Bonding

[HarukoJay]

Hi guys

I just need some tips/ advice.
I’m adopting a 6mth old boy whom the owner not able to take care further.

My boy is 13 mth old, just now we try putting them together for a playmate seems ok but after 30mins the younger one started to pull out my boy hair (while my boy just chilling) ..
after that is goes back to normal again

I'm gonna bring home the young boy in few days time .

Ques: 1. i read alot of website informing that i need to clean the whole C&C cage before putting them together , is it true ?

2. i need to have 2 for everything (hidey, water bottle) does that include 2 separate bowl of vegetables too ? or can they share food in same bowl ?

3. If happen that there’s fight must i separate them and no longer in the same cage or its just for an hour or two to let them cool down ?

4. anything i need to look out for , do & dont’s ?

sorry as this is my first time doing such thing..
and thank u in advance for your advice.

 

[Piggies&buns]

To carry out their introduction, they need to be put into a neutral territory bonding pen, not the cage, and the bonding pen must not have any hideys etc in it - only a pile of hay. you leave them in the bonding pen for several hours so you can see if they actually want to be together. If successful in the bonding pen, after a few hours, you then clean down the cage they are to live in thoroughly and rearrange it (So the original piggy no longer sees it as his cage and home). You then move them to the cage together. After a successful introduction, they should not be separated at all.

Yes you need two of every Item. They may not want to share and in fact scatter feeding (and not using bowls at all)
can be best particularly as you are dealing with two teenage boars.

if they have a full on fight then they must be separated permanently. A full on fight means they are not compatible and do not like each other.
Its essential you recognise the normal stages of bonding and what to expect of normal bonding behaviour. You shoud not intervene unnecessarily. Such a failure in bonding which results in a full on, rolling around fight, will be unmistakable and will require you to separate them using oven gloves. Do not put your hands in between two fighting piggies.
A temporary separation is useful in already bonded piggies who may be having problems - it allows them to decide if they do actually want to be together.

From my understanding of your post, you have put them together but have now separated them and will be bringing the baby home in a few days. Bonding is done all in one go - once you put them together, if it is successful, then they need to remain together from then on. if you have separated them, then their processes hafe been interrupted so they will not have formed a relationship or hierarchy. When you bring the baby home, you will need to go through the whole process properly again (neutral territory again etx) from the beginning for them to decide if they want to be together.

When you do move them to the cage, any hideys you then add need to have two exits so no piggy can be cornered by the other.
It will then take them two weeks after their bonding for them to fully form their relationship and Hierarchy

the guides below explain further

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

Please take the time to carefully read all the green links. They will answer your questions in depth (and a few more that you haven't thought of or come across yet) as they will talk you step-by-step through the whole complex bonding process. The boar guide explains about the age dependent challenges and has got a chapter on boar dos and don'ts that is you will find very helpful.