Neutered Dad with Newborn Baby

[Livvv]

Is it okay to have a neutered boar in the same cage with a sow and her 3 week old baby girl? (and another sow who’s their other daughter). I’ve seen that the males shouldn’t be with the babies when the mom is around at first or at all, is that still true if he’s neutered? I had him in the cage with them for about a day and I noticed that he is pretty rough and scares them/chases them 24/7, the new baby included so I separated him again for the time being.

Also, sorry for posting so many different threads recently, this site is the only place that I can find reliable information because my local vet has told me things that aren’t true and could’ve hurt my babies if I hadn’t posted my concerns on here so I don’t trust them and still have questions even after doing a lot of research. (They seem to know a lot more about birds and not as much about guinea pigs)

 

[Wiebke]

Is it okay to have a neutered boar in the same cage with a sow and her 3 week old baby girl? (and another sow who’s their other daughter). I’ve seen that the males shouldn’t be with the babies when the mom is around at first or at all, is that still true if he’s neutered? I had him in the cage with them for about a day and I noticed that he is pretty rough and scares them/chases them 24/7, the new baby included so I separated him again for the time being.

Also, sorry for posting so many different threads recently, this site is the only place that I can find reliable information because my local vet has told me things that aren’t true and could’ve hurt my babies if I hadn’t posted my concerns on here so I don’t trust them and still have questions even after doing a lot of research. (They seem to know a lot more about birds and not as much about guinea pigs)

Hi!

How long has your boar been neutered? We strongly recommend a full 6 weeks post-op to make sure that there are not accidents, like the little baby in my avatar picture, whose dad is a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine). The recommendation also follows RSPCA (official UK animal welfare organisation) practice.
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts

Boars, especially teenagers and young adults, when meeting other piggies of either gender can be swamped by theit hormones and lose access to their brain for a day or two. If it is getting too much for your sow and especially the baby, please separate and wait another day. Give them space on neutral ground without any hideys, but give your baby a place she can escape to, like a tiny tunnel or in a cardboard box with a little soft hay and two small exits on opposing sides that none of the bigger can get into. Ideally you give mother and baby 4-5 weeks to finish the weaning process naturally and allow the mother's body to recover a bit more and readjust to its normal hormonal balance.
3 weeks is the time when you need to remove boars so they cannot make babies with mothers and sisters and the gradual weaning process is generally fully underway, but not yet finished.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/after-birth-and-baby-care.109389/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-and-nursing-diet.109377/


Please take the time to read these guides here, including the information on boar bonding as well as group bonding and sow behaviour. You will hopefully find them helpful. Keep your boar next to mother and baby when sparated, so they can still interact.
If your mother is just running, but not fighting with him, it means that she is accepting him, so they will bond properly once he has calmed down.
Please be aware that babies are being put into place at the bottom of the hierarchy quite firmly even by their mothers once the weaning process has finished and the babies lose their protective status and are integrated into the group.
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

Since we have got members and enquiries from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details so we can always tailor any advice to what is relevant and available where you are straight away. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to account details and then down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make and saves everybody time. Thank you!

 

[Livvv]

Hi!

How long has your boar been neutered? We strongly recommend a full 6 weeks post-op to make sure that there are not accidents, like the little baby in my avatar picture, whose dad is a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine). The recommendation also follows RSPCA (official UK animal welfare organisation) practice.
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts

Boars, especially teenagers and young adults, when meeting other piggies of either gender can be swamped by theit hormones and lose access to their brain for a day or two. If it is getting too much for your sow and especially the baby, please separate and wait another day. Give them space on neutral ground without any hideys, but give your baby a place she can escape to, like a tiny tunnel or in a cardboard box with a little soft hay and two small exits on opposing sides that none of the bigger can get into. Ideally you give mother and baby 4-5 weeks to finish the weaning process naturally and allow the mother's body to recover a bit more and readjust to its normal hormonal balance.
3 weeks is the time when you need to remove boars so they cannot make babies with mothers and sisters and the gradual weaning process is generally fully underway, but not yet finished.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/after-birth-and-baby-care.109389/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-and-nursing-diet.109377/


Please take the time to read these guides here, including the information on boar bonding as well as group bonding and sow behaviour. You will hopefully find them helpful. Keep your boar next to mother and baby when sparated, so they can still interact.
If your mother is just running, but not fighting with him, it means that she is accepting him, so they will bond properly once he has calmed down.
Please be aware that babies are being put into place at the bottom of the hierarchy quite firmly even by their mothers once the weaning process has finished and the babies lose their protective status and are integrated into the group.
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

Since we have got members and enquiries from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details so we can always tailor any advice to what is relevant and available where you are straight away. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to account details and then down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make and saves everybody time. Thank you!

I originally had him with them 2 weeks post op according to what my vet told me, but they have also told me other things that are false. So when I started noticing odd behavior, I posted about it on here and everyone said to wait 6 weeks. He is now 8 weeks post op. The mom as well as the oldest daughter (from the first litter in April) run from him but also snap at him as well if he won’t leave them alone, which is almost always.
Thanks so much for your advice, I’ll keep him separated until the baby goes to her new home (unfortunately I do have to rehome her) and the mom is recovered.
Also, I live in the US so I will put that in my profile.

 

[Wiebke]

I originally had him with them 2 weeks post op according to what my vet told me, but they have also told me other things that are false. So when I started noticing odd behavior, I posted about it on here and everyone said to wait 6 weeks. He is now 8 weeks post op. The mom as well as the oldest daughter (from the first litter in April) run from him but also snap at him as well if he won’t leave them alone, which is almost always.
Thanks so much for your advice, I’ll keep him separated until the baby goes to her new home (unfortunately I do have to rehome her) and the mom is recovered.
Also, I live in the US so I will put that in my profile.

Thank you for putting your location into your profile information. It allows to always adjust our advice to US brands and your climate where it matters and not use our UK default.

I would wait until the baby is gone but - if you can - give him interaction through the bars with his family. The nipping is normal for sows not in season. Submissive sows will let a boar mate them right at the beginning of the bonding, but dominant sows won't unless they are in season. Dominant sows will chase boars away they do not accept and in necessary have a full-on tussle or even fight with a boar that the don't accept. I have put a video of a failed cross gender pair into the bonding guide. Barri was another randy freshly neutered boar, but has settled happily down with another gentle and more accepting sow who has taught him manners! The bonding was a bit on the wild side, though!

 

[Livvv]

Thank you for putting your location into your profile information. It allows to always adjust our advice to US brands and your climate where it matters and not use our UK default.

I would wait until the baby is gone but - if you can - give him interaction through the bars with his family. The nipping is normal for sows not in season. Submissive sows will let a boar mate them right at the beginning of the bonding, but dominant sows won't unless they are in season. Dominant sows will chase boars away they do not accept and in necessary have a full-on tussle or even fight with a boar that the don't accept. I have put a video of a failed cross gender pair into the bonding guide. Barri was another randy freshly neutered boar, but has settled happily down with another gentle and more accepting sow who has taught him manners! The bonding was a bit on the wild side, though!

That makes so much sense because that’s exactlg what’s happening with mine. I’ll check out the video. Before I had my guinea pigs I never realized they could have such big personalities!

 

[Wiebke]

That makes so much sense because that’s exactlg what’s happening with mine. I’ll check out the video. Before I had my guinea pigs I never realized they could have such big personalities!

That is why they are so addictive! Although I have got a bit stonger than others when I went to realise my childhood dream of a large group 30 years later...