How hard would it be?

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KaiLouise

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http://www.the-rabbit-hutch-shop.com/rabbit-shack-double-hutch-with-under-run-rs-4019.html

This is my girls current living quarters, they are VERY happy in it and have the run door permanently open as we have piggy proofed the garden so they can, and do, roam free. I have just been in the pet shop looking for some stuff for them and fell in LOVE with some 8 week old baby piggy's. DP said i can have them if i want. How hard would it be to bond them with the girls? I obv would make sure they are all girls (my pet shop is VERY good, Hassocks pet centre if anyone knows them) and would get the babies their own hutch too, but they would all roam the garden together. Would that be ok?
 
It depends on the guinea-pigs personalities, though because the 8 week old guinea-pigs are babies it will probably be easier because babies often accept more easily that they are not leaders. I have only had a problem introducing girls once before, and they were all adults, I've never had a problem with introducing babies to adults before, but if they are going to live seperately, then one of the babies would be the dominant guinea-pig in that group, and your other 2 guinea-pigs will have a dominant guinea-pig between them so when they all meet together in the garden the 2 dominant guinea-pigs may fight, because they'd both be used to being the dominant guinea-pig. Sorry I haven't worded it very well, I hope it makes sense. Could they not all live together as one group in a hutch?
 
They could all live together, i would like them too, DP thinks it ill all be fine if they live together, i am thinking space, but TBH Nushka and Meg don't take up much sleeping space and used to share that hutch with 2 others, but i suppose as the babies grow i could always get another, bigger hutch for them all?
 
my crappy computer wont load your link... rolleyes
but if it is big enough for more piggies... then why not... if they are the ones you have fallen in love with...
i'd probably start bonding them in a run...
that way you can keep a close eye on them...
but with babies... they tend to slip in without anyone noticing...
I'm sure oliver only noticed penny (one of the babies) for the first time... and she had been in there for near enough a week....
men eh.... rolleyes
and then you can let them free once your sure everyones okay...
i'd be warey of gaps in the garden though... and babies can fit in the tinyest of spaces....
x
 
They should be able to be introduced fine, since they are all girls and the new ones will be babies, they should be happy to be together straight away really :) Though I would keep the new babies separate for the first 2 weeks or so to make sure they are healthy and don't pass anything onto your girls.

Also the babies might have trouble getting into the hutch or finding it if they get lost, so I think it'd be best to keep them in a hutch at first, til they get older, not free ranging. And also because they won't be used to you and will run away and be hard to catch, I'd imagine. So I'd wait til they are used to you.

Do you never gets cats or anything in your garden? I think it's great for them to have so much space, but I'd be a bit worried about cats. Baby pigs might be more vulnerable aswell that they could get hurt by crows or magpies :( cos they're smaller, and your girls are probably used to where there hutch is and could run inside if there is danger, but the babies might take a while to settle in

Good luck with them anyway :)
 
Nope, no cats, or birds, we live in a brand new estate, we are middle of a 3 terrece with a HUGE loud stafie dog on the outside house one side and lots of children here (3 anyway) and 4 next door. Ok, so I would need to seperate the babies for 2 weeks first and keep them all in the hutch for how long?
 
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We quarantined our four babies for 2.5 weeks and had them all health checked by the vet before we introduced them to our older girls.
Read the threads on introductions if you already haven't. Ours had a 10 minute sniffing and chasing each other session but have settled together lovely :(|)
I was very nervous and prepared for any problems, my heart was almost jumping out of my chest when they met for the first time :... but they had been allowed to see and 'chatter' to each other for a week before through grids before we opened the pen up.
We added new furniture and changed the pens around completely so they seemed more interested in exploring than who was who.
The oldest girl, Amelia is a very gentle piggy and insists on mothering the little ones, washes and cuddles up with them - sooo sweet x)
 
Thank you! Gonna double check they are girls when i go in tomorrow to get the girls some bits (I only went to price them today LOL) and if they are gonna ask if they can hold 2 while i get a indoor cage (was thinking this one:
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/guinea_pig_cages/100_cm_cages/213718
as it's only for a short time with 2 babies and they will have floor time daily) and should get them late this week/early next!
My kids will be SO happy pmsl, they love the girls almost as much as i do!
 
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