Boar heaven

[Darcey15]

My single piggie Gregory (having lost his elderly pal recently) is going to have a lovely suprise soon when we bring some lady piggies into the fold . He's 3 weeks post neutering op so we have another 3 weeks to pass and then we can bring in the girls.

I have been keeping an eye on our local rescue but it's more of a dog/cat/donkey rescue than piggies and I have my name down at a rescue further afield as they only have boys currently. I've also looked at the pet shop adoption section (no piggies there this week only rabbits) along with baby pigs (who seem to come in groups of 4 or 5,). I will keep looking at the rescue pigs first as thats my preferred option but failing that I was wondering from others experiences whether Gregory could be bonded with a group of 4 or 5 young ladies in one go or if it is better to bring pairs of ladies in gradually. I don't want to shock him too much but I want to try to go down the easiest path possible for Gregory and to make the best success out of the bonding process. I'm prepared for the possibility that not every piggie will get on and I have room if we encounter hiccups but I want to at least try to choose the best option to get him his piggie heaven after losing his pal, being a bit lonely and losing his manhood! Any thoughts most welcome!

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hoping you find your prefect ladies for Gregory x I have two boars so no experience of bonding with girlies, but wishing you every success, he’s going to be a very happy boy!

 

[Wiebke]

My single piggie Gregory (having lost his elderly pal recently) is going to have a lovely suprise soon when we bring some lady piggies into the fold . He's 3 weeks post neutering op so we have another 3 weeks to pass and then we can bring in the girls.

I have been keeping an eye on our local rescue but it's more of a dog/cat/donkey rescue than piggies and I have my name down at a rescue further afield as they only have boys currently. I've also looked at the pet shop adoption section (no piggies there this week only rabbits) along with baby pigs (who seem to come in groups of 4 or 5,). I will keep looking at the rescue pigs first as thats my preferred option but failing that I was wondering from others experiences whether Gregory could be bonded with a group of 4 or 5 young ladies in one go or if it is better to bring pairs of ladies in gradually. I don't want to shock him too much but I want to try to go down the easiest path possible for Gregory and to make the best success out of the bonding process. I'm prepared for the possibility that not every piggie will get on and I have room if we encounter hiccups but I want to at least try to choose the best option to get him his piggie heaven after losing his pal, being a bit lonely and losing his manhood! Any thoughts most welcome!

You can bond a boar with any number of sows. I've done that many times now, having had any possible 'husboar' and sow group possible over the year. I currently have got 7 'husboars' living with 1- 3 wives each of all ages from 5 weeks to 8 years of age.
When my Hywel succeeded the old Tribe founding patriarch, he had to make friends with about 10 sows and went up to a harem of 13 ladies in his best time!

Here is our bonding guide, which includes a chapter on group bondings and has also a look at group bonding dynamics: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

These are our tips on what to look out for in piggies other than from good standard rescues with mandatory quarantine and vet care.

Have you contact Milhaven Guinea Pig Rescue in Keighley as to whether they have sows in the pipeline that will be coming up for adoption in a month or so? Rescues have often got more piggies in that are on the website; any incoming sows over 4 weeks have to undergo a mandatory pregnancy watch, for instance.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

 

[Darcey15]

Hoping you find your prefect ladies for Gregory x I have two boars so no experience of bonding with girlies, but wishing you every success, he’s going to be a very happy boy!

Same, bonding boars yes (and little boys!), but no girlies. I'm looking forward to it very much & will keep you posted! X

 

[artcasper]

He will think all his birthdays have come at once! Good luck..

 

[Darcey15]

You can bond a boar with any number of sows. I've done that many times now, having had any possible 'husboar' and sow group possible over the year. I currently have got 7 'husboars' living with 1- 3 wives each of all ages from 5 weeks to 8 years of age.
When my Hywel succeeded the old Tribe founding patriarch, he had to make friends with about 10 sows and went up to a harem of 13 ladies in his best time!

Here is our bonding guide, which includes a chapter on group bondings and has also a look at group bonding dynamics: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

These are our tips on what to look out for in piggies other than from good standard rescues with mandatory quarantine and vet care.

Have you contact Milhaven Guinea Pig Rescue in Keighley as to whether they have sows in the pipeline that will be coming up for adoption in a month or so? Rescues have often got more piggies in that are on the website; any incoming sows over 4 weeks have to undergo a mandatory pregnancy watch, for instance.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

Have just watched the video clips & I have to say Barri is a bit of a legend, loved watching him & at the end, what a back arch! Is he still with you? Thanks for those- I've got everything I need to get started. I finish my current work contract in 5 weeks so I'll have my whole time to dedicate to it (unlike now when its crazy busy).
Yes I've been in touch with Milhaven but only via enquiry form so I'll follow up next week if I've not heard back. I'm also going to keep popping over to Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary- they are the closest but as I might come home with a donkey instead ha. Thanks again.

 

[Darcey15]

He will think all his birthdays have come at once! Good luck..

I know! I'm excited for him. I'll see if I can video the first encounter & hopefully it will be a romance and not a wild western!

 

[Wiebke]

Have just watched the video clips & I have to say Barri is a bit of a legend, loved watching him & at the end, what a back arch! Is he still with you? Thanks for those- I've got everything I need to get started. I finish my current work contract in 5 weeks so I'll have my whole time to dedicate to it (unlike now when its crazy busy).
Yes I've been in touch with Milhaven but only via enquiry form so I'll follow up next week if I've not heard back. I'm also going to keep popping over to Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary- they are the closest but as I might come home with a donkey instead ha. Thanks again.

