neutered male housed with female?

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Cassiedog

Cassiedog

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If it took on a couple of baby pigs, one male and one female, could the male be neutered and kept with the female happily? What age does this need to be done? I also have 4 other females, are neutered males ok around all these females?
 
A neutered male can be kept with any number of females, but you can't have more than one boar in the group as they'll fight (:

I'm not sure on neutering age but they do need to be separated from females at 3 weeks
 
Hiya -

Neutered males can live with female yes however a male bonding with female's is not always guaranteed of course when they do accept each other there is less chance of them falling out.

There can be many post op complication and the way to reduce these is of course an experienced VET.

I have one neutered boy, thankfully I didn't have any problems however with more knowledge than I previously had I think in future I would be reluctant to neuter a boar again.

I however know just the vet if you do decide to go ahead with the neutering, he's never neutered any of pigs but he has carried out some amazing surgery on one of my pigs.
 
the baby's are brother and sister so surely will get on if they've been together from birth? Or am I wrong?
Having got females already...am i just restricted to keeping females from now on?
I appreciate all your thoughts
 
If the babies are over 3 weeks old and still living together there is every chance the female is pregnant, So please take this into account. You could easily end up with 7 new piggies instead of two! and been needing many more cages.

The male would not be able to be neutered untill he was 4 months old, minimum and thats providing he reaches the right weight and is in good health. If you managed to find an extremely good guinea pig vet, and there are no complications he still wont be able to go back in with females untill hes 6 weeks post neutering. Weibke has a lovely surprise baby that is the result of a boar having some grass time with sows 5 and a half weeks after his op. So waiting the 6 weeks is essential :) This means your boar would be minimum 5 and a half months old by the time hes reunited with his lady friend, possibly more like 7 and a half months.
 
There is no reason you cannot keep boars, but it would need to be either just the one neutered boar (in which case I would advise you get one older (either already neutered or old enough to neutering) boy from a rescue :) ) OR, you could keep a boar pair in a seperate cage. :)
 
Cassiedog said:
the baby's are brother and sister so surely will get on if they've been together from birth? Or am I wrong?
Having got females already...am i just restricted to keeping females from now on?
I appreciate all your thoughts
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I had to wait till my Milo was 6 months until he was neutered my concern is your 4 other girl's may not accept the boar.

Make sure the brother is separated from Mum and daughter from 3 weeks to prevent unplanned pregnancies.

After he is neutered you will have to wait between 4 - 6 weeks before introducing him to your herd.

As Connie advised you can have 1 neutered boar with your girl's but the rest of your pig's will have to be female.
 
they are with a guinea pig breeder so she should know what she is doing and separate them at the correct time!

Maybe i should take the mum and baby girl instead of the two babies?
 
I wasn't planning on keeping them all in the same hutch...my four girls already take up enough space in their cage! I have another cage i would keep any new ones in.
Thanks for all the comments
 
Cassiedog said:
they are with a guinea pig breeder so she should know what she is doing and separate them at the correct time!

Maybe i should take the mum and baby girl instead of the two babies?
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You'd hope so.

Have you considered rescue guinea pig's?
 
Sadly, often breeders wont seperate at the right time at all! So please ask. If they know what they are going they will be perfectly happy to say to you "oh yes, they are seperated at 3 weeks"

The earliest recorded sibling pregnancy (ie brother getting sister pregnant) is 24 days. Son getting mom pregnant is possible even earlier.

I think mommy and daughter would be a good idea, not because you shouldnt get male piggies but because if you get the male and female they would both be alone for so long before being reunited :)

Have you thought of looking at a rescue? They may even having a male and female pair you could adopt :)
 
the breeder also rescues pigs and the mum is a rescue pig herself...one of the reasons i'm interested in taking them off her hands. (she was the breeder i bought my second pair of pigs from a year ago)
 
You wont find anyone on this forum who will advise you to go to a breeder, simply because there are so many piggies in rescues.

However the decision is your to make, and we can only arm you with the information you need.

I really do think you should ask about the age they seperate though, Simply because many people still think 4 weeks is fine. And we dont want you to have any nasty surprises! :)
 
she breeds for showing purposes and takes in rescue pigs (some of which are usually pregnant as we all know) I'd be happy to take these off her hands as they are rescue pigs. I will definitely look into the Apex Vets rescue evening and have sent off an email to them already, thanks for that info!
 
Cassiedog said:
she breeds for showing purposes and takes in rescue pigs (some of which are usually pregnant as we all know) I'd be happy to take these off her hands as they are rescue pigs. I will definitely look into the Apex Vets rescue evening and have sent off an email to them already, thanks for that info!
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Your welcome - they also have a very Cavy Savy vet :)!

Ps; there's nothing better than giving a rescue pig a 2nd chance, they may not look perfect but there personality always shines through! x
 
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My main concern is seperation age, because you have to remember for someone with so many pigs as this lady, if there were to be an accidental pregnancy its not an issue for her, where as a rescue will seperate dead on 3 weeks (provided the pups weights are appropriate) because their main concern is no more piggies :)

Whatever happens, let us know what you decide as we always love to see new piggies and hear about their antics! :D
 
There's no such thing as someone who breeds and 'rescues', they don't go hand in hand. One totally goes against the other in my opinion. You should definitely check out Apex as they will provide you with reputable information and someone to rehome from that will sort you out with the right pair of guinea pigs for you. :)
 
A wee update for you all.....I am just back from the guinea pig rescue night at Apex Vets. I have to say the vets looks excellent and i was really impressed with the vet himself (Glenn) and his staff and surgery...no complaints on that front. However, the lady from the guinea pig rescue was condascending and in no uncertain terms told me that they would not rehome to someone keeping their pigs outside (which i do, and have always done, and will continue to do!) She basically said that i was an unsuitable home if i kept them outside.....I always presumed it was HOW you looked after your animals not just WHERE! Just because animals are kept inside, does NOT make you a better owner! I will be contacting my previous breeder/rescuer (the two can go hand in hand in my opinion) and will take some rescue pigs off her hands as she is happy for me to keep them outside.
 
It is a shame the rescue take that view. Some rescues are more flexible and if the owner takes precautions such as hutch insulation, heat pads etc, then they will rehome. However I can see where they are comming from as many people arnt aware that piggies cant keep warm like other animals.
 
Thanks Connie. Can't seem to find any rescues up here who will rehome to us 'outside-keepers'! I spoke to the vet tonight and he agreed that if they are outside and protected but with good ventilation they are fine. He said they are quite hardy animals (and i agree) The vet nurse also keeps hers outside and agreed with me. As i said, i will go back to my breeder/rescuer who has some pigs ready for rehoming just now.
 
Cassiedog said:
Thanks Connie. Can't seem to find any rescues up here who will rehome to us 'outside-keepers'! I spoke to the vet tonight and he agreed that if they are outside and protected but with good ventilation they are fine. He said they are quite hardy animals (and i agree) The vet nurse also keeps hers outside and agreed with me. As i said, i will go back to my breeder/rescuer who has some pigs ready for rehoming just now.
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Cassie, I met you tonight although didn't realise it. We had the small dog.
 
Hi Cassie, I also met you- the small cog was mine....dont let flinstones fool you that that gorgeous pooch is hers he he.
Carol is a friend of mine, unfortunatly she can come across as a little stubborn in her ways when it comes to her piggies sometimes, in her defense though I ahve to say, once youve rescued so many piggies that come to her in such a horrendous state mainly from outdooor homes I can understand why she just puts a blanket rule across. As a rescue who can only do one homecheck and then just worry how piggies are its safer to rehome inside as then they get smelly and liekly to get cleaned and are definatly well insulated- it saves taking the risk. Also her rescue piggies are kept in indoor temperatures so it would be unfair t move them outside after this, especially if they are young etc. Another reason she put the rule in place.
Also Carol has had a hip replacement less than two weeks aga and shes not meant to be on her feet and was in quite a lot of pain last night so please dont take offense to what she said. Unsuitable just means she only rehomes to indoors not you as an individual are a bad owner.
I very much doubt she thinks you are a bad owner-its just her rules of the rescue I'm afraid, I'm sorry it upset you so much. I personally thought you seemed like a very kind and loving owner with lots of experience and as Glenn said there is nothing wrong with what your doing, there is plenty of us around that know it is important HOW you care for your animals. I would urge you to try and go to another rescue that would rehome to outside owners though.
It would have been nice if we could have chatted more- its so nice to meet fellow piggie lovers, I hope you enjoyed meeting Glenn and seeing his wonderful surgery.
Is it a neutered boar your looking for? I know that Rugby rescue in England neuter all their animals, not sure if there is any available at the moment but it might be worth a ring as I am going down to collect my piggies soon and if there was a neutered boar I could offer a free trip home to wiffies ;).
 
