Buying a group of youngsters

Status
Not open for further replies.
I

IzzWhizz

Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Hi I'm hoping to find some young guinea pigs in the next few weeks but I'm wondering how many and which sex is the best to go for? Am i best bying them all from the same litter or can i choose a couple from two different litters as long as they are all roughly the same age? I'm not looking to have too many but maybe 4 or 5. Would i be right in thinking that girls are the only way to go if i want a group? Space isnt an issue, i would be keeping a large hutch in the garage at night and i have a huge run already for the garden which they would be in all day. I may still only get 2 or 3 piggies yet but thought i would ask anyway about getting a bigger group incase thats what we decide to do. Thanks in advance :)
 
Last edited:
Please don't buy them - rescues are brimming with piggies of all ages looking for a new home :...
There are lots of rescues on here and you will get support from them for life.
If you let us know where you are based, people can help find a rescue near to you or the Piggy Bank may offer to do a train for you.
 
I'm in Gloucester but i would still like information on what i asked if possible please as i would consider rescues but think it should be up to me to decide if that is right for me and my family.
 
Please go for rescue piggies. My little sows are rescue and I couldn't wish for lovelier pigs. The people who run the rescue will be able to advise you on which piggies would suit your needs best. They will know the characters of their pigs and be able to help you select a good bonded pair or more if you go for sows. It is possible to get young pups from rescue because so many sows end up in rescue pregnant. Do some very serious thinking and have a look on some rescue websites. :)
 
I'd also suggest you rescue. Rescues often have young guinea pigs available due to taking in pregnant piggies unfortunately on a regular basis. I do also think it's safer than buying from a pet shop because reputable rescues would only rehome you a healthy/stable pig and are always available to support you on the phone after you've taken the animals home. Most pet shops guarantee the animals for 2 weeks and after that you're on your own!

Are you a new or experienced owner would also be my next question. I started off with 2 guinea pigs about 12 years ago (obviously I don't still have my original pair but they were lovely!) and I now have 13. It might be best to start with a smaller number and then as you grow in confidence with them you could always add another pair. If you wanted a larger group it's best to go for girls and you can also add one neutered male into the group. I got a 'ready' neutered male from a rescue and he's such a fab pig and keeps the ladies in check! The females don't have to be from the same litter, I've introduced groups of girls from completely different backgrounds but you do have to take it slowly and be prepared for it to not work out. With the males they are best just in pairs and kept away from any females, otherwise they could start fighting, it's a dominance thing. That's why you can only have one neutered male to a group of females.

The weekly cost of a larger group is also something to consider. My lot pretty much eat me out of house and home now - buying enough hay, pellets, veggies and bedding for all of them does cost a surprising amount!
 
Sows are ok in a group if they bond, a girl I adopted wouldn't accept our top girl so fought and had to be split. Six in the herd then left me with a single girl :(
Sow dated and she chose two friends so is happy now living in a trio - had to alter piggy accomodation to suit them.
Boys can only live in pairs, brothers are the better choice as they may live harmoniously but the hormones rage at around 5 months so can never be certain they will not fight.
Nothing is 100% tbh, you may end up with lots of single piggies if not careful, I've seen bonding fail and it's upsetting and worrying, that's why rescues are the better option but as you say, it's your decision and if you can accomodate piggies who may fall out at a later date, wish you well.
 
IzzWhizz said:
I'm in Gloucester but i would still like information on what i asked if possible please as i would consider rescues but think it should be up to me to decide if that is right for me and my family.
Click to expand...

this is a rescue friendly forum, therefore we will all suggest rescues.

but your right it is up to you.
 
This is a rescue friendly forum so generally we will encourage rescuing over any other from- if your after babies there are plenty available from pregnant girl's that come in.

Personally I'd advise starting out with smaller numbers 2/3 as it give you a very good idea of either how much time/ energy/ money is needed if these are your first pigs or how they fit into your current life if you haven't had pigs in a while. It also gives you plenty of time to bond with your new pigs individually and the chance to work out how the individuals will work in a larger group (whose a bossy pants, who loves everyone and everything, etc). From then you can later decide to add more or not, there isn't really a certain number that is recommended with groups- just get the right mix of pig personalities and you'll hopefully have a happy group.

If you're looking to have them in one group then I'd defiantly say go for girls (or girl group with a neutered boar), a pair of similar aged boys can sometimes be awkward to keep together so a larger group would be near impossible without a massive space and very compatible personalities. Ages don't always matter and it's more personality, if anything I'd say go for a range of ages as having pigs all getting older at the same time could cause a problem when they hit a stage where some decide they want to try taking charge. But in answer to your question most babies will do fine with being mixed with Guinea pigs from other litters but some won't be as accepting and in general will be a little harder to mix with other Guinea pigs- unfortunately there is no set way of having things work and is more down to the individual.
 
Last edited:
I am considering rescues, if i were to buy babies i wouldnt got to pet shops anyway as i know they arent the best place to buy petsfrom and dont support it. The main reason i was thinking of getting youngsters is because i would preferably like 4 of them because i have children and they can each "have" their own although they really are for me and i would be doing all the caring for them i would be trying to get them to help when they can and cuddle/stroke (whichever piggie prefers!) their own piggie. I thought it would be easier to get say 4 girls from the same litter or two girls from two litters and have them in a huge cage from youngsters and i had hoped they would get along better than say trying to find 4 older rescues that would enjoy being together. Also i know not all rescue piggies will have been abused but i would like to try and tame the piggies so that they get used to the children. In response to the question of if ive had them before- yes i have i had them growing up and i have had them with my own family too (before the kids) i also have a rabbit at the moment- who i know cant mix with the piggies. I'm going to be finding him a rescue neutered bun when i have had him fixed which will be in the next few weeks.
 
