Hello, I am new to the site and fairly new owner. Here's the story... I am 30 years old and owner of two wonderful little piggys under 1 year old. I have been reading about this lovely animal and made their lives as fulfilling as possible, which they have repaid by making a mess of my apartment with hay and poop and bedding, squeaking every time I walk by the refrigerator and taking long naps in my lap
Recently my beloved dog of 13 years passed away, and without my boys I don't know how I would have dealt with the grief. This got me thinking, I would love for my piggys to one day have a herd/family. I am going to keep reading this forum, but my question for now is this: I have 2 not neutered brothers, should I neuter both and add male/female pigs? Or is it possible to neuter one and get a female, have babies and then neuter adults and babies? i hope this question is not too stupid but I really haven't been able to find a good answer.
Kindo
Hi and welcome
Please accept that we are a strictly non-breeding forum. The risk of any birth even with the best of care and under the best circumstances is around 20% to end up with the death of pups and/or mum. You are welcome to have a look in our pregnancy section, which deals strictly with unplanned births, to check just how much tragedy is happened in there in order to assure yourself that this is not an exaggeration. Breeding forums are even worse, only that most people don't care.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...-breed-showing-forum-policy-explained.134670/
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It is a great wish for many owners to have a large herd and to merge all of their piggies into one big group, but unfortunately you cannot start one with two boars unless you can devote a whole room for a large bachelor herd; small boars groups are very unstable. Boars need space to get away from each other. Merging two sow groups also doesn't work unless the two top ladies can come to an agreement about which of them gives up her privileged position.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
With a few exeptions to the contrary, in the vast majority of cases two boars in a group won't work. Neutering doesn't change boar behaviour; it only takes away the availability of making babies.
Please do not split up a working pair of boys just to fulfill your own human desires in the wake of your loss! If I were you, I would recommend to wait until your two boys have reached a hormonally more settled adulthood before making any further plans in case they have a fall-out.
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
If you want to realise a larger herd, please start from scratch and build it up slowly around one dominant guinea pig, whether that is a neutered boar or a sow. Make sure that any further piggies you add are either submissive and/or have a group background, especially in smaller groups so you do not upset the existing hierarchy.
The best way of achieving that is by rescue dating, so you can make sure that your piggies get on before you bring them home. Sometimes rescues have a group of sows in and not rarely they have pregnant sows, so you can look to start with a readymade family, just without having to put piggies of your own deliberately at risk!
Here are links to good standard rescues we can guarantee you are in safe hands. There is no licensing or control in place in most countries, so anybody can call themselves a rescue or a breeder (and sometimes both). The results can be accordingly.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator (UK)
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations (several other countries)
I have had at one time a large group of up to 14 piggies (1 neutered boar and 13 sows), which I had carefully built up over the course of 4 years before it fell apart in the wake of a hostile takeover from a younger ambitious sow who dethroned my then aging First Lady, which led to period of constant upsets.
Groups a dynamic process; they evolve constantly and they can turn sour. Not every sow will necessarily fit in and not every 'husboar' will be accepted, as I know from my own experience!
