Can I Feel Fairly Confident That This Arrangement Is Going To Work? (new Herd)

[LunaPig72]

I introduced my two established guinea pig pairs (one older neutered boar+sow, two young sows) a week ago.

As a bit of background, I had a failed attempt to bond the boar/sow pair with one of the sows (our agouti girl) earlier in the year after her original boar partner died. It failed because agouti girl really didn't take to the surviving boar -both were the dominant ones in their original pairings-so I got a baby sow for her to live with instead. That worked well and they've been happy in their two pairs in side by side cages ever since.

I really wanted to try again to bond them as a herd though. As much as anything because I felt they'd all benefit hugely from being together and having a much bigger living space.

So I did loads of research beforehand, read all the articles on this forum along with several others, did everything that was recommended for neutral bonding space and everything seemed to go well. Lots of strong dominance behaviour from agouti girl (expected) aimed at the other pair and particularly the boar (also expected) but within two or three hours she had established herself as Boss Pig and they seemed to be settling.

Transferred them into their brand new C&C cage that evening and, six days on, I am feeling fairly optimistic. They have a 6x2 cage with a low 1x2 loft and shallow ramp at each end (so effectively 16 grid squares of space?) and seem pretty settled. Bit of daily rumblestrutting and the occasional chase or head-but from the top two girls, but they all seem to be sharing the space and food happily, no bullying or overtly dominant behaviours, their general demeanour seems relaxed.

So-do you think I can be confident now that they are going to 'work' as a little herd? Or could things still go wrong, for example as each of the girls come into season? Boar is bound to try it on when that happens and agouti pig in particular will not be impressed!

I would love them to work long term as a group but I don't want to be too confident too soon...

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Luna x

 

[Wiebke]

I introduced my two established guinea pig pairs (one older neutered boar+sow, two young sows) a week ago.

As a bit of background, I had a failed attempt to bond the boar/sow pair with one of the sows (our agouti girl) earlier in the year after her original boar partner died. It failed because agouti girl really didn't take to the surviving boar -both were the dominant ones in their original pairings-so I got a baby sow for her to live with instead. That worked well and they've been happy in their two pairs in side by side cages ever since.

I really wanted to try again to bond them as a herd though. As much as anything because I felt they'd all benefit hugely from being together and having a much bigger living space.

So I did loads of research beforehand, read all the articles on this forum along with several others, did everything that was recommended for neutral bonding space and everything seemed to go well. Lots of strong dominance behaviour from agouti girl (expected) aimed at the other pair and particularly the boar (also expected) but within two or three hours she had established herself as Boss Pig and they seemed to be settling.

Transferred them into their brand new C&C cage that evening and, six days on, I am feeling fairly optimistic. They have a 6x2 cage with a low 1x2 loft and shallow ramp at each end (so effectively 16 grid squares of space?) and seem pretty settled. Bit of daily rumblestrutting and the occasional chase or head-but from the top two girls, but they all seem to be sharing the space and food happily, no bullying or overtly dominant behaviours, their general demeanour seems relaxed.

So-do you think I can be confident now that they are going to 'work' as a little herd? Or could things still go wrong, for example as each of the girls come into season? Boar is bound to try it on when that happens and agouti pig in particular will not be impressed!

I would love them to work long term as a group but I don't want to be too confident too soon...

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Luna x

It sounds very much par for the course to me.

Herd bondings usually fail when two piggies cannot agree on their precedence or if one piggy takes an instant dislike to another - if there are unresolved issues from the bonding (acceptance or dominance), this can carry through. However, you notice it as a constant disruption and as generally high tension in the group that is just not going away as it should.
And that is repeatedly flaring up with teeth chattering, face-offs and wild chases.

Over time you develop a feeling for whether a bonding is going well or whether it is never going to work out just by picking up on the signals that are being exchanged and the body language on a fairly subconscious level.

Mild dominance behaviours are what you want to see at this stage as the piggies are settling in together. You have to brace yourself for some pretty wild first seasons as the new sows' bodies will react to the presence of boar pheromones. The over the top drama and the shared excess of emotion serves as a glue to bind them together. You should see some exchanges of piggy kisses etc. on the day after when the piggies reaffirm their new bond.
A husboar is rumblestrutting on a daily basis, by the way, even more so at first!

 

[Janice C]

Sounds as if it’s going really well! x

 

[LunaPig72]

Thank you both...I shall definitely be watching out for the wild first seasons!

 

[Janice C]

One of my youngsters ran about squealing like something possessed!
Asked on the Forum as so worried but reassured quite normal!
The other two have been very quiet in comparison!
Their group consists of a young neutered boar, the three youngsters and my very old sow, Maisie! Oliver seems to be a very Pala is Husboar and loves herding the babies around, takes them in and out to the grass etc!
Hope yours goes as well.