New Friend For Terry

[ChickenNo5]

A couple of years ago we rescued a trio of boars (brothers) from a selling page. We think they are about 3. They had been getting on ok, however we have recently had to separate them, into a 2 and 1. The 2 are getting on fine, however poor old Terry is on his own.
We have a 2 storey hutch in a sheltered spot outside and for the short term have separated the levels. Long term plan is to buy a new 2 level multi-storey hutch.

We would like to find a friend for Terry and was wondering what people thought would be the better option.
Option 1: find a young boar to bond with Terry, although when he gets older they may fall out- also where would I find a very young boar to do this with?
Option 2: neuter Terry and find him a girlfriend. With this option due to the close proximity are Tom and Jerry likely to fall out if they smell her?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

 

[Betsy]

Hmmm appreciate your dilemma. You may find these guides useful:-

Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

 

[Wiebke]

A couple of years ago we rescued a trio of boars (brothers) from a selling page. We think they are about 3. They had been getting on ok, however we have recently had to separate them, into a 2 and 1. The 2 are getting on fine, however poor old Terry is on his own.
We have a 2 storey hutch in a sheltered spot outside and for the short term have separated the levels. Long term plan is to buy a new 2 level multi-storey hutch.

We would like to find a friend for Terry and was wondering what people thought would be the better option.
Option 1: find a young boar to bond with Terry, although when he gets older they may fall out- also where would I find a very young boar to do this with?
Option 2: neuter Terry and find him a girlfriend. With this option due to the close proximity are Tom and Jerry likely to fall out if they smell her?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Hi and welcome!

Please contact one of our recommended rescues; they offer boar dating at the rescue so Terry can have a say who he wants to get on with and you come home with a companion only if there has been success. This maximises Terry's chances of finding a 'Mr Right' and minimises any risk for you of ending up with two boys that won't get on.
You are also guaranteed that any piggy you adopt from a good standard rescue is fully quarantined and has received any necessary vet care before being cleared for adoption, so there is no risk of any new piggy coming with some unplanned luggage.
Boar dating works for boars of all ages as the key to a happy boar bond is character compatibility and mutual liking.

You are lucky that you live in an area with several good rescues within your reach so dating is by far the best option for you without risking problems with a baby boar not being accepted (this happens more often than you may think) or a fall-out during the teenage months, or the need to find a good vet in order to minimise the risk of post-op complications and face a full 6 weeks post-op safety wait.
Any pros and cons of your various options are discussed in detail at the end of this guide here: Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Please contact any rescues you can get to; it always depends on the piggies that they have in. Be aware that rescues often have more piggies in the pipeline than they have on the adoption page, so it is really worth enquiring and speaking to them.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator