Bonding A Pair With Two Unbonded Sows

BasicPiper

BasicPiper

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Hello, so I currently have four sows. I have a bonded pair that is about 2 years old living in a 2x5 C&C. I also have a 4 week old sow currently in quarantine away from my other piggies, and then I have a single 2 year old sow that I'm "watching for a friend" but I'm likely going to end up keeping. My end vision is to try and bond them together into a nice little quartet, but I'm not sure of the best way to go about trying to do so.

I know my cage will need to be bigger and so while the smol sow is in quarantine I'm going to work on expanding the cage. While I wait, should I bond the 3 adult sows and introduce the baby later, or should I bond the two new sows with the pair at the same time?

Also, the single sow I'm not even 100% sure I'm going to keep forever and I'm hesitant to bond her with them if I'm only going to give her back in a couple months, but at the same time she's lived alone all her life (although now she's in a cage right next to my bonded pair) and I'm sure she'd appreciate the company. Is it even worth introducing the single one to ANY of the guinea pigs I own? Should I wait until I know for sure if I'm going to be adopting her and then introduce her to an existing trio?

I know this is a lot of information and a lot of questions and I'd really appreciate your time and input:)
 
It may be worth asking your friend first. It's wonderful that you're wanting to give her company but should your friend decide to take her back and take her away from her new friends to live on her own again I'd imagine that would be very sad for her.

I hope you can keep her, she sounds like she's in the best hands with you! :)
 
Hi!

Ultimately, it all comes down to character compatibility; you can never predict what is going to happen and how piggies react when they meet. Please take the time to read our very detailed bonding guide. it covers the whole period from the run up until the end of the dominance phase in detail and discusses various behaviours and dynamics at different stages, including sow bonding, group bonding, fear agression etc.
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

I would however strongly recommend to make sure that before you try bonding, your friend is OK with her sow staying with you, whether that is as a full part of the group or if she struggles with other piggies (usually fear driven behaviours like excessive dominance) as a live-alongside piggy. It would be extremely cruel to rip her out of a bonded or stable situation and put her back as a single without contact with her own kind. Even if she retains her own territory, round the clock stimulation and interaction through the bars is still important. Even depriving her of next door company when she's had it can make her feel rather depressed.
Companionship
 
Okay, so from what I understand, I should try and bond the baby sow with my original pair because I know I will be keeping them no matter what, and meanwhile try and figure out a set plan for the single sow.

I guess I'm just trying to figure if it will be worth it trying to bond the single older sow with a (hopefully) already existing trio.

Any tips especially for bonding a baby to a pair or is it just mostly the same as what I've read in the pinned articles?

I will definitely read those other articles you suggested. Thank you so much:)
 
BasicPiper said:
Okay, so from what I understand, I should try and bond the baby sow with my original pair because I know I will be keeping them no matter what, and meanwhile try and figure out a set plan for the single sow.

I guess I'm just trying to figure if it will be worth it trying to bond the single older sow with a (hopefully) already existing trio.

Any tips especially for bonding a baby to a pair or is it just mostly the same as what I've read in the pinned articles?

I will definitely read those other articles you suggested. Thank you so much:)
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Hi! It would be better if you cleared first with your friend whether the adult single sow is to stay or not, as that gives you two options: you can either try to bond the baby with the single adult or try to bond them all together in one go and see how that goes.
 
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