Neutered Guinea Pig With 2 Sows

[Kacie Wilson]

Hello -

I have had my 2 sows for over a year now and have really become attached to my guinea pigs. I decided to get one last year after graduating college with an animal science degree and have just become addicted ever since! . In July, I rescued my boar that I have (Merlin) from a kill shelter. He was by himself at the time and somewhat timid. I have come to get to know his personality over the last few months and he is the most active pig, adventurous I have ever seen. Even though he is a bit timid, he does have a "forward" personality. I have had him beside my 2 girls for quite sometime and they constantly talk to each other and interact. My sows would even sleep closest to his enclosure just to be next to him and vice versa. He has always been interested in them but of course in a dominant way. After getting him fixed over 4 weeks ago, my vet gave me the okay to try and house them together. Previously before getting fixed and after, they would all 3 have play time together with my supervision and they did perfectly fine. However, after putting them in a big enough enclosure for the 3 of them, they started to bond and my oldest and him even ended up in the same igloo together. I stepped out of the room for over an hour then went to check on them...well my oldest sow started to chase him around grinding her teeth, positioning her back end up, you name it. It was quite aggressive behavior because she kept going up to him to give him warning of attack. He will grind his teeth back but just more so try to get away from her and dominate my submissive sow. It is almost like my older sow gets upset when he tries to be dominant over the submissive sow since he is not able to be dominant over the older one. It has just ended up being a mess so he is separate from them again. I just get a bit sad because he looks over at them all the time and seems to want to be with other pigs but it is like he is just too "forward" for my 2 sows. I am not sure what to do? Is it ok just for him to continue being in an enclosure separate but able to see them? He eats fine but just has a lot of energy and runs around trying to get to them and talk to them. Should I possibly try to get a female to try and bond with him down the road? I am afraid he may just be really forward with the new pig and it could get to be much for that one as well. I just do not have the means to get rid of him because I love his personality - it just makes it a bit difficult since my sows are not fond of him. Any advice would be greatly appreciative despite the knowledge I know of guinea pigs!

Thanks in advance!
-Kacie Wilson

 

[Crystella]

Oh boy, the waiting time after having your Boar done is 6 weeks not 4. Also when they are bonding please don't leave them alone as you need to be ready to break it up if they get really violent to each other.
Here are several threads to read over and help you in making this group work
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs

Atm keep him close to the girls for interaction and companionship. I'm sure someone else on the forum will jump in with some more advice for you. Please do read those threads tho.

 

[flowerfairy]

How about getting him his own sow? Obviously that may not be possible. Hope they all get on eventually.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello -

I have had my 2 sows for over a year now and have really become attached to my guinea pigs. I decided to get one last year after graduating college with an animal science degree and have just become addicted ever since! . In July, I rescued my boar that I have (Merlin) from a kill shelter. He was by himself at the time and somewhat timid. I have come to get to know his personality over the last few months and he is the most active pig, adventurous I have ever seen. Even though he is a bit timid, he does have a "forward" personality. I have had him beside my 2 girls for quite sometime and they constantly talk to each other and interact. My sows would even sleep closest to his enclosure just to be next to him and vice versa. He has always been interested in them but of course in a dominant way. After getting him fixed over 4 weeks ago, my vet gave me the okay to try and house them together. Previously before getting fixed and after, they would all 3 have play time together with my supervision and they did perfectly fine. However, after putting them in a big enough enclosure for the 3 of them, they started to bond and my oldest and him even ended up in the same igloo together. I stepped out of the room for over an hour then went to check on them...well my oldest sow started to chase him around grinding her teeth, positioning her back end up, you name it. It was quite aggressive behavior because she kept going up to him to give him warning of attack. He will grind his teeth back but just more so try to get away from her and dominate my submissive sow. It is almost like my older sow gets upset when he tries to be dominant over the submissive sow since he is not able to be dominant over the older one. It has just ended up being a mess so he is separate from them again. I just get a bit sad because he looks over at them all the time and seems to want to be with other pigs but it is like he is just too "forward" for my 2 sows. I am not sure what to do? Is it ok just for him to continue being in an enclosure separate but able to see them? He eats fine but just has a lot of energy and runs around trying to get to them and talk to them. Should I possibly try to get a female to try and bond with him down the road? I am afraid he may just be really forward with the new pig and it could get to be much for that one as well. I just do not have the means to get rid of him because I love his personality - it just makes it a bit difficult since my sows are not fond of him. Any advice would be greatly appreciative despite the knowledge I know of guinea pigs!

Thanks in advance!
-Kacie Wilson

Please take the time to read through this thread here to see whether it is dominance or whether the bonding has failed over the leadership question. I have seen bondings of mine fail, not over mutual liking but the inability to come to a solution as to who comes top - and your boy may be just a bit too dominant for your girls' liking.
Do not put any hideys with just one exit with freshly bonded piggies - that can cause problems during the dominance sort out: Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics

Also be aware that - unlike what most vets think - 4 weeks is not enough. I have got the daughter from a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine) and have heard since of more cases, just to prove that particular point. In the UK, all good standard rescues with a neutering policy/rescue dating practise a full 6 weeks post-op wait with a 100% safety record since they have upped the limit.

As you are obvious either from the US or Canada mentioning killing shelters, could you please add your country, state or province to your details, so we can always tailor any advice to what is relevant for you, please. We have got members from all over the world. This is most important in an emergency/health crisis, as vet access and medical brands can vary enormously across the world and our "default advice" is based on the UK where the largest group of members is from. Please click on your username at the top, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

 

[madguinealady]

Please put your girls on pregnancy watch if he has been with them unsupervised before the six weeks .

 

[Kacie Wilson]

There is no way they are pregnant. I have never left them unsupervised with him. If they had any contact with each other it was on the kitchen floor with me sitting there giving them leafy vegetables.