hazeyg said:
Hi Cassie, I also met you- the small cog was mine....dont let flinstones fool you that that gorgeous pooch is hers he he.
Carol is a friend of mine, unfortunatly she can come across as a little stubborn in her ways when it comes to her piggies sometimes, in her defense though I ahve to say, once youve rescued so many piggies that come to her in such a horrendous state mainly from outdooor homes I can understand why she just puts a blanket rule across. As a rescue who can only do one homecheck and then just worry how piggies are its safer to rehome inside as then they get smelly and liekly to get cleaned and are definatly well insulated- it saves taking the risk. Also her rescue piggies are kept in indoor temperatures so it would be unfair t move them outside after this, especially if they are young etc. Another reason she put the rule in place.
Also Carol has had a hip replacement less than two weeks aga and shes not meant to be on her feet and was in quite a lot of pain last night so please dont take offense to what she said. Unsuitable just means she only rehomes to indoors not you as an individual are a bad owner.
I very much doubt she thinks you are a bad owner-its just her rules of the rescue I'm afraid, I'm sorry it upset you so much. I personally thought you seemed like a very kind and loving owner with lots of experience and as Glenn said there is nothing wrong with what your doing, there is plenty of us around that know it is important HOW you care for your animals. I would urge you to try and go to another rescue that would rehome to outside owners though.
It would have been nice if we could have chatted more- its so nice to meet fellow piggie lovers, I hope you enjoyed meeting Glenn and seeing his wonderful surgery.
Is it a neutered boar your looking for? I know that Rugby rescue in England neuter all their animals, not sure if there is any available at the moment but it might be worth a ring as I am going down to collect my piggies soon and if there was a neutered boar I could offer a free trip home to wiffies ;).
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Hi, thanks for getting in touch (and your dog was very cute!) I understand what you are saying but i still firmly believe I can offer a very good home to rescue pigs, despite them being kept outdoors. It's a bit like saying that abused children only come from council housing estates (and we all know that isn't true!) and therefore they will only rehome children to privately owned houses because they won't be abused there! It's about judging people on an individual basis. Carol indeed contradicted herself by saying "all she wants is for them to go to a good home" I defy anyone to come to see my pigs and tell me they are neglegted, uncared for or suffering for being outside! I would've stayed and chatted more but my mum was so angry with Carol's attitude i though it best to leave! I am in contact with my previous breeder/rescuer who has some pigs available just now...so fingers crossed i will have some pigtures soon! Again, lovely to meet you and you're welcome to come and see my piggies anytime! Kate
 
Cassiedog said:
Hi, thanks for getting in touch (and your dog was very cute!) I understand what you are saying but i still firmly believe I can offer a very good home to rescue pigs, despite them being kept outdoors. It's a bit like saying that abused children only come from council housing estates (and we all know that isn't true!) and therefore they will only rehome children to privately owned houses because they won't be abused there! It's about judging people on an individual basis. Carol indeed contradicted herself by saying "all she wants is for them to go to a good home" I defy anyone to come to see my pigs and tell me they are neglegted, uncared for or suffering for being outside! I would've stayed and chatted more but my mum was so angry with Carol's attitude i though it best to leave! I am in contact with my previous breeder/rescuer who has some pigs available just now...so fingers crossed i will have some pigtures soon! Again, lovely to meet you and you're welcome to come and see my piggies anytime! Kate
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I think its quite a contraversial subject and some rescues even keep the rescues outside. As I said I think * have a great home to offer and I wouldn't let one rescue put * off rescuing. Everything Carol does is for t she believes to be best for the piggies and for that reason I don't judge her rehoming policies. It would be lovely to meet your piggies sometime. How many do * have, is it all sows yeah? Did * know were have a scottish meet up in May? There's even some celebraty piggies joing us he he
 
yeah, all sows. 2 pairs of 2 sisters. Two of them are 2yrs old this year and the other 2 are going to be one. They all live together and get on great (especially since i treated them to a new, bigger hutch recently!) A scottish meet up sounds great, keep me posted on that one!
 
Cassiedog said:
Thanks Connie. Can't seem to find any rescues up here who will rehome to us 'outside-keepers'! I spoke to the vet tonight and he agreed that if they are outside and protected but with good ventilation they are fine. He said they are quite hardy animals (and i agree) The vet nurse also keeps hers outside and agreed with me. As i said, i will go back to my breeder/rescuer who has some pigs ready for rehoming just now.
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Hi there
I'm in the Borders, and it is very hard to find any rescue in Scotland at all, never mind one that keeps its piggies outside. Hop to Hutches is where I got my first pair, and yes, Joanne will home to an outside environment. You do need to take some extra precautions though, particularly in winter, obviously, to make sure they are comfy. Hutch covers, insulation, and some kind of emergency inside place for really cold nights are probably a good idea.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you learn as much as I have on here, and welcome especially to the Scottish contingent - we are a growing number...

Enjoy
Kate
 
Katie Krafter said:
Hi there
I'm in the Borders, and it is very hard to find any rescue in Scotland at all, never mind one that keeps its piggies outside. Hop to Hutches is where I got my first pair, and yes, Joanne will home to an outside environment. You do need to take some extra precautions though, particularly in winter, obviously, to make sure they are comfy. Hutch covers, insulation, and some kind of emergency inside place for really cold nights are probably a good idea.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you learn as much as I have on here, and welcome especially to the Scottish contingent - we are a growing number...

Enjoy
Kate
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Hi Kate (I'm Kate too!)

I'm a very experience guinea pig owner...have had them for around 29yrs now.

You're totally right, there are very few rescues up here in Scotland, there seems to be loads 'down south'! Maybe that's something we need to address up here?!?!

I'm enjoying all the chat on here...it's interesting to hear everyone's stories and opinions.

Kate
 
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