Help... Trio Of Pigs Almost Getting Along..

[Izzy Park]

Hey everyone!
So what's happening is that I got a new guinea pig, 5 month old boar, due to my friend not being able to keep him due to new job. However, I already own 2 boars, one is almost 3, and the other is 7 months, 8 months now i think. I did the 2 hour intro on the bathroom floor, and everything went well. However, when I moved them into the cage, I noticed something odd. My oldest pig did the usual normal things, sniffing and humping, and now they get along really well, share food talk and he hasn't been violent towards the new boar at all. But my 8/7 month old baby isn't happy. He continously smells his bum, trys to be bigger but hasnt really made too many violent gestures, but my old boar gets very overprotective of the new one, hissing and chattering when he gets on the same level as the new pig, and he continues to chatter until my baby retreats. He's attempted this many times, and my older boar just gets sick of it and has attacked my baby, while the new boar just sits there. This ends up with the new boar and my 3 year old pig eating together, and my 7 month old eating alone on the bottom floor. How can I make them all friends? Is this due to testosterone? What can I do, because if they cant get along, the old owner is going to come back and get the 5 month old boar and find him a different home.

 

[Scooby& Shaggy]

You may find the bond is broken between your original two boars. Boar trio's and quads don't work generally speaking.
Some owners may have joy with trios but they have lots of knowledge on piggy personalities. however dividing the cage so they can still see/smell each other can work. i.e 2 in 1 section one in another?

 

[Wiebke]

Hey everyone!
So what's happening is that I got a new guinea pig, 5 month old boar, due to my friend not being able to keep him due to new job. However, I already own 2 boars, one is almost 3, and the other is 7 months, 8 months now i think. I did the 2 hour intro on the bathroom floor, and everything went well. However, when I moved them into the cage, I noticed something odd. My oldest pig did the usual normal things, sniffing and humping, and now they get along really well, share food talk and he hasn't been violent towards the new boar at all. But my 8/7 month old baby isn't happy. He continously smells his bum, trys to be bigger but hasnt really made too many violent gestures, but my old boar gets very overprotective of the new one, hissing and chattering when he gets on the same level as the new pig, and he continues to chatter until my baby retreats. He's attempted this many times, and my older boar just gets sick of it and has attacked my baby, while the new boar just sits there. This ends up with the new boar and my 3 year old pig eating together, and my 7 month old eating alone on the bottom floor. How can I make them all friends? Is this due to testosterone? What can I do, because if they cant get along, the old owner is going to come back and get the 5 month old boar and find him a different home.

Hi! Unfortunaly boar trios rarely work out unless they can choose each other. Both younger boys are right in the middle of the teenage months, so the very worst time for bonding.

It sounds like you best split your 7 month old one and keep him either as an alongside piggy or - better - find him a new friend of his own choice if you can get to a good rescue that offers this service to make sure that the boys get on and you do not end up with more fallen out boars. It is very likely that your two boys won't get on anymore. Adding a third boar to a bonded pair can lead to a fall-out between the pair, as seems to be the case with yours.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
(also contains links to recommended good standard non-kill rescues in several countries that offer help with finding a new friend for single, bereaved or fallen-out piggies)

 

[Izzy Park]

Hi! Unfortunaly boar trios rarely work out unless they can choose each other. Both younger boys are right in the middle of the teenage months, so the very worst time for bonding.

It sounds like you best split your 7 month old one and keep him either as an alongside piggy or - better - find him a new friend of his own choice if you can get to a good rescue that offers this service to make sure that the boys get on and you do not end up with more fallen out boars. It is very likely that your two boys won't get on anymore. Adding a third boar to a bonded pair can lead to a fall-out between the pair, as seems to be the case with yours.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
(also contains links to recommended good standard non-kill rescues in several countries that offer help with finding a new friend for single, bereaved or fallen-out piggies)

Thanks for your reply. I have some excellent news. I woke up this morning to them all eating together, and everything seems to be getting better. My youngest is still staying away from the oldest, but now they are occasionally spending time together. I will keep them all together for another week, and if nothing gets better, I will seperate them. Thanks for your response.

 

[Merab]

Hope it works out for them and you

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for your reply. I have some excellent news. I woke up this morning to them all eating together, and everything seems to be getting better. My youngest is still staying away from the oldest, but now they are occasionally spending time together. I will keep them all together for another week, and if nothing gets better, I will seperate them. Thanks for your response.

I hope that it is just the dominance phase. It is always the piggy just above in the hierarchy that reacts strongest to a new arrival as its own position is the most in question. The dominance phase lasts about 2 weeks.

From your report it sounded more a real fight and fall-out.

 

[Reenie]

I hope it works out for you. I have a boar trio who have always been together, but there is definitely one who is the 'outsider'. They seem happy enough, get on ok and eat together and so forth, so I still keep them together, so that might be the best outcome you can hope for.