Neutered boars, not every sows dream!

[cavykind]

Just thought this might be an interesting topic to discuss

It's easy to think that neutering a boar will make him a doddle to pal up with sows. While most sows are happy to accept even an initially frisky boar, some will do an awful lot more than spray urine at him if they tire of his presence.

In the years of being involved with guinea rescue, I've neutered a lot of boars who mostly settled very well with their girlfriends. However two spring to mind that didn't. The sows were not impressed :

Both were easy going males that spent time here with sows, without problem. However the sows they were re-homed to as companions took a big dislike to them and did they show it. Without droning on, at both times initial introductions went well, usual stuff, neutral territory etc etc.
However in one case, the boar had to be returned as the sow bullied him mercilessly and ripped his ear. In the second, the sow slashed his face, you would think it had been done with a razor :-\ and bit him several times on the side.
Both were experienced adult homes, plenty space ...

So just a reminder, when it works it is great, but when a sow does not want a "man" in her boudoir...things can turn really nasty :'(
I (and as a result, my boars) learnt the hard way, though all I can do now is warn people to be extra vigilant.
I tend now not to recommend a neutered boar with a female over 2 or 3 unless she has been in with a boar before. In my experience, they are generally less tolerant. Younger sows seem to adapt better

Anyone else any experiences to share?

Barbara

PS Both boars received vet treatment and were fine, I palled them up here and re-homed with suitable girls.

 

[Pinkfluff]

Aww poor boars, glad they finally found some friendly sows. I wonder did the girls they were originally re-homed with have a general bad attitude or was it just those boars that seemed to offend them?

 

[Jillybean]

Barbara - how long did you leave them together? Just interested really to know. When I introduce a new guinea (mine are always female), we always go through the chattering teeth & chasing stage and usually take 2/3 weeks before they're finally together and can be left. Thankfully I've never had a case yet when I've had to take one out, I would be heartbroken if that happened! but it obviously happens, and I just wondered when you realise that they just aren't going to get on.

 

[Barmy4boars]

That was really interesting reading Barbara thanks for that- I will definately be passing that note of caution on when advising people who contact me through my website about this issue. Might also be worth noting it on the nuetering page too

 

[Lucinda]

This was why I was worried about adopting Max and putting him in with my three.

 

[linda.b]

Could'nt agree with you more cavykind. There's nothing worse than having to watch a sow being constantly pestered by a randy boar, neutered or not. People think, okay i'll have my boy done and there won't be a problem. Two guineas, boys or girls will either get on or not. It's the same with people. Some you like some you don't. If they don't get on you have got trouble!

 

[karenrgpr]

I find the boars generally get over being randy fairly quickly. Though each new sow they meet arouses things again but not for long, have never had a boar that constantly bullies sows in that way. Have had one boar take a dislike to a sow I put him with, and a good handful of sows that have not always liked my first choice of boar for them.

Some get on OK and just rub along together, while others are total snuggle pigs.

I believe a lot of its down to the personality of the pigs involved, just because she won't accept one boar (or even sow) it doesn't mean that she won't accept another (or vice versa).

Now the guineas do the choosing, they're better at it than I am and know who they want

As Barbara said its not a foregone conclusion, but I would go further and say that nothing to do with guineas is a foregone conclusion ;D

 

[cavykind]

Barbara - how long did you leave them together? Just interested really to know. When I introduce a new guinea (mine are always female), we always go through the chattering teeth & chasing stage and usually take 2/3 weeks before they're finally together and can be left. Thankfully I've never had a case yet when I've had to take one out, I would be heartbroken if that happened! but it obviously happens, and I just wondered when you realise that they just aren't going to get on.

These boars were with the sows less than 24 hours when they were injured. Initial intros seemed fine, and as I said, neither boys had been "troublesome" here and had been in with sows after neutering. I agree 100% with you that it can take some time for guineas to settle with each other, but obviously these sows had badly bitten the boars and were not happy themselves. So in these cases safety was a priority. No ifs or buts.

One of my long haired girls, will not tolerate neutered boars anywhere near her, she is from a breeder and had apparently had problems littering,...so it is perhaps no wonder she wants nothing to do with "men" :
She would actually seek out and attack the males, the two boys I tried were terrified and I obviously just couldn't give a situation like this time. This girl was over the moon when I gave in and kept a rescue baby for her, they are inseparable. So yes, just because a sow chooses not to share her life with a neutered boar, it doesn't mean she has to lonely

I'll stress, many, many if not most intros go well, so this thread isn't to put people off neutering! I've seen more matches made in heaven than otherwise!

Barbara

 

[gorgeousguineas]

As Karen rightly says, let the guineas make their own choice!

When I adopted Gucci, it took me 3 weeks to get him and Scruffy together as she kept on attacking him. When Scruffy died earlier
this year, Gucci went on a speed-dating trip to Karen's and had the pick of 4 sows, all of whom were nice. It took him less than half an hour to decide who he wanted to be his next wife, and they have got on brilliantly since day 1. Humans need to put their own needs aside in cases like this and let the pigs get on with it!

Chrissie & 11 Gorgeous Guineas

 

[cavykind]

When I adopted Gucci, it took me 3 weeks to get him and Scruffy together as she kept on attacking him. Chrissie & 11 Gorgeous Guineas

Did she actually cause wounds that needed vet treatment?

Barbara

 

[gorgeousguineas]

Hi Barbara,

No, she never drew blood or injured him in any way, and they were never left on their own during this time - "attacking" was probably the wrong word to use! It was her behaviour and body language that was agressive. Scruffy's favourite trick was going straight up to Gucci and start headbutting him. She also did a lot of teeth chattering, raising her head, and chasing him around snapping at his heels. Gucci was wise enough never to retaliate. After gradually extending the time they spent together each day up to two hours without any "incidents", Scruffy eventually accepted Gucci and trotted around after him like a good little wife

Chrissie & 11 Gorgeous Guineas

 

[cavykind]

Hi Barbara,

No, she never drew blood or injured him in any way, and they were never left on their own during this time - "attacking" was probably the wrong word to use! It was her behaviour and body language that was agressive. Scruffy's favourite trick was going straight up to Gucci and start headbutting him. She also did a lot of teeth chattering, raising her head, and chasing him around snapping at his heels. Gucci was wise enough never to retaliate. After gradually extending the time they spent together each day up to two hours without any "incidents", Scruffy eventually accepted Gucci and trotted around after him like a good little wife

Chrissie & 11 Gorgeous Guineas

Thank you Chrissie.
It's fascinating reading everyones experiences and doesn't it just go to show what complex little creatures guinea pigs are
I'm pleased Gucci eventually realised his role in life...He and Scruffy sound a little like my hubby and me

Barbara

 

[Beks]

I have 2 neutered males and both have very different personalities and have never not gotten on with any of my girls.

I have also been lucky with any new pigs who have come along (touch wood!) but I recently had to change things about as one or two of the sows had taken dislikings to each other. Nothing serious, just bickering but I let them all run together and make up there own minds and now I have more harmony than handbags at dawn! ;D

 

[Jillybean]

As Karen rightly says, let the guineas make their own choice!

When I adopted Gucci, it took me 3 weeks to get him and Scruffy together as she kept on attacking him. When Scruffy died earlier
this year, Gucci went on a speed-dating trip to Karen's and had the pick of 4 sows, all of whom were nice. It took him less than half an hour to decide who he wanted to be his next wife, and they have got on brilliantly since day 1. Humans need to put their own needs aside in cases like this and let the pigs get on with it!

Chrissie & 11 Gorgeous Guineas

Speed-dating for guineas - that's great! I would love to have seen that. We think we know it all but like you say, it's down to them at the end of the day!

 

[gorgeousguineas]

Everyone laughs when I tell them about Gucci's speed dating But, why should piggies be any different to humans who can choose their own friends?

Where my piggies have chosen their own partners, the matches have always been very good. They might only be small, but they certainly know what they want in a partner and don't take ages making their minds up.

Chrissie & 11 Gorgeous Guineas

 

[Barmy4boars]

Where my piggies have chosen their own partners, the matches have always been very good. They might only be small, but they certainly know what they want in a partner and don't take ages making their minds up.

Sounds great, I suppose it makes sense they should 'marry' someone they love rather than having an arranged marriage lol 2funny

 

[bramble]

haahaa speeddating love it ! ive been very very lucky & only had to change 2 set ups around , i now have a ladies only cage which currently has 8 girlies who dont like boys ! but i think its nice to let them decided , after all we wouldnt want to live with someone we didnt like ! why should they !

 

[lilgalnatalie]

:-\ thankfully its never got serious like that, when coco was alive she was the leader and we bought smidge as a girl (pets at home told us it was!) and the fact he was a boy was summit we learned after her death. Coco bullied smidge very badly, we couldn't understand why! when coco left us biscuit took her rightful place as leader u can tell she's 'the boss' because she claimed the sofa and igloo. though in her moods when she doesn't need smidge's roviness! though hes netured he gets a bite and walks off sulky but on these moods biscuit will squeak and sit in the igloo, but if smidge goes in the igloo well, that's a problem. Poor georgy who is unetured (and soon to be) gets a bite anyway, because biscuit isn't to keen on being a mum, at her age it is dangerous, so georgy lives in a seperate hutch with fluffly who hav been together since they were little, thankfully enough, he seems more keen on biscuit than fluffly, because biccy is the older one she is the 'prize' when fluffly is only just able to have babies, in the kitchen run, biscuit dashes to the igloo and smidge and george circle it, which causes netured smidge to have abit of a upset. Smidge won't allow Georgy to try it on fluffly or biscuit, though its not like he can do anything! ;D