Is it okay to have 2 male guinea pigs together?

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Obsxura

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Hi!

I’ve only ever had female guinea pigs together throughout my life (only two males during separate times, when I was very young and another one years later).

Now I am just wondering if it’s okay to have two male guinea pigs together?

They will be from the same breeder and would have lived together already before I get them.

My question is, is it okay to have two males, since they’re going to be growing together?

I know it may be a silly question, but as I mentioned, I’ve only ever had females in pairs and had no issues there, so I’m just asking here to be certain that my decision is either okay or not!

They would have many hideouts and hay and two separate water bottles and all other accessories that would keep them both entertained and safe from accidental injuries.

Also my guinea pigs are I guess “free range”😆 they are free to roam the whole house whenever we are at home (which is always pretty much).
 
Wiebke

Thread 'Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?'

1 Singles and Pairs
Singles: Challenges and solutions for different singles situations (link)
Pairs: A closer look all possible pairings (link)
2 Trios and More by Gender
Boars
- Trios and quartets - Why better avoided
- Large Groups...
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I have linked a thread for you, it explains what works and what doesn't. Yes you can have two boars together, many of us prefer them. They can fall out as can sows but there are many happy pairs on this forum.
 
Yes it’s absolutely fine - many of us, myself included have boar pairs. Boars tend to become friendlier as they age and that is one reason why I prefer boars to sows.

What matters for any pair, regardless of their sex, is character compatibility. Being from the same litter or being babies together doesn’t actually mean much. They have to be compatible and this is why getting babies does come with some risks - you won’t know if they are compatible until they are in their teens.
Most boar pairs make it together than not though so while you do need to be aware of the risks and have a plan for a fall out (which is they will need to be caged side by side without physical contact), don’t let it worry you too much

Make sure their cage is large (if they are ever to be locked into a space even for a short time each day it needs to meet sizing) - sizing for boar pairs is bigger than sows pairs - boars need 180x60cm.
You need multiple of every item and it is very important that you do not use any hides which only have one exit (single exit hides can mean one pig traps the other inside and can be a flash point for issues particularly with teen boars)
 
I have had only one boar pair as I fell in love with a sow twenty years ago when I restarted my piggy story but I do love my 'husboars' (neutered boars living with sows). Boys often mellow with age while sows become more uptight in older age with their hormones never slowing down.

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You may also find these guides here helpful for learning more about what maks boars tick and how to work around the challenges that come because our pet system and not because boars a re bad.

Wiebke

Thread 'A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)'

This guide is an article series that I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine issues 50-52 (May/July/September 2019).
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.

1 Introduction
2 Sexing Guinea pigs: Where to look and feel yourself
- Textbook pictures
- The hands-on sexing check
3 Boar Pairs
- Common misconceptions
- The tricky teenage months
- the 'Golden Boar...
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Wiebke

Thread 'A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars'

1 Common myths and misconceptions
2 The different ages (including teenage)
- Important biological facts
- The formative 'School Weeks' (3 weeks - ca. 4 months)
- The Teenage Months (ca. 4-14 months)
- The Adult Years (ca. 15 months - ca. 4-5 years)
- The Golden Age (ca. 4-5 years until end of life)
3 What do boars need? (List of boar dos and don'ts)
- Space, space and more space!
- Respecting the hierarchy
- The 'one for each...
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Wiebke

Thread 'Boars: Where Does The Bad Press Actually Come From?'

- 'Bachelors' and 'Husboars'
- How does natural behaviour transfer to a pet setting?
- Pet boars - the big losers
- A look at the neutering situation
- A warm word for boars
- Practical tips for improving boar bond stability
- Further links to points raised in this article


This article, which takes a closer look at the role of boars in guinea pig society and why the current pet system is failing them on pretty much all levels, is part of an article series for Guinea Pig Magazine...
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Yup. I have had three pairs of boars. The first two had no issue. The third had a very dramatic wobble in their relationship which we only narrowly got through, but now are very content and happy together.

Girls and boys each have their own challenges, but a securely bonded pair of boars is a bromance for the ages.
 
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