to find the on switch for his brain again - they will be firmly bonded after that.
Neutral:
- girl ignores boy completely for any length of time. It can work out eventually with some carefully supervised shared run time over several days and a very slow intro by living side by side, but it can as well end up in a fight, as it means that acceptance is not happening.
Bad signs:
- LOUD intense teeth chattering with fur standing on end (a little bit of minor chattering can happen occasionally when an accepting girl is getting fed up and feeling put upon, as can a kick; this kind chattering is a completely different kettle of fish), chinning up, yawning - all the aggression signs.
- physical attacks and fights with bites.
Brace yourself for a LOT of stink and a pee spraying fest that has both piggies ending up being a soggy, smelly, but happily bonded mess; so don't bathe, please. Living side by side first can help to cut down on that as well as a potential overreaction from the girl in a stressy situation. Acceptance usually happens within about the 5-20 minutes with girls.
Do the neutral space thingie with all the trimming. Make absolutely sure that there are no hideys, nooks and crannies with only one entrance, so that the girl can feel cornered and attack. If you have food, have a big flat plate that can stand up to two piggies racing straight over the top and scattering everything.
Acceptance with girls happens usually pretty straight away.
Good signs:
- girl allowing boy to hump her straight away (i.e. acceptance)
- LOTS of squeaking, even if most of it means "leave me be, I'm not ready - YET" - a vocal girl means that she's interacting positively
- LOTS of chasing and humping from all directions. A boar on testosterone overload is not a pretty sight, but you have to sit it out even if it takes more than day for the boar to find the on switch for his brain again - they will be firmly bonded after that.
Neutral:
- girl ignores boy completely for any length of time. It can work out eventually with some carefully supervised shared run time over several days and a very slow intro by living side by side, but it can as well end up in a fight, as it means that acceptance is not happening.
Bad signs:
- LOUD intense teeth chattering with fur standing on end (a little bit of minor chattering can happen occasionally when an accepting girl is getting fed up and feeling put upon, as can a kick; this kind chattering is a completely different kettle of fish), chinning up, yawning - all the aggression signs.
- physical attacks and fights with bites.
Brace yourself for a LOT of stink and a pee spraying fest that has both piggies ending up being a soggy, smelly, but happily bonded mess; so don't bathe, please. Living side by side first can help to cut down on that as well as a potential overreaction from the girl in a stressy situation. Acceptance usually happens within about the 5-20 minutes with girls.
lauralucy
Adult Guinea Pig
well they are currently living side by side kind of. the cages are next to each other anyone and everyone goes to say hello to nelson all on his own.
would you seperate with loud teeth chattering and up on hind legs going for each other or wait it out?
I'm just worried she's a lot bigger than him and he's my baby lol.
thanks lynz
how are cherry and dodge?
would you seperate with loud teeth chattering and up on hind legs going for each other or wait it out?
I'm just worried she's a lot bigger than him and he's my baby lol.
thanks lynz
how are cherry and dodge?
Don't worry about size! She'll probably insist on calling the shots until he is old enough, but that is a dominance and not an acceptance issue and you have to let them work it out between them. Acceptance happens before the dominance phase.
If there is mutual interest, I would think that you are in with a very good chance. I would keep piggies with severe teeth chattering and other signs of major aggression that can lead up to a bloody fight away from each other as things will probably not work out at that time; as I say, a minor bout during intro can happen when boar goes overboard and girl has to be a bit more forceful in telling him off. But that usually happens after the initial acceptance and is much milder in intensity. A sow that goes straight for a boar as soon as he tries it on won't bond.
The sows who won't accept a boar are mostly dominant older sows past ideal pup bearing age or some ex breeder sows who must have had a really bad time having been thrown together with several boars at the same time. Most girls up to two years and non dominant older sows have no problems with a boar.
The age of a boar is irrelevant. My first sow/neutered boar bond was between 3 1/2 year old Dizzy and 12 month old Llewelyn, and they simply adored each other. She would insist on teaching him proper manners, though!
If there is mutual interest, I would think that you are in with a very good chance. I would keep piggies with severe teeth chattering and other signs of major aggression that can lead up to a bloody fight away from each other as things will probably not work out at that time; as I say, a minor bout during intro can happen when boar goes overboard and girl has to be a bit more forceful in telling him off. But that usually happens after the initial acceptance and is much milder in intensity. A sow that goes straight for a boar as soon as he tries it on won't bond.
