Help with bonding

[Clarabelle]

Hello, please can you offer me some advice for my friend, she has an elderly sow (I think she is around 5) who recently lost the last of her litter mates. So she isn’t lonely my friend has rehomed two sows that were unwanted pets (who are 2). She put them all together in the hutch and the older original sow is just sitting outside of the bedroom area, where the younger ones spend most of their time. I have seen them eat together when I visited but that’s it. I am very concerned about the older one just sitting outside in the run on her own? As far as I know there has been no fighting. It’s been a few days now. Do you think there is an issue with bonding? Any tips I can pass on?

 

[DMS260820]

Hello, please can you offer me some advice for my friend, she has an elderly sow (I think she is around 5) who recently lost the last of her litter mates. So she isn’t lonely my friend has rehomed two sows that were unwanted pets (who are 2). She put them all together in the hutch and the older original sow is just sitting outside of the bedroom area, where the younger ones spend most of their time. I have seen them eat together when I visited but that’s it. I am very concerned about the older one just sitting outside in the run on her own? As far as I know there has been no fighting. It’s been a few days now. Do you think there is an issue with bonding? Any tips I can pass on?

You are supposed to bond in a neutral territory. No smells from any of the 3 pigs. You cant normally bond guinea pigs by just letting them live together straight away.

It would be like 2 people moving into your house, only you have no way of getting them out. You would be miserable, but if they were your friends it could possibly be ok

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, please can you offer me some advice for my friend, she has an elderly sow (I think she is around 5) who recently lost the last of her litter mates. So she isn’t lonely my friend has rehomed two sows that were unwanted pets (who are 2). She put them all together in the hutch and the older original sow is just sitting outside of the bedroom area, where the younger ones spend most of their time. I have seen them eat together when I visited but that’s it. I am very concerned about the older one just sitting outside in the run on her own? As far as I know there has been no fighting. It’s been a few days now. Do you think there is an issue with bonding? Any tips I can pass on?

Please give these threads to your friend and make sure she observes the dynamics in a neutral area. She also needs to provide extra housing for the older sow, who has obviously been ousted. If the bonding has not worked, then your friend needs to find an alternative solution. If she can get to a good rescue that offers dating, it will make it easier to find a character compatible guinea pig (sow or neutered boar) where she'll come back home with a companion only if acceptance has happened.

Adding a single piggy to a closely bonded pair can easily fail in my own experience.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Includes links to recommended good standard rescues in several countries: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[Clarabelle]

Yes I know this but unfortunately she had already done this and now I am aware I’m just trying to see if there is a way forward for her? I just can’t stop thinking about the elderly girl and thought I might try and help.

QUOTE="Skypipdot, post: 2192054, member: 129565"]You are supposed to bond in a neutral territory. No smells from any of the 3 pigs. You cant normally bond guinea pigs by just letting them live together straight away.

It would be like 2 people moving into your house, only you have no way of getting them out. You would be miserable, but if they were your friends it could possibly be ok[/QUOTE]Yes

 

[DMS260820]

Yes I know this but unfortunately she had already done this and now I am aware I’m just trying to see if there is a way forward for her? I just can’t stop thinking about the elderly girl and thought I might try and help.

QUOTE="Skypipdot, post: 2192054, member: 129565"]You are supposed to bond in a neutral territory. No smells from any of the 3 pigs. You cant normally bond guinea pigs by just letting them live together straight away.

It would be like 2 people moving into your house, only you have no way of getting them out. You would be miserable, but if they were your friends it could possibly be ok

Yes[/QUOTE]
Ok.just incase you hadnt tried this. Follow wiebkes advice

 

[Clarabelle]

Please give these threads to your friend and make sure she observes the dynamics in a neutral area. She also needs to provide extra housing for the older sow, who has obviously been ousted. If the bonding has not worked, then your friend needs to find an alternative solution. If she can get to a good rescue that offers dating, it will make it easier to find a character compatible guinea pig (sow or neutered boar) where she'll come back home with a companion only if acceptance has happened.

Adding a single piggy to a closely bonded pair can easily fail in my own experience.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Includes links to recommended good standard rescues in several countries: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Thank you, it would of been a better route but she had already done this and I’m trying to find out if there is anything I can advise her to do to help her original sow. She is very sweet and I can’t bear the thought of her on the outside of her own home.

 

[Wiebke]

Yes I know this but unfortunately she had already done this and now I am aware I’m just trying to see if there is a way forward for her? I just can’t stop thinking about the elderly girl and thought I might try and help.

QUOTE="Skypipdot, post: 2192054, member: 129565"]You are supposed to bond in a neutral territory. No smells from any of the 3 pigs. You cant normally bond guinea pigs by just letting them live together straight away.

It would be like 2 people moving into your house, only you have no way of getting them out. You would be miserable, but if they were your friends it could possibly be ok

Yes[/QUOTE]

Please ask your friend to obverve her sows in an open area, so she can assess the interaction/dynamics and then take it from there - as I have stated in my last post!

 

[DMS260820]

Thank you, it would of been a better route but she had already done this and I’m trying to find out if there is anything I can advise her to do to help her original sow. She is very sweet and I can’t bear the thought of her on the outside of her own home.

Its nice that you are concerned, not many people especially who dont own the pigs themselfes would care. Good luck to you

 

[Clarabelle]

Its nice that you are concerned, not many people especially who dont own the pigs themselfes would care. Good luck to you

Thank you I do own pigs (relatively new owner) and have gained a lot of knowledge from here and did read all the links first on bonding before I posted but couldn’t really see anything about coming back from this bad introduction that my friend had already made. I was hoping for a little miracle really

 

[DMS260820]

Thank you I do own pigs (relatively new owner) and have gained a lot of knowledge from here and did read all the links first on bonding before I posted but couldn’t really see anything about coming back from this bad introduction that my friend had already made. I was hoping for a little miracle really

Maybe you could put that one with yours? But its the same situation i bet

 

[Clarabelle]

Maybe you could put that one with yours? But its the same situation i bet

Yes I’ve got a pair of sisters only a year old. I did originally suggest it as I have a large enclosure and obviously would of adhered to the correct introduction but I’m getting the impression a 3 way bond is tricky!

 

[DMS260820]

You could try it