Eating less when noticing the other piggies?

[FrostyFlakesNz]

Hi everyone

I have had my two girls Momo and Jackie for a year now and have just recently taken in two boys yet to be neutered (too young atm) as owner couldn't care for them properly. Both genders are separated in two separate cages.

I have noticed over the last couple days the girls have eaten a lot less veges (hay still goes fast). My instinct tells me they are a bit nervous hearing the extra sounds as the boys are only 2 months and are very energetic and popcorn and squeal in there new and improved home.

Once they get neutered i was go through the bonding process but until then is it a good idea to have them next to each other where they can see or should they be further away etc?

p.s the girls are quite inquisitive themselves and are going right up and watching them run round. Just worried that they're too unhappy about so much change. ?

 

[Herbs&Spice]

Hi ,
i think you may be right, just keep a close eye on them. Good luck on the having the boys neutered and bonding.

 

[Swissgreys]

It sounds like the girls are simply responding to new sounds and smells.
As long as they aren't loosing weight it might just take a few days for everyone ot settle into the changed environment.

 

[Lady Kelly]

Aww sounds like the girls are being nosey and distracted from their food is each girl going to be paired with one of the boars each after the post neuter 6 week wait?

 

[FrostyFlakesNz]

Thanks everyone, they seem to be responding perfectly fine to there food prep noises this morning and are not shy around the food.

 

[FrostyFlakesNz]

Aww sounds like the girls are being nosey and distracted from their food is each girl going to be paired with one of the boars each after the post neuter 6 week wait?

I was going to introduce them in a large neutral area and hopefully they all get along. Obviously each bonded pair at the moment has got a dominant pig. When they both get introduced will the male dominant likely become to overall alpha? or would the female dominant keep her seniority as shes been in the house the longest?

 

[Lady Kelly]

I was going to introduce them in a large neutral area and hopefully they all get along. Obviously each bonded pair at the moment has got a dominant pig. When they both get introduced will the male dominant likely become to overall alpha? or would the female dominant keep her seniority as shes been in the house the longest?

Unfortunately your planned scenerio is extremely unlikely to work out at all. The most likely outcome with this is that the two males will fight over the females. The neutering will obviously make them unable to reproduce but does nothing to change their sexual urges or their natural instinct. It is a very rare occasion to have more than one male in with females. You would be better either keeping the two pairs that you currently have with the boar pair being kept out of reach of sow pheromones or having two pairs of a neutered boar/sow which could then live next door to each other.

 

[FrostyFlakesNz]

Unfortunately your planned scenerio is extremely unlikely to work out at all. The most likely outcome with this is that the two males will fight over the females. The neutering will obviously make them unable to reproduce but does nothing to change their sexual urges or their natural instinct. It is a very rare occasion to have more than one male in with females. You would be better either keeping the two pairs that you currently have with the boar pair being kept out of reach of sow pheromones or having two pairs of a neutered boar/sow which could then live next door to each other.

Okay thank you very much

 

[Wiebke]

I was going to introduce them in a large neutral area and hopefully they all get along. Obviously each bonded pair at the moment has got a dominant pig. When they both get introduced will the male dominant likely become to overall alpha? or would the female dominant keep her seniority as shes been in the house the longest?

Hi!

Two boars and two sows in a group is a big No No, I am very sorry to say! It is a perfect recipe for disaster.

Two boars can live together or one neutered boar with any number of sows. Any other boar combination is scoring high on the 'fail' side unless you get to large groups and oodles of space for a proper bachelor herd with a full room or outbuilding to take over.

Guinea pigs are wired for a core group of sows to associate with a boar of their choice. If you work against their social instincts, then problems are inevitable, especially as soon as you have more than one guinea pig in the mix.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts
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