The sows who won't accept a boar are mostly dominant older sows past ideal pup bearing age or some ex breeder sows who must have had a really bad time having been thrown together with several boars at the same time. Most girls up to two years and non dominant older sows have no problems with a boar.
The age of a boar is irrelevant. My first sow/neutered boar bond was between 3 1/2 year old Dizzy and 12 month old Llewelyn, and they simply adored each other. She would insist on teaching him proper manners, though!
Last edited:
Don't worry about size! She'll probably insist on calling the shots until he is old enough, but that is a dominance and not an acceptance issue and you have to let them work it out between them. Acceptance happens before the dominance phase.
If there is mutual interest, I would think that you are in with a very good chance. I would keep piggies with severe teeth chattering and other signs of major aggression that can lead up to a bloody fight away from each other as things will probably not work out at that time; as I say, a minor bout during intro can happen when boar goes overboard and girl has to be a bit more forceful in telling him off. But that usually happens after the initial acceptance and is much milder in intensity. A sow that goes straight for a boar as soon as he tries it on won't bond.
The sows who won't accept a boar are mostly dominant older sows past ideal pup bearing age or some ex breeder sows who must have had a really bad time having been thrown together with several boars at the same time. Most girls up to two years and non dominant older sows have no problems with a boar.
The age of a boar is irrelevant. My first sow/neutered boar bond was between 3 1/2 year old Dizzy and 12 month old Llewelyn, and they simply adored each other. She would insist on teaching him proper manners, though!
When I bonded Hywel, Nerys wouldn't accpet him straight away and I had some minor scuffles until they'd sorted themselves out. Interestingly, it was nerys who backed down once she realised she couldn't browbeat Hywel.
Shellza
Adult Guinea Pig
It was touch and go with my girls and Archie too at the beginning. There was a part of me that thought it was never going to work, but now they are the perfect trio and only have minor scuffles when Archie wants Lexi's hay . I hope all the bonding goes well for you. Good luck x
. I hope all the bonding goes well for you. Good luck x
lauralucy
Adult Guinea Pig
thank you phoebe is about a month older but much bigger i say much nelson is 550g phoebe at last weight was just under 900.
ok i shall try mayb at the weekend when i am there all weekend to keep an eye on them.
silly question in neutral territory how long do you leave them before putting them into there cage?
poors nerys i bet she had a good go at trying to be boss.
ok i shall try mayb at the weekend when i am there all weekend to keep an eye on them.
silly question in neutral territory how long do you leave them before putting them into there cage?
poors nerys i bet she had a good go at trying to be boss.
You can move them anytime after acceptance has happened and you are feeling sure that things are going the right way. Just make sure that all hides have two exits until things have settled down.
At their age, I would not worry about acceptance at all - it is pretty much guaranteed.
PS: Nerys is over 1400g and Hywel was less than 900g after his complications, so the difference in size was pretty striking - and yet, my little boy has come out on top!
At their age, I would not worry about acceptance at all - it is pretty much guaranteed.
PS: Nerys is over 1400g and Hywel was less than 900g after his complications, so the difference in size was pretty striking - and yet, my little boy has come out on top!
katiepops
Adult Guinea Pig
Thank you for all the info, I shall be taking Hector to choose a girlfriend once he's 'safe' I was wondering if introductions with a boar and sow are anything like two boars as this is the only experience I have. I was hoping it's a much calmer introduction but it doesn't sound like it is! Well thankfully it's the rescue doing the bonding not me!
Doeylicious
Adult Guinea Pig
thanks lynz
Still as loved up as ever x) they are in a bigger hutch now, you wouldn't think it though, still snuggle up together every night.
Dodge still tries it on with her all the time, dirty boy. She lets him mostly but obviously has times of the month when he is just an annoyance and she see's him off lol
We had them out on the lawn for ages yesterday, she came back in all dirty though where he was grubby from the soil and humped her. Tsk. I call them my teenage pigs as all they do is hump, make a mess, sleep, and get in a tiz when you separate them
Oh and she eats cucumber now! And she has got him eating greens!
- Status