Boar bonding advice

[Opossum_fur]

Hey guys, in my last two threads I talked about how my guinea pig Hobbes has passed away. Calvin Was Hobbes cage mate and he was the dominant male while Hobbes was more of a chilled guy. I recently found somebody who can no longer care for their 7 month old guinea pig and I offered to take him. This new boar is a sweet boy and I’m just a little nervous because I have never bonded guinea pigs before! I’ve read the bonding tips and I’ve watched videos on boar bonding but I’m still just a bit nervous. I’m not sure of Calvins age since when I adopted him two years ago the shelter was unaware of it as well, I just know that Calvin is an older boar. Will a 7 month old work good with Calvin ? I just need some advice and maybe some of you have similar stories?

 

[Siikibam]

Personality matching is what makes it work rather than age. The one issue you have is that the 7 month old is now in his teenage months. The hormones can make this a tough time in which to bond boars.

I would try and find a rescue near you that does boar dating. That way Calvin can choose his own friend.

Please add your location to your profile.

 

[Opossum_fur]

I live in a small town in Ct, I’ve been having a rough time finding a shelter which did have single boars near me. Most of the shelters have cats, dogs, rabbits. I’ve even called shelters and asked for single boars I really want to get Calvin a buddy but I’m just so lost. The young guinea pig I found was a lady who could no longer take care of him she said he was a sweet boy and sent me a few videos of him but I'm just so anxious and confused I keep reading different things online about bonding Guinea pigs and I just don’t know what to do.

 

[Siikibam]

If he lived on his own then you can’t really judge how he will be with another piggy.

I’m afraid the only way to know they get in would be to try and bond them. You’d need to quarantine the young one first, if you decide to go ahead. I’d also take him for a general health check shortly after he arrives in your home. Then after a couple of weeks you can do the intro. Just make sure you have all day. Boars can be difficult, but actually so can sows.

The other alternative would be to neuter Calvin, wait six weeks and introduce him to a sow or two.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree with everything siikibam has said. There is always going to be a risk when doing it this way. You simply have no way of knowing how it will go. They have to be character compatible for the bond to work out. Particularly as siikibam has said, if the youngster is single, then you don’t have any evidence of whether He is going to be dominant or submissive and how Calvin will react to that. Boars can be bonded and rebonded at any age so it isn’t all doom and gloom that it will fail as it has as much chance of working out, but in this situation you cannot know until you try. This is why it is risky. If you had a rescue centre nearby then they will ensure the bond is a success before you brought home a new piggy.
if you decide to take him, then will need to have a plan b already in place - spare cages, and equipment as If it doesn’t work out, then you will then have two single piggies living in separate cages.
If you do take him on, then as siikibam has said, the youngster will need to be health checked by a vet, and ideally kept quarantined for two weeks to ensure he isn’t carrying any illnesses Prior to you doing the bonding.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

It is great that you want to find Calvin a new friend. Please accept that it is not necessarily as easy and straight forward as you may like.

Any bond depends on whether the personalities involved mesh and balance or not. Mutual liking and character compatibility are the key to any successful piggy bond. irrespective of gender or gender combination.

From long term experiences with rescue dating boars it takes about 1-3 introductions on average to find 'Mr Right'; teenage boys can take more, especially the ones around 6 months of age when testosterone levels are at an all time high.

Please also be aware that a 'lovely' human orientated single piggy doesn't necessarily have the skills when relating to other piggies, which can majorly impact on their introduction (fear-aggression/over-reactions). And that people keen to get rid of a no longer wanted pets always have 'lovely' and 'much loved' pets...

When bonding at home on spec, you always need to have a plan B at the ready in case your two boars don't gel. That is the first and biggest rule if you cannot let your bereaved piggy choose who they want to live with. There is no magic wand measure that can make a bond work as you cannot change personality and outlook, as little as you can change humans. Any successful bonding boils down to the fact that the piggies involved want to live with each other when the chips are down - but you can never make them to.

Please take the time to read these links here; they contain important information, from a very detailed step-by-step illustrated bonding guide to vital information on boars (including companionship aspects for single/bereaved boars and teenage challenges):
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care