Barri is still with me and happily married to gentle Briallen (who let him have his way with her before gradually asserting her authority the day after I took the video of his failed speed dating with Hyfryd and Hirael). The two still love sleeping together in the hay tray together and are very fond of each other. Barri has calmed down a lot since his initial over-excitement, which is not at all uncommon for freshly neutered teenage boars. He's just celebrated his second adoption day.


I later bonded the two with @Janey 's two baby girl - you can see those bonding videos in the guide, too.


Last year, I had to switch the twins to another group. Barri and Briallen are now living with one of my problem sows, Hapus.


Hyfryd and Hirael have taken a good two years since their arrival in March 2017 to accept a husboar; they now live with their old neighbour Nye after his boarmate Nosgan died shortly before Easter.
I had Nye neutered as soon as he was old enough. Happy-go-lucky Nye and the skittish girls been good friends through the bars for a year and have bonded with minimal fuss! Very soon after meeting in the bonding pen, Nye went and gave Hyfryd a big smack on the eye - after that the bonding was kind in the bag even though Hirael wasn't all that happy; but as her mummy was happy with Nye, she eventually submitted to Nye without any kerfuffle.

 

[eileen]

Stunning photos.

 

[Wiebke]

Have just watched the video clips & I have to say Barri is a bit of a legend, loved watching him & at the end, what a back arch! Is he still with you? Thanks for those- I've got everything I need to get started. I finish my current work contract in 5 weeks so I'll have my whole time to dedicate to it (unlike now when its crazy busy).
Yes I've been in touch with Milhaven but only via enquiry form so I'll follow up next week if I've not heard back. I'm also going to keep popping over to Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary- they are the closest but as I might come home with a donkey instead ha. Thanks again.

Hyfryd and Hirael have been adopted from Milhaven. They were stuck in rescue piggies. Hyfryd had been found dumped in a tree stump in a Leeds park together with a boar and another also pregnant sow; the place that dumped them must have just been a small hutch in rather stressful and bad conditions. Hyfryd was still seriously traumatised when she gave birth to Hirael at Milhaven. They have taken a long time to bring round because of what Hyfryd has been through.

Before that I adopted lovely Pili Pala and her cousin Papi from there in 2013; Pili passed away last September.

Jo now offers residential dating, so it is well worth the extra effort and any wait as you won't have to deal with all the nerve-wracking lively bonding stuff yourself.

 

[Darcey15]

Barri is still with me and happily married to gentle Briallen (who let him have his way with her before gradually asserting her authority the day after I took the video of his failed speed dating with Hyfryd and Hirael). The two still love sleeping together in the hay tray together and are very fond of each other. Barri has calmed down a lot since his initial over-excitement, which is not at all uncommon for freshly neutered teenage boars. He's just celebrated his second adoption day.
View attachment 115214

I later bonded the two with @Janey 's two baby girl - you can see those bonding videos in the guide, too.
View attachment 115212

Last year, I had to switch the twins to another group. Barri and Briallen are now living with one of my problem sows, Hapus.


Hyfryd and Hirael have taken a good two years since their arrival in March 2017 to accept a husboar; they now live with their old neighbour Nye after his boarmate Nosgan died shortly before Easter.
I had Nye neutered as soon as he was old enough. Happy-go-lucky Nye and the skittish girls been good friends through the bars for a year and have bonded with minimal fuss! Very soon after meeting in the bonding pen, Nye went and gave Hyfryd a big smack on the eye - after that the bonding was kind in the bag even though Hirael wasn't all that happy; but as her mummy was happy with Nye, she eventually submitted to Nye without any kerfuffle.
View attachment 115210

Ah fab pictures, thanks for sharing and super pleased Barri is settled. I can imagine Gregory being similar when he gets one whiff of the ladies! You have a wonderful group of piggies there

 

[Darcey15]

Hyfryd and Hirael have been adopted from Milhaven. They were stuck in rescue piggies. Hyfryd had been found dumped in a tree stump in a Leeds park together with a boar and another also pregnant sow; the place that dumped them must have just been a small hutch in rather stressful and bad conditions. Hyfryd was still seriously traumatised when she gave birth to Hirael at Milhaven. They have taken a long time to bring round because of what Hyfryd has been through.

Before that I adopted lovely Pili Pala and her cousin Papi from there in 2013; Pili passed away last September.

Jo now offers residential dating, so it is well worth the extra effort and any wait as you won't have to deal with all the nerve-wracking lively bonding stuff yourself.

Terrible circumstances for a piggie, I cannot imagine how anyone could leave piggies in a park. Some nasty folk out there but on the counter to that, more wonderful folk willing & eager to provide safe haven and a good life.
Milhaven have been in touch & I've decided that's the best route to take (especially after hearing your story). I just need to send a few pics of the set up and we can get Gregory booked in for residential bonding once I've finished this job (around 5 weeks so timing will work well post neutering- he'll be at least 8 weeks into that). Very much looking forward to it .

 

[Wiebke]

Terrible circumstances for a piggie, I cannot imagine how anyone could leave piggies in a park. Some nasty folk out there but on the counter to that, more wonderful folk willing & eager to provide safe haven and a good life.
Milhaven have been in touch & I've decided that's the best route to take (especially after hearing your story). I just need to send a few pics of the set up and we can get Gregory booked in for residential bonding once I've finished this job (around 5 weeks so timing will work well post neutering- he'll be at least 8 weeks into that). Very much looking forward to it .

All the best! I hope that Gregory will find the lady or ladies of his dreams!