Introducing Baby Female To 2 Adult Females

[JulieAndJames]

Hi there!

We would like to expand our little cavy family by adopting a 6 week old female from the local shelter. We already have two 1 year old females at home. Before we adopt, does anyone have advice on (a) how successful baby to adult bonding can be, (b) any precautions we should take, and (c) anything we can do to maximize bonding.

Some background: Our two adult piggies are pretty carefree, with one being more outgoing than the other. They squabble on occasion (kicking each other out of huts, rumblestrutting and chasing when they are in heat), but NEVER have bitten each other or drawn blood or forcefully humped. They seem to have co-dominance, and will take turns exhibiting dominant behavior.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there!

We would like to expand our little cavy family by adopting a 6 week old female from the local shelter. We already have two 1 year old females at home. Before we adopt, does anyone have advice on (a) how successful baby to adult bonding can be, (b) any precautions we should take, and (c) anything we can do to maximize bonding.

Some background: Our two adult piggies are pretty carefree, with one being more outgoing than the other. They squabble on occasion (kicking each other out of huts, rumblestrutting and chasing when they are in heat), but NEVER have bitten each other or drawn blood or forcefully humped. They seem to have co-dominance, and will take turns exhibiting dominant behavior.

Hi and welcome!

If you have the option to make it two instead of just one baby, you would then move dynamics into the small group range, which makes bonding much easier and prevents outsider situations which trios are particularly prone to. The babies will have each other for company and play, and your older sows will be much happier in being bumped up in status. It is our repeated experience that going from two sows to four is generally a much more happier experience. A quartet will require a minimum of 2x6 ft or a 2x5 C&C grid cage.
The dominance phase when introducing babies can be pretty rough, as weaned babies are very emphatically pushed to the bottom of the hierarchy, but it is usually shorter and the babies bounce right back. It often sounds for more dramatic than it is because that is how vocal babies react.

As to young baby introductions, one of the scenarios discussed in our guide deals with exactly this, so you should find it very helpful: Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics