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Pixie Rabbit Rescue

Pixie Rabbit Rescue

New Born Pup
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Hi guys, I'm used to nine rabbits together, so two guinea pigs seems like a small group to me. I want to gain more piggy experience before I introduce any new guinea pigs, but I am wanting to know if groups is common in piggies? If anybody has a group (4 or more) and what sort of housing you have/would recommend.
I am sure someone will ask me to take a piggy on in the rescue at some point over the next year who can sneak on in haha.
 
I have always had a group of four or five and it works really well. Of course, they all have to be compatible in personality. With a group c and c cages are ideal. I have five in an 8 by 3 which means I do not have to give floor time. My piggies were unhappy during floor time as a different area made them nervous so I preferred to give them a bigger cage.
 
I've had up to 13 piggies live in a big group together. What is important is that the personalities gel; with smaller groups I prefer to date at a rescue to make sure that acceptance happens. Generally, I have found that youngsters, sows with a group background or undersows work best in a group. Dominant and/or older sows from a single or couple background can struggle and may be better off as a pair or trio with a suitable neutered boar of their liking. Personally, I am a big fan of neutered "husboars" in any sow group; they often soak up a good deal of the bickering as they need to get on with all girls. It is generally advisable to bypass trios as an interim constellation as they are the piggy pairing that is most prone to outsider problems, unless you can date two well bonded sows with a neutered boar. You will see group behaviour from about 4-5 piggies and full herd behaviour from about 6-7 piggies.

When you go for a big group, build it up slowly; you will need all the experience you have at times. It is rather a long term project than something you jump into. Guinea pig group dynamics are always fascinating and very intricate, but they can also drive you to distraction!
Here is more information about guinea pig social life: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/biological-facts-and-guinea-pig-society.109062/

At the moment, after a generation takeover and a change in group dynamics, I have 6 groups. My big group has been split into two groups of 5 piggies. I have a quartet of three older cataract ladies with a very gentle boar of their choice and another quartet of sadly now only three elderly/frail sows with their laid back husboar after my recent losses. My two latest fosters from TEAS sanctuary failed to get on with the 5 remaining Tribe girls, but they fell in love with the new Tribe husboar (who was given the chance to choose between the girls), so he's now living in a Trio with them. Then I have my two ASBO Teddy ladies living together; they don't get on well with any of the other groups. :mal:

This was the set-up with the big Tribe; the territory has now been split into three smaller pens.


 
i have a group of four sows in a 5x3 c&c cage and a group of five in a soon to be 4x5 c&c. Love watching them all together as each have their place. Both groups have a very dominant sow that would only accept babies otherwise they would be in a group of 11 with a full room to run about in.
 
i love my c&c because i can sit in them to clean them out. As i have sore joints i find this easier and you can adapt them to any shape and size and add to it or split it as you need to.Maybe if you went rescue you could adopt a group to start with ?I have never had boars
 
I have two girls that I adopted from the small animal rescue I manage. Just seemed that people suggested one male in a group of females to help keep the females calm. I've done it the same way with the bunnies too, just last year my big frenchie boy passed away after we had a bout of ECuniculi. :'(
If I were to take on any more piggies they'd simply be ones that would come through the rescue I manage anyway.
 
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