new babies❤️

[loveformusxc]

With the passing of my girl last night I decided I needed to get another guinea pig as soon as I can for my boy since he has never been alone. He is neutered so I was looking for a girl. My local pet store(locally owned, heard only good things about their animals) only had 2 boy babies. As they were already bonded together, I got both because I didn’t want to separate them. They’re currently in their own cage next to my other one so they can smell each other but any tips for bonding all boys?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately you will find it very difficult to bond the two baby boys with your boy. Three boars together is a recipe for disaster and is most likely to fail once the babies hit their teens. Most boar trios involving young boars will never make it to adulthood together. Attempting to bond a boar with an already bonded boar pair can ruin the bond of the pair and could result in you ending up with three single piggies if you try to bond them together.

Equally, as your boy has previously been bonded with a sow, he is not necessarily likely to take kindly to being put with a boar as it can be seen as a demotion in status.

You will now do much better to keep the two babies living together as a bonded pair permanently and not bond them with your single boy. They will need to live alongside him so he can have interaction with them through the bars only. The two young boars as a pair need a 2x5 c&c cage. (This is also the other reason why a boar trio is not likely to work and that is the space required - anybody brave enough to attempt a boar trio would need a c&c of around 9x3 So that each piggy has enough territory but even then it is not likely to work out)

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

 

[Siikibam]

I would strongly advice that you leave the two young ones on their own and as neighbours for your lone boar. Boar trips don’t tend to work out, especially if there are boars in their teens (4-14 months of age).

It would also have been better to quarantine them in a separate room for two weeks. And book them in for a vet visit a week after you’ve brought them home. That way any illnesses that crop up can be charged to the pet shop (within your rights to do so).

Have you double checked that they’re both boars?

 

[loveformusxc]

I would strongly advice that you leave the two young ones on their own and as neighbours for your lone boar. Boar trips don’t tend to work out, especially if there are boars in their teens (4-14 months of age).

It would also have been better to quarantine them in a separate room for two weeks. And book them in for a vet visit a week after you’ve brought them home. That way any illnesses that crop up can be charged to the pet shop (within your rights to do so).

Have you double checked that they’re both boars?

yeah I triple checked lmfao, my boar is really calm and chill and was surprisingly the submissive one in the pair so I was thinking of trying to bond them and get a bigger cage once I get the money as this is all so sudden.

 

[Siikibam]

We can only advise you not to go ahead. But if you do decide to try, please be aware of the potential pitfalls. At worst, you could end up with three single boars. At best, you could end up with one pair and one single, or with the bond between the two newbies broken.

As said above, once a boar has lived with a sow, they won’t want to return to bachelorhood.

The space needed for boar trio is also a lot. If I remember correctly, you would need 1 square metre per pig, so 3 square metre cage.

How big is the cage that the pair are in? Boars need minimum 150x70cm although 180x70cm (2x5 c&c) is recommended. Be aware that leaving it till later to change can sometimes cause issues with them.

 

[Piggies&buns]

We would not advise it, failed boar trios are one of the most common problems we are contacted about as they are very unstable.
Often the boar is the submissive in a sow/boar pairing. It does not mean he will remain submissive when it comes to a boar trio involving young boars.
Equally, if they don’t have enough space from the beginning, then trying to increase the cage size later would constitute a change in territory which would cause a whole new round of dominance and potentially be the thing which breaks them. You would also not be advised to wait until you’ve got a bigger cage to bond them because once they are in their teens then bonding would be even harder.
If you are going to try it then you would need to make sure the cage is big enough from the beginning - as I say, that is around a 9x3 c&c - and be prepared to need to split them up most likely when the teens hit at around 4-6 months of age.

 

[VickiA]

I’m so sorry for your loss. However, I really have to agree that attempting to bond a boar trio is pretty much doomed to failure. I’d never try it with a pair of young boars and an older boar. It really is unlikely to last for any period of time without the need to separate. It’s really best not to attempt it in the first place. Of course I know this isn’t what you want to hear. And I’d really love to be encouraging but after so many years of experience (my own, as part of a rescue and as part of this forum) we have to be honest with you.

 

[Bill & Ted]

So sorry, but I can only agree with this advice