Bonding 3 girls

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Nanny Bert

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Hello everyone just looking for advice ,tips etc
I have a 5 month old skinny girl and in 2 wks time her 2 sisters will be coming to live with us ( same dad diff moms ) upon introducing I’m aware it must be in neutral territory and watch over them (very close lol ) Do I put the little ones straight in with my older girl when they arrive ( hope I’m doing this right ) or is it best to keep separated ?less stress for the girls ..
I was thinking keep introducing them longer periods of time on a daily basis over say 4-5 days .if I have this wrong please can you advise me . .I'm just worried incase my girl doesn’t take to her younger siblings .
They have a 2 storey 4 ft new hutch .i have new beds and new fleece blankets ,plenty of food bowls for fresh and pellets and also hay box 3x water bottles ( each piggie will have their own bowls even though they will probably share :) (all new items are going in hutch when the 3 girls go in together so there is no scent on anything ) they also have a separate play area for their daily exercise and snack time .
So any advice please would be appreciated .my girl is pretty laid back so I am hoping that the bonding won’t take long lol and this is a silly question but will she be able to smell her moms scent on her siblings ? If so wouldn’t it make bonding easier?
Sorry for all the questions lol and thank you in advance for any info you can give me x
I’m on a countdown till my babies arrive so as you can imagine it’s exitment and nerves at the same time lol xx
 
The new ones will need to be quarantined for two weeks to ensure they are healthy and cannot pass anything on go your current piggy.
Keeping them side by side following quarantine for a little while is often a good idea so they can be aware of each other before being physically together.
When you introduce, you cannot do it over 4-5 days. You can’t introduce and then separate and then reintroduce piggies. It needs to be one introduction and if it has all gone well, then they move into the same cage together on the same day. Constant separation and reintroduction will mean they start back at the beginning of bonding every single time and can be incredibly stressful for them. It may also mean the bonding doesn’t work if they keep getting separated.
Bear in mind that the hutch is just eight square feet (upstairs levels don’t count) and that is a little on the small side for three guinea pigs (12 square ft is advised for three piggies) so do make sure they get plenty of play time outside of the hutch and watch for any issues relating to lack of space.
 
Piggies&buns said:
The new ones will need to be quarantined for two weeks to ensure they are healthy and cannot pass anything on go your current piggy.
Keeping them side by side following quarantine for a little while is often a good idea so they can be aware of each other before being physically together.
When you introduce, you cannot do it over 4-5 days. You can’t introduce and then separate and then reintroduce piggies. It needs to be one introduction and if it has all gone well, then they move into the same cage together on the same day. Constant separation and reintroduction will mean they start back at the beginning of bonding every single time and can be incredibly stressful for them. It may also mean the bonding doesn’t work if they keep getting separated.
Bear in mind that the hutch is just eight square feet (upstairs levels don’t count) and that is a little on the small side for three guinea pigs (12 square ft is advised for three piggies) so do make sure they get plenty of play time outside of the hutch and watch for any issues relating to lack of space.
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Piggies&buns said:
The new ones will need to be quarantined for two weeks to ensure they are healthy and cannot pass anything on go your current piggy.
Keeping them side by side following quarantine for a little while is often a good idea so they can be aware of each other before being physically together.
When you introduce, you cannot do it over 4-5 days. You can’t introduce and then separate and then reintroduce piggies. It needs to be one introduction and if it has all gone well, then they move into the same cage together on the same day. Constant separation and reintroduction will mean they start back at the beginning of bonding every single time and can be incredibly stressful for them. It may also mean the bonding doesn’t work if they keep getting separated.
Bear in mind that the hutch is just eight square feet (upstairs levels don’t count) and that is a little on the small side for three guinea pigs (12 square ft is advised for three piggies) so do make sure they get plenty of play time outside of the hutch and watch for any issues relating to lack of space.[/QUOTE ]
Click to expand...
 
Thank you for this advise I really do appreciate it :) less stress all round the better .id rather ask before hand so I know the ins and outs rights and wrongs :)
So the moving day will be the final hurdle as they say once they are out of quarantine :)
Again thank you as all advise will be used x
 
Hello

Please always double-check the gender of any guinea pigs you are putting together. Quarantine any new arrivals over 4 months unless they come from a rescue with a mandatory quarantine or a home you know from your own observation they have been looked after well and have not been in contact with potential transmittable diseases.
Please take the time to read our bonding guide below. It shows you stage by stage which behaviours are good or bad for each stage of the bonding and also explains particular aspects to boar, sow and cross gender/group bondings.

Give your piggies several hours or a night in a divided run in the run up if you can. Make sure that you have several hours or ideally a day or two in which you can bond and keep an eye on your piggies. As hard as it is, don’t interfere unless absolutely necessary apart from adding more hay or fresh grass.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
 
Babies are going for vet check next week and gender check also ( my piggies will be pet only ) and agin thank you as all advice will be followed :) xx
 
Nanny Bert said:
Hello everyone just looking for advice ,tips etc
I have a 5 month old skinny girl and in 2 wks time her 2 sisters will be coming to live with us ( same dad diff moms ) upon introducing I’m aware it must be in neutral territory and watch over them (very close lol ) Do I put the little ones straight in with my older girl when they arrive ( hope I’m doing this right ) or is it best to keep separated ?less stress for the girls ..
I was thinking keep introducing them longer periods of time on a daily basis over say 4-5 days .if I have this wrong please can you advise me . .I'm just worried incase my girl doesn’t take to her younger siblings .
They have a 2 storey 4 ft new hutch .i have new beds and new fleece blankets ,plenty of food bowls for fresh and pellets and also hay box 3x water bottles ( each piggie will have their own bowls even though they will probably share :) (all new items are going in hutch when the 3 girls go in together so there is no scent on anything ) they also have a separate play area for their daily exercise and snack time .
So any advice please would be appreciated .my girl is pretty laid back so I am hoping that the bonding won’t take long lol and this is a silly question but will she be able to smell her moms scent on her siblings ? If so wouldn’t it make bonding easier?
Sorry for all the questions lol and thank you in advance for any info you can give me x
I’m on a countdown till my babies arrive so as you can imagine it’s exitment and nerves at the same time lol xx
Click to expand...

Hi! As they are all from the same place, you have to weigh up whether you want to skip a quarantine or not.
Have they lived together before or not? If yes, then they will remember each other after a little while. If not, you have to treat them like strangers. Please ALWAYS double-check the gender of any guinea pigs you are bonding. Mis-sexing is sadly far too common.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)

In case, I would recommend a day or at least night in a divided bonding pen if you can do that with a sheet pegged over the top. This allows them to get to know each other, especially if put the hay and vet by the divider.

Guinea pigs don't bond in little spurts. For them, every meeting is a full-on introduction. Once you have committed, you have to sit it out at least until they have established a leadership and a rough hierarchy or they get into a real tiff with each other, in which case the bonding has failed. If you separate before that, they have to start all over again and will never really get there, which is highly frustrating for them.
bonding are nerve-wracking, especially the first time. As hard as it is, just sit by and let them work it out. DO NOT INTERFERE unless there is a serious tussle. Please be aware that minor skin scratches from a slightly mis-judge back foot swipe are common in skinnies as they lack the protection of a coat.

Please take the time to read these bonding guides. They talk you through the stages, dynamics and typical behaviours at any stage of a bonding, so you can understand the exchanges and judge much better what is going on and react appropriately.
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

All the best!
 
Thank you :) I will update once they are here and all settled :) again thank you all advice will be followed x
 
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