Bonding two males

[BertandBella]

Ok..
Two weeks ago we lost our beloved Bella, the surviving brother Bert has now got a little friend. On the advice of the pet shop rather than go down the separate hutch route, I have divided the existing hutch into two sections with a wire mesh between them.
At first Bert was growling and rumbling at the new one and showing his dominance over the new Male. Then he licked him, then chattering and now he is trying to scratch his way under the mesh without success..the baby is happy to sit next to the mesh. What is happening ? Are they bonding? Complete novice at this and confused about what to look for. They keep making curious noises..

 

[Siikibam]

Did you clean out the cage before putting the new boy in? And how old is he? How much space do they each have? And when will you be doing the bonding?

They can’t bond through the divider. Bert is just showing his dominance and the bar biting is wanting to get to the new pig.

If new pig is younger than four months then you need to bond them now. If he’s older then you should have quarantined him for two weeks before bonding them. Make sure their hutch is big enough. On that point, are they housed in or outdoors?

 

[Piggies&buns]

bonding only takes place when you put them in a neutral area together and follow the correct bonding procedure.

if the baby is under four months then you need to bond them (following procedure) straight away as babies need the social interaction and the guidance of Another piggy. If a pet shop has told you to put them next to each other by splitting a hutch and the new one is a baby then they have given you bad advice.

for two boars to live together they need a hutch of 6ft x 2ft. (To live separately as neighbours, then they need a 4ft x 2ft space each so dividing a standard hutch is highly likely to mean that neither of them currently have enough space anyway).

This is the guide which tells you the procedure of how to bond piggies Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Further guides to help you

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

 

[BertandBella]

Hi thanks for this,Yes the hutch was completely cleaned prior to putting the new one in. The new one has just been weaned. I would say Bert has 2/3rds of the hutch to the little ones 1/3rd but this can be altered. Will this help them bond? We were led to believe that was the case. They have had an hour together in a neutral space, Bert showed dominance, butt barging, climbing and growling but then showed curiosity and started licking the littles ones cheeks and bum.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hi thanks for this,Yes the hutch was completely cleaned prior to putting the new one in. The new one has just been weaned. I would say Bert has 2/3rds of the hutch to the little ones 1/3rd but this can be altered. Will this help them bond? We were led to believe that was the case. They have had an hour together in a neutral space, Bert showed dominance, butt barging, climbing and growling but then showed curiosity and started licking the littles ones cheeks and bum.

being In a divided cage is not bonding.

as the baby is so young, they must not be in a divided cage. You need to follow the correct bonding procedure in a neutral territory, complete the bonding process and then put them into the same cage together with the divider removed. They will continue to form their hierarchy and relationship over the next two weeks.

it sounds as if you’ve followed bad advice from a pet shop and not done the correct bonding.
its irrelevant as they shouldn’t be in a divided hutch, but the way it’s been divided means neither have enough space anyway

they need to be put together in a completely Neutral area - somewhere that doesn’t form part of normal territory - a bathroom for example (provided they are indoor piggies) - for several hours to go through the acceptance and dominance phases of the process. After that has happened successfully they get put in together into the cage they are going to live in (after it has been cleaned down and also made to be neutral)
You don’t separate them again after being in a neutral bonding pen. All that does it end the process so you then need to start all over again in a neutral area again.

Are they indoors? If not, then please bring them in for the winter. The baby is far too young to be able to cope with being outside

 

[Siikibam]

Please put them together in a neutral area and let it play out. Have a read through the dominance behaviour link above so you don’t step in too early. Humping, chasing and mounting are all normal behaviours. Your older pig is just telling the younger one that he’s boss. If the young pig squeaks he’s also accepting his position in the hierarchy and telling top pig that he accepts him as leader.

I would do that today if you’ve already had them in a neutral area. Thoroughly clean their hutch then move them back in once you see they’re getting on (give it a few hours). You can always leave them in the bonding area overnight if you’re not quite sure.

Are they living in or outdoors? If the latter you can’t put a new piggy outside now, it’s too cold. And he’s also still very young.

Let us know how it goes and feel free to ask any questions.