New guinea pig relation with older ones

[mochalily2020]

Hi everyone,

Today we have adopted a little male who is 2 months old. The woman who owned him could not keep him so we agreed to take him in he is really friendly and sweet.

For the time being we have him in a separate cage from our two 4 year old spayed girls. I was wondering if you guys recommend trying to introduce then ? Or if you think it is best to keep them apart? I just feel bad for him being alone

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone,

Today we have adopted a little male who is 2 months old. The woman who owned him could not keep him so we agreed to take him in he is really friendly and sweet.

For the time being we have him in a separate cage from our two 4 year old spayed girls. I was wondering if you guys recommend trying to introduce then ? Or if you think it is best to keep them apart? I just feel bad for him being alone

Hi!

He can live next door to them with full interaction through the bars (sound, scent and body language), as long as he is in no danger of getting his head stuck when trying to wiggle through.

You can try to introduce them on neutral ground. Please follow our very detailed illustrated step-by-step bonding guide. Older sows are generally less accepting of new piggies but yours may have some maternal feelings. My Tesni was 5 years old when she fell head over heels for 5 months old Gethin and had another 2 very happy years with her 'toy boy' (who is now 5 years old himself and has got his own two younger wives).
Here is the guide link, which will take you through all stages of the complex bonding process with the attendant behaviours and dynamics. It also contains chapters on baby and on mixed gender bonding. Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[mochalily2020]

Hi!

He can live next door to them with full interaction through the bars (sound, scent and body language), as long as he is in no danger of getting his head stuck when trying to wiggle through.

You can try to introduce them on neutral ground. Please follow our very detailed illustrated step-by-step bonding guide. Older sows are generally less accepting of new piggies but yours may have some maternal feelings. My Tesni was 5 years old when she fell head over heels for 5 months old Gethin and had another 2 very happy years with her 'toy boy' (who is now 5 years old himself and has got his own two younger wives).
Here is the guide link, which will take you through all stages of the complex bonding process with the attendant behaviours and dynamics. It also contains chapters on baby and on mixed gender bonding. Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Thank you so much ! Ill have a read now

 

[Wiebke]

He is still very much a baby in the pre-teenage school weeks and desperate to belong. It is just about whether your older ladies want to cop with him or not.

 

[mochalily2020]

He is still very much a baby in the pre-teenage school weeks and desperate to belong. It is just about whether your older ladies want to cop with him or not.

Do you think i should give it some time or start now? We just got him yesterday he is almost 2 months

 

[Wiebke]

Do you think i should give it some time or start now? We just got him yesterday he is almost 2 months

We recommend to bond piggies under 4 months as soon as possible and conduct a joined quarantine as their need for companionship and guidance from their elders is overwhelming. Especially since your piggies have already been in contact.
(See the first chapter in the bonding guide link in my first post for details in that respect.)

 

[mochalily2020]

We recommend to bond piggies under 4 months as soon as possible and conduct a joined quarantine as their need for companionship and guidance from their elders is overwhelming. Especially since your piggies have already been in contact.
(See the first chapter in the bonding guide link in my first post for details in that respect.)

Thank you i just finished reading the post it was really useful i will let you know how everything goes i hope they accept him

One last thing, if they get along is it better to keep doing bonding sessions before putting them in the same enclosure ?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you i just finished reading the post it was really useful i will let you know how everything goes i hope they accept him

One last thing, if they get along is it better to keep doing bonding sessions before putting them in the same enclosure ?

bonding is a one time thing - if upon initial introduction they get on well, then they must remain together from then on (Ie move into the same cage together). If you separate after initial introduction, then you interrupt their process, they dont form a hierarchy and have to start at the beginning each time you put them back together.

 

[Siikibam]

You need to do it in one go to whatever the conclusion may be - either success or (hopefully not) failure. You’ll have to thoroughly clean the cage and rearrange in readiness to move them back in after bonding.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you i just finished reading the post it was really useful i will let you know how everything goes i hope they accept him

One last thing, if they get along is it better to keep doing bonding sessions before putting them in the same enclosure ?

Guinea pigs don't do little meetings; the real bonding process between acceptance to leadership workout right through the very roughest bit how of the hierarchy establishment needs to happen in one large lump. In my experience, little tester meetings don't say anything about the outcome apart from those where it is clear that the bonding is a no go - but you'll get the same message right at the start of a full-on bonding if a new pig is simply not welcome; whatever pig that is.

You can only bond in shorter meetings with known highly fear-agressive piggies and a patient partner, each time going as far as the problem piggy going on overload but only if the other side is still willing to continue; once they decide that they do not suit, you've had it with piggies. And even then you are always going for the largest possible lumps to help them work through the full bonding protocol as they have to restart from scratch every time.
Please accept that not all bondings on spec will come off. You may need to find your little boy a companion if your girls don't take to him.

