Please Help! I Need Advice:(

[Hayley1993]

Am so unsure as to what to do for the best. My little star had 3 babies, 2 girls and 1 boy. That brings my total piggies to 6. 5 girls and 1 boy. So my question is, do I
1) keep all my girls together and my boy seperate but would have to be alone (I cannot get another boy, my hubby will go mad)
2) sell my baby boy
3) get him neutered but not sure what to do in the meantime?
4) sell my baby girls and put star back in with sofia and Ava, and get baby boy neautered and put in with my girls eventually
PLEASE HELP! I am at a complete loss as to what to do for the best. I'm hoping someone will come up with a Cure to all my worries....

 

[piggyfan]

If it is possible to keep all the piggies I would bond the girls to have them living together. Could the boy live alone until he can be neutered and then introduced to the girls?

 

[Hayley1993]

Thankyou so potentially, I could put my 5 girls together, in my summer house in my big hutch and can run around in their c and c setup each day.... I could keep baby grey indoors so could have all the love from me until he is neautered?! Could they potentially all play together for a few mins as long as I watch him like a hawk?! I only banked on having 2 guinea pigs 6 weeks ago. 7 weeks in and I now have 6 piggies...

 

[piggyfan]

They must never be put together as it only takes a second for an accident to happen and he will also be very frustrated. Once he is neutered it takes six weeks until he can be bonded with the girls. It is good you are keeping him indoors to give him lots of company and attention while he is alone.

 

[Hayley1993]

My only problem is that we are out during the day as we are both teachers. Can I give him something to keep him company?

 

[piggyfan]

Some people give soft toys suitable for babies. Unfortunately there is not much you can really do other then spend time with him when you are home.

 

[katanamoon]

I had a similar problem with my Thor, who was one of my surprise babies and I just couldn't bear to let him go! Until he was old enough to be neutered, he lived in his own cage with a cuddly toy for company at the other end of the room from the girls. He then spent his six weeks post-op in the same separate cage with cuddly toy, but right next door to mummy pig Widget and Auntie Pixel.

If you want to chat about the neutering process just give me a shout, happy to share my experience :-)

 

[Black Jack]

My only problem is that we are out during the day as we are both teachers. Can I give him something to keep him company?

I have a lone boar and we always leave the radio on for him. However, is there any way you can keep him near the girls but in a separate cage so he can still hear them?

 

[Wiebke]

I would bond all your girls, and if you can afford to and can find a good vet t minimise the risk of complications (see our piggy savvy vet locator), have your neutered boy join the girl group after 6 weeks post op wait; he will be old enough for the snip at around 4 months of age.
Until then, he can live in a cage right next to the girls for the time being, so he can interact with them safely through the bars. As he is alone, there is no problem with the proximity causing any falling-out issues, so there is no need to keep him at a distance.
Vet fees vary depending on the clinic, but it is better to pay a bit more either for a general vet that is very practised in piggy neutering or a small animal specialist vet.

I had to give up my first lot of surprise babies due to a major family emergency when the logistics with rushing between Wales and the Midlands often at the drop of a hat just didn't work out with four instead of two piggies; I have rued it ever since!

Here are our bonding tips. Please do so on neutral ground and