New Guinea pig!

[Bailey&madi2019]

I have one guinea pig Bailey and I’ve had him for about 10/11 months and for Christmas I am getting another one I just wanted to know some peoples experiences and any tips or tricks to help me so I’m prepared
Thanks
From Madi Baileys owner

 

[Reenie]

I have 5 boars, one of whom is also called Bailey. If you're getting another male, you will need plenty of space, and male or female (if Bailey is neutered) you need to do a bonding in a neutral area. There are useful threads in the forum tab at the top of the page, sorry I can't link on this device. Good luck. It's good to research before hand.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The best way to ensure a success bond is find a local rescue centre that offer boar dating. That way, Bailey can find his own friend and know the bond will work. The most important thing when getting a successful bond is character compatibility. If you go out and buy a new Guinea pig there is absolutely no guarantee that bailey will accept him as his new cage mate.

If you go ahead and do the bonding yourself, then you will find a lot of useful information below on how to do it properly. You always need to make sure you have a plan b when doing a bonding yourself in case it doesn’t work out and You end up with two piggies who won’t live together ie making sure you have two cages.

The other essential thing when keeping two boars together (and you can only keep two boars together, no more than that) is lots of space. Two boars need a large cage to ensure that each pig has enough territory. Too small a cage and it can cause fights. The recommended space for two boars is a 5x2 c&c cafe or equivalent size which is 6ft x 2ft. I attach the cage size guide for more information. Cage Size Guide

A boar and sow pairing is the most stable so if you were to get Bailey neutered, after a six week wait, you could look for a compatible female for him

I attach some information below

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

 

[Flutterby]

 

[Bailey&madi2019]

I have 5 boars, one of whom is also called Bailey. If you're getting another male, you will need plenty of space, and male or female (if Bailey is neutered) you need to do a bonding in a neutral area. There are useful threads in the forum tab at the top of the page, sorry I can't link on this device. Good luck. It's good to research before hand.

Ok thank you I am going to do some research on it in a minute thanks again

 

[Bailey&madi2019]

The best way to ensure a success bond is find a local rescue centre that offer boar dating. That way, Bailey can find his own friend and know the bond will work. The most important thing when getting a successful bond is character compatibility. If you go out and buy a new Guinea pig there is absolutely no guarantee that bailey will accept him as his new cage mate.

If you go ahead and do the bonding yourself, then you will find a lot of useful information below on how to do it properly. You always need to make sure you have a plan b when doing a bonding yourself in case it doesn’t work out and You end up with two piggies who won’t live together ie making sure you have two cages.

The other essential thing when keeping two boars together (and you can only keep two boars together, no more than that) is lots of space. Two boars need a large cage to ensure that each pig has enough territory. Too small a cage and it can cause fights. The recommended space for two boars is a 5x2 c&c cafe or equivalent size which is 6ft x 2ft. I attach the cage size guide for more information. Cage Size Guide

A boar and sow pairing is the most stable so if you were to get Bailey neutered, after a six week wait, you could look for a compatible female for him

I attach some information below

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Thanks I’m definitely going to do some research soon thank you again

 

[Wiebke]

I have one guinea pig Bailey and I’ve had him for about 10/11 months and for Christmas I am getting another one I just wanted to know some peoples experiences and any tips or tricks to help me so I’m prepared
Thanks
From Madi Baileys owner

Hi!

Please take the time to read our singles guide so you can look after your boy as best as possible until he can have a friend and the boar guide, which has a chapter on how to best go about finding a friend for a single boar. If you can get to a rescue that offers boar dating at the rescue, then you will come home with a new friend only if acceptance has happened and you do not have to worry/plan for the circumstance that your boys won't get on and have to live as neighbours. The boar guide should help you to be ready for the challenges that companionship can bring.
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Please also be aware that boars need LOTS of space, especially in the coming year to prevent them from getting into trouble as teenagers between 4-15 months of age.
Cage Size Guide