In a bit of a Piggy Pickle

Wheekwheekcavy

Wheekwheekcavy

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi Everyone, so I’m in a bit of a pickle..

When I got my 4 boars back in Sept of this year, they were all living together and was raised as apparently they are brothers .. something tells me Badger isnt though.. look at his markings🤣 anyway, about 3/4 months later, long story short, I have had to seperate them into the pairs that you can see in the photos.. but now ALL FOUR guinea pigs are very rumbly etc, I know that is normal but they just rumble whether I have them out for a cuddle, orrr they run away from me & rumblee or throughout the night they rumble to each other.. & I do not want to have 4 seperate cages 😭 having 2 C&C cages is enough for me in my room..

So basically what I am getting at here, is some advice?
My mom says to return 2 .. (Badger & Rusty), 1 I dont think they will have them back at Pets @ Home & 2, my animal loving self just cant bear the thought if not giving them a forever home! I am so stuck on what I should do..

Neutering isn’t an option either as I am not going to have them with females & I have never neutered my guinea pigs, I have always had boars, double & triple checked myself so.. ideas? 😩😩😩 I’m losing my mind for what to do for them 😶
Thanks,
Emma xx
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Hi. Some boars just rumble a lot. I have one who hardly ever walks normally, just rumblestrutts his way through life. If that's all they are doing, and they're not fighting, there's no problem.
Given their ages, they are in the heart of their teenage phase where dominance behaviour will be at an all time high, so the rumbling might reduce further down the line.
Please, whatever happens, don't give them back to the pet shop. If it does become a problem, surrender them to a reputable rescue, who will make sure they get a good home. At the moment there is no reason to surrender any, they're just being blokes.
 
Firstly I think you are doing an amazing job with your boys.
Their cages look great and the fact you separated them into pairs before they fell out and someone got injured shows you really know what you are doing.

Rumbling is just a natural boar behaviour and some do it more than others.
It isn't bad and doesn't mean they will fight or fall out.

Eddi is our rumbly boar and seriously some days he just wanders around his cage rumbling at nothing, at the water dish, at a piece of pepper on the floor, etc.
We thought he rumbled a lot, and then we got Harry.
Eddi and Harry live in adjoining cages and they love to stand at the bars and will spend ages just rumbling at each other and swaying their hips.
Harry actually comes up to the bars and bites them until Eddi comes over so they can rumble at each other.

So whilst it will probably settle more as they get older, right now it doesn't sound like there is anything to worry about.
 
Wheekwheekcavy said:
Hi Everyone, so I’m in a bit of a pickle..

When I got my 4 boars back in Sept of this year, they were all living together and was raised as apparently they are brothers .. something tells me Badger isnt though.. look at his markings🤣 anyway, about 3/4 months later, long story short, I have had to seperate them into the pairs that you can see in the photos.. but now ALL FOUR guinea pigs are very rumbly etc, I know that is normal but they just rumble whether I have them out for a cuddle, orrr they run away from me & rumblee or throughout the night they rumble to each other.. & I do not want to have 4 seperate cages 😭 having 2 C&C cages is enough for me in my room..

So basically what I am getting at here, is some advice?
My mom says to return 2 .. (Badger & Rusty), 1 I dont think they will have them back at Pets @ Home & 2, my animal loving self just cant bear the thought if not giving them a forever home! I am so stuck on what I should do..

Neutering isn’t an option either as I am not going to have them with females & I have never neutered my guinea pigs, I have always had boars, double & triple checked myself so.. ideas? 😩😩😩 I’m losing my mind for what to do for them 😶
Thanks,
Emma xx
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Hi and welcome!

Good that you have them separated into pairs. The current dominance behaviour is very much in the mild range and nothing to worry about. Boars rumble-strut and mount regularly.

These guides here may help you getting them through the remainder of the teenage months. They are coming up to another more intense phase, but one which leads much more rarely to fights and fall-outs. It's more about pushing the limits constantly.
Your boys have made it through the very worst of the teenage months now, so please take heart and leave things as they are for now.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Please don't give up your boys unless absolutely necessary. If you really get into trouble, please contact one of our recommended rescues where you can be assured of help and know that any piggies are in safe hands at all times. Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

PS: It is unfortunately a long debunked self-perpetuating breeder myth that brothers will not fall out. They do just the same as every other boar bond where the personalities do not balance out. Quartets don't work any better with brothers than they do with any boys. The more tempers you need to balance out during the teenage months, the higher the fall-out rate, irrespective of whether they are related or not!
Chain pet shop piggies are supplied by a commercial mass breeder anyway and then carted all over the place to be sold at the various branches.
PS2: Siblings can look very different and can even be different breeds depending on their ancestry. We've had a case on here where a rescued pregnant sow gave birth two four different looking babies - and not a single one was looking like their mother!
 
Thank you all for replying, yes I will leave them be as I couldn’t bear to actually get rid of them! I’m in love with them! 😍 they are my children haha..

But yes I will be keeping an eye on them and if needs be, maybe neutering them may calm them down, even though I have had 2 lots of vets say not to neuter them?
 
Neutering doesn't stop their current behaviour, contrary to what some say. Neutering only stops them reproducing babies. If you are planning to pair one of them with sows in the future, then neutering is a must. But if not, then you don't have to.

I have a neutered boar with 2 sows. He always rumbles but it's so normal to him and he is even a very laid back and lazy piggy.
 
Christian is my rumbler. I have only heard Dennis rumble a couple of times. Christian will rumble at anything and everything occasionally accompanied by his sexy bum wiggle.
 
Hiya! Even if your boars are brothers it won’t guarantee they will get along, also neutering won’t do anything 🙂

I’m a bit confused as to if you’re keeping them all in one big cage or if they’re pairs?
Pairs would certainly be easier
 
Your boys are gorgeous, I can see why you’re in love with them!

As previously mentioned, neutering makes no difference to their hormones or behaviour. People think it does because it works for rabbits, not pigs sadly.

I have a neutered boar (lives with 4 wives) and he rumbles all the time, even in his sleep sometimes! I think it’s just his way of saying “I’m a big man look at me” :)) He went through his hormonal stage as normal even though he’d been snipped. Boys will always be boys haha.

Wishing the 5 of you the best luck! If you do start to struggle you can always ask a local piggy rescue for some help, if you offer a donation I’m sure they’ll be there for you should you need it :)
 
I agree with the posts above - you’ve done a great job separating them into pairs. And some boars are just big rumblers! Ralph rumbles at objects in his cage - food bowl, new hides, my hand, Holly (his wife). He rumbles when he’s patrolling. He rumbles when he wakes up and stretches, he rumbles when he popcorns. He’s just a little rumbler!
 
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