Hello,
I am new to the guinea pig forum! I'm hopeful somebody might be able to help me and share advice.
We currently have 2 little male piggies, Tim and Elvis, who we have had for 2 years. They live in a cage in our family room during the colder months, but return to their hutch/run combo garden in the spring and summer. We all love them so much, and they have made excellent pets for my 2 young boys.
I would now like to get a few more piggies to make a herd this year. We have a large space in our garden where we plan on making an avery style run. However, I don't seem to be able to find any firm advice on how to add more piggies!
Am I right in thinking that my 2 boys need to be kept as a pair (I wouldn't want to split them anyway) but they can't be kept with any more boys? Is it right that you can only have a 'herd' on females with 1 boar? i.e. that boar would need to be neutered? If I kept a herd of females, do I need to keep them away from the boys? I've heard the boys will start fighting if they are near the girls?
Any advice anybody can offer would be much appreciated!
Thank you
x
Hi!
It is great that you are doing your research first before you get more piggies.
Two boars are not a good foundation to build up a herd. If they get on well, then please do not mess with them and risk a fall-out!
If you want to build up a herd, then do it ideally around one dominant piggy with leadership qualities. All the other piggies need to be ideally either very young, from a group background or submissive as you want to add to the herd from the bottom without having the established top challenged for longer term stability. Group dynamics are not static; they develop over time as the piggies age and a new generation grows up or individual likes and dislikes come into play. Guinea pig social life is every bit as complex as human dynamics, and like human ones, they have the potential to turn towards the bad.
One very important aspect with any herds is space - they need lots of it to allow them to get away from each other instead of forcing any conflicts to escalate by throwing the feuding piggies into other's face all the time. You have to rather think insulated hutch or outbuilding rather than hutch.
How big a group are you planning? There are noticeable differences in dynamics if you are dealing with a pair, a trio, a mini-group (quartet/quintet) or a herd (6/7 piggies or more). My biggest group has had up to 14 piggies at some point, but it also became unstable in the second generation of leadership.
If you are aiming at a mini-group or a small group, then building up a sow group with or without a neutered boar is best. Ideally you have the neutered boar in the group from early on as dominant leaders/older sows may not accept a potential rival for their status later on. Mini-groups are best built up by rescue dating or - if you are lucky - by adopting an already bonded group of piggies from a larger rescue intake.
Boars work ideally in pairs or then in a larger bachelor herd with plenty of space, and I really mean as much space as possible (best would be 1 sq metre per boar). Trios and mini-groups seem to be the most unstable set-up for boars. But ideally you talk to a rescue and again preferably build up a herd around a leader piggy that is not challenged at any stage.
Be aware that you have to have at all stages extra accommodation available for piggies that are bullied, too old or that get into a feud with others to the degree that it destabilises the group. With sows, ovarian cysts in adult and older can be a problem when they make the sows aggressive; you also can be confronted with some rather sneaky bullying and underhand tactics.
Boars are generally more upfront, but that can lead to fights or outright bullying of those boys that cannot stand up for themselves. The teenage months are always going to be a challenge.
If you want to have a more peaceful group of mostly cuddly piggies, then consider fostering some older boys that go together (not all will!) for a rescue - their testosterone has fizzled out (so no fights) and they are generally more snuggly than sows. Older piggies know who they are, they appreciate the good things in life and are generally more relaxed.
Key to any piggy bond, whether it is a pair or a group is character compatibility and mutual liking. Like with humans, not everypig will fit in. Finding the right piggies to start up with and to add is the challenge. If you can work with a good rescue (like we recommend) it means that you can date your group and minimise the risk of ending up with piggies that do not fit in and cause you sleepless nights. This is especially vital for the start and any mini-groups.
There are exceptions to every combination and set-up; occasianally two or more laid-back neutered boars can work out living with sows - but we talk a whole large room for them to get on as the required space for success. The crucial point is that you cannot count on being that exception, especially when you cannot devote oodles of space.
If you want to experiment yourself without a rescue to fall back on then you need to have a plan B at the ready in case things don't go to plan. A spare hospital/fall-out cage is essential. Piggies are highly social animals but they are also every bit as individual and complicated personalities as human beings. Big Brother with a fur coat springs to mind!
If you want to read up more on groups, I have written the story of my Tribe group adventure for Guinea Pig Magazine with all its its joys but also its various trials and tribulations over the course of a number of years (issues 37-39).
Back Issues – Guinea Pig Mag
You also may find these guides here informative:
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Bonds In Trouble
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts
Sow Behaviour
Recommended good standard UK rescues (most of which will offer dating):
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
I assume that you are UK based? It would be a great help for us if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your account details so they appear with every post you make and allow us to tailor any recommendations to what is available and possible in your area straight away. We have members from all over the world and very different climates and backgrounds, as well as rescue and vet access, not to mention brand names... You can access your account details by clicking on your username on the top bar. Thank you.
Thank you everybody x