 

[mochalily2020]

Guinea pigs don't do little meetings; the real bonding process between acceptance to leadership workout right through the very roughest bit how of the hierarchy establishment needs to happen in one large lump. In my experience, little tester meetings don't say anything about the outcome apart from those where it is clear that the bonding is a no go - but you'll get the same message right at the start of a full-on bonding if a new pig is simply not welcome; whatever pig that is.

You can only bond in shorter meetings with known highly fear-agressive piggies and a patient partner, each time going as far as the problem piggy going on overload but only if the other side is still willing to continue; once they decide that they do not suit, you've had it with piggies. And even then you are always going for the largest possible lumps to help them work through the full bonding protocol as they have to restart from scratch every time.
Please accept that not all bondings on spec will come off. You may need to find your little boy a companion if your girls don't take to him.

Heyy just an update we had them in a neutral space today for two hours and it went well! The girls told him off when he started mounting them too much and he accepted it. I need to buy more c&c items to enlarge the guinea pig cage as i think it is too small now for all three do you think that is ok? I can keep giving them some hours together daily until i set up their bigger cage

 

[Piggies&buns]

Now youve put them together don’t separate them into separate cages again. They need to remain together.

What size is your cage? Three piggies need a 2x5 c&c

 

[PigglePuggle]

Yes definitely if they have met fully and are forming a bond dont separate them now, piggies get very confused if they are accepting a new herd member who then goes away! Just keep them together then upgrade the cage as soon as you can.

 

[mochalily2020]

Now youve put them together don’t separate them into separate cages again. They need to remain together.

What size is your cage? Three piggies need a 2x5 c&c

The girls are currently in a 2×5 with a loft but I'm concerned about putting the altogether and for it to turn sour. I have ordered a 2x6 extension and another loft so the cage will be quite spacious now.

His cage is right next to theirs they can see and hear each other do you think that this would cause problems ? I can put them together now but with the space I'm a little concerned

 

[Piggies&buns]

The girls are currently in a 2×5 with a loft but I'm concerned about putting the altogether and for it to turn sour. I have ordered a 2x6 extension and another loft so the cage will be quite spacious now.

His cage is right next to theirs they can see and hear each other do you think that this would cause problems ? I can put them together now but with the space I'm a little concerned

The cage is absolutely big enough for the three of them as it is (The extension will be lovely, but there is no concerns of your current cage size for three piggies). Go ahead and put them all into the cage together (cleaned out and rearranged so the girls don’t see it as their territory). Separating them back into separate cages now they have begun bonding would be detrimental.

 

[mochalily2020]

Sorry for all the photos I posted too many accidentally

 

[mochalily2020]

The cage is absolutely big enough for the three of them as it is (The extension will be lovely, but there is no concerns of your current cage size for three piggies). Go ahead and put them all into the cage together (cleaned out and rearranged so the girls don’t see it as their territory). Separating them back into separate cages now they have begun bonding would be detrimental.

Thank you

 

[Wiebke]

The girls are currently in a 2×5 with a loft but I'm concerned about putting the altogether and for it to turn sour. I have ordered a 2x6 extension and another loft so the cage will be quite spacious now.

His cage is right next to theirs they can see and hear each other do you think that this would cause problems ? I can put them together now but with the space I'm a little concerned

Glad that all has gone well and the girls like him. With dominant sows, there is no mounting outside of mating when they are ready at the end of their season. the little one must be soo happy! Please start on neutral ground again shortly and then move them all into the sows' cage together.

That is compatible with the minimum welfare space for 3-4 piggies, so he will perfectly OK staying with the girls. Just make sure that you only use houses and tunnels with two exits. It will be great if you can extend but the space it OK to have them together until then and not do a very upsetting off-on relationship. Guinea pigs are either part of a group or they aren't but they are not part-time members.

 

[mochalily2020]

Glad that all has gone well and the girls like him. With dominant sows, there is no mounting outside of mating when they are ready at the end of their season. the little one must be soo happy! Please start on neutral ground again shortly and then move them all into the sows' cage together.

That is compatible with the minimum welfare space for 3-4 piggies, so he will perfectly OK staying with the girls. Just make sure that you only use houses and tunnels with two exits. It will be great if you can extend but the space it OK to have them together until then and not do a very upsetting off-on relationship. Guinea pigs are either part of a group or they aren't but they are not part-time members.

Hey thank you for all your help! We have managed to extend their cage with a small cage we used to have for the girls when they were smaller i have attached a photo it seems to be going well! They are altogether and he seems thrilled I'm really happy!

One last question the girls are spayed do you think that it is important for him to be neutered too ?

 

[Siikibam]

There’s no need to neuter him Make sure all hides have two exits.