Hi! Please don't go for more than a couple of boars living together - anything above is bound to end with fights and permanent fall outs as soon as the boars hit the big hormones - unless you have oodles and oodles of space so each boar can have his own territory of at least 1 square metre. If you want more piggies in one group, you have to go for sows (plus one neutered boar if you wish to - he's very good at keeping the peace and soaking up any quarrels).

I can also only urge you to go rescue - my shop piggy career promptly started (and ended) with a surprise pregnancy and all the attendant problems - and I am sadly not an exception; have a look in our pregnancy section! A good rescue will not only rehome only healthy, properly sexed and guaranteed not pregnant piggies, they will also support you during the settling in period.

If I were you, I'd start with an already bonded couple or trio and expand bit by bit. I would also mix ages; you get more stability within a group as they always have a clearly defined hierarchy and differentiated tasks.

Please don't underestimate the amount of work and the amount of space that a group of piggies will require. You also will need to treat all piggies in a group if you have health problems like mites or fungal and that can quickly push you to your limits, as well as be rather costly!

I have 16 piggies myself, 11 of them living currently in one big group with a neutered boar resembling a piggy core group in the wild with ages ranging from 3 years to 4 months old.

I can also recommend Windwhistle Warren warmly.
 
I would recommend getting them from rescues. The first one we had from a rescue was already socialised with other piggies and has fitted in very well with ours.
 
I think i may go for a couple to start with, like i said i just wanted to know if to get a big group it was easier to start off with them all together. Now i know thats not the case i will look for a couple that already live together. I am actually a big fan of rescue and had already looked at the rescue site youve all reccommended. What is the minimum hutch requirements for say a large pair of piggies? I will always try and go much bigger than the minimum anyway but need to know roughly what would be suitable. Ive got a large metal run for the garden which they would be in a lot too.
 
Sometimes rescues have more than a pair of piggies (sows more than likely!) we, as a rescue, have rehomed bonded groups of four and five before now. :)

But I think your right in going for a pair at first.
 
If you want babies, it is still worth checking out rescues as they often get pregnant sows handed in.

*Personally, as a mum of 3 myself, I opted for adult piggies from a pet background. *The rescue was able to recommend some with a gentle temperament so very soon after adopting them the kids ( youngest age 5) were able to sit and hold them for a cuddle and hand feed them. *Babies are very cute, but also tend to be very lively and may take some time to get used to handling. *
 
IzzWhizz said:
I think i may go for a couple to start with, like i said i just wanted to know if to get a big group it was easier to start off with them all together. Now i know thats not the case i will look for a couple that already live together. I am actually a big fan of rescue and had already looked at the rescue site youve all reccommended. What is the minimum hutch requirements for say a large pair of piggies? I will always try and go much bigger than the minimum anyway but need to know roughly what would be suitable. Ive got a large metal run for the garden which they would be in a lot too.
Click to expand...


Minimum size cage for a pair of sows is 4 ft by 2 ft, the bigger the better.
 
Just want to add going for one who is a little older but previously been in a good pet home can really be a good idea if you have kids who would like to handle them. I have one who came from a brillinat pet home before I gave her a new home at about 6 months and she is brilliant with people, so funny when being petted in her cage as she's so relaxed with handling.
 
I have quite a few piggies (17 to be exact :)) ) and they are all from rescues. I have adopted little babies and older ones and have found that if you spend the time in earning the trust of the piggy/ies they are all wonderful. :))
Of course, there are some piggies who prefer to be 'left alone' and not cuddled so much, and this can happen with piggies who are older or who you adopt from babies. :)
I would highly recommend rescues, there are some very beautiful piggies out there searching for their forever home :))
 
Hi I'm from Gloucester too, I understand your want for easy to tame piggies, but the piggies in rescues have been through such horrible times that when they find their forever home they settle down and became some of the tamest pets ever. They seem to flourish in the right home and make the most of it, that's not to say they won't be skittish for the first few days but they'll soon settle in with a fw treats and hugs.
I got my girls from a breeder and minnow was one of the most skittish pigs I have ever seen. A rescue pig is just as good and just as loving and tame as any others, the only difference is they deserve an extra loving home.
I really recommend windwhistle warren they have groups and pairs of sows available. You could start off with a pair/ small group and then add more in, you will find a wealth of bonding advice here and so many friendly people.
I really do hope you atleast go and have a look around the rescue, your sure to fall in live with the gorgeous piggies they have there :))
 
The only thing I will add is that you'll be hard pushed to find 4 sows from the same litter, so your best option will be either to have sows who are already grouped together...or to have a pair and then once you know their temperaments to add a couple more.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do :)
 
Hi and welcome to you and your family to the forum :)
I"m glad you've asked for advice and so many have been able to help you :)
Please keep us updated on which little ones you come home with....... and then a must ......whee love pigtures x)

Glynis, Velvet and Onyx x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top