do you have to have two male guinea pigs

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DM9119

my mom is getting my brother a new guinea pig. we are getting a baby boar and the website said he had to have two males in the same cage so that he would be happy. so i was wondering since i have two females then will i have to get two boars
 
Yes. Boars must live in pairs. When your mum goes to get your brothers guinea pig, make sure she gets two that already know each other. If you put two boars together that don’t know each other, they are almost certain to fight.
 
@melanie42 If the boar isn't going to be neutered then to stop any risk of accidental pregnancy I would recommend getting two females for your brother. I know they will be housed separately from the girls but if they ever met, even for a few seconds then the females could get pregnant.

Pigs are social creatures so it's recommended to always keep them in pairs
 
Two boars will be fine together but only if they are character compatible and are bonded properly. Only two boars can live together at a time, you must never add any more pigs to a boar pair.

I don’t entirely understand the second part of your post. If you have two females, you cannot put two males in with them. Your two females will be fine together, just the two of them, don’t add any boars in with your females
 
If you get the boar neutered and wait for 6 weeks (the safety period) then you could introduce the boar to the sows following the bonding guides on here very carefully. Don't put more than 1 boar in with the sows though.
 
melanie42 said:
my mom is getting my brother a new guinea pig. we are getting a baby boar and the website said he had to have two males in the same cage so that he would be happy. so i was wondering since i have two females then will i have to get two boars
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Hi!

Guinea pigs are ground roaming prey animals that live in groups and that are not wired to be on their own. They should live with a same sex companion. If the boys are already bonded, it will make things a lot easier. Whether they get on during and after the teenage months (i.e. are character compatible) will only show once they go through them. for that reason any cage should be large enough that it can be divided to allow the boars to live next to each other if they fall out. Thankfully the majority of boar pairs stay together. Enough cage space can help to minimise the risk of fights.
Always double check the gender of any arriving guinea pigs. Mis-sexing is sadly still very common.
Please be aware that boars, especially young boars need more space, especially during their teenage months between 4-14 years old. If you want to be sure that you only get stably bonded, fully quarantined/healthy and properly sexed guinea pigs, one of our recommended guinea pig rescues. Links for good standard rescues in several countries where you are in safe hands can be found in our new owners guide collection.

Please take the time to read these guides here and also ask your mother to read them. She also needs to make provison for the fact that your brother is most likely losing interest long before his guinea pigs will be old; a healthy guinea pig with good care has an average life span of 5-7 years.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Companionship
Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Cage Size Guide
Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents

How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

More helpful information on a range of subjects via this link here: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
Just to highlight what Wiebke's posted above that two boars need more space (a minimum of 2x5 grid C&C cage) compared to two sows (a minimum of 2x3 grid C&C cage). :) Of course the more space you can offer, the better!
 
i already have two girls and we really wanted to get a boy. he is a neutered boy but the website said that if we wanted him then we would have to have another boy as a companion . i was thinking wouldn't two girls be enough company for him or would he absolutely have to have another male in the cage with him
p.s. we do have a 2 1/2 by 5 ft. cage
 
Yes, It’s fine to keep one neutered male with females.
It’s all about whether the females will accept him though so following correct bonding procedure is essential.
 
A single neutered boar with 2 ladies sounds like a potentially very happy combination, as long as they all are introduced properly and get along well together :)
2 boys only usually works without any ladies I think so if you already have girls adding 1 neutered boar might make a very happy family but 2 boars would fight if there were girls around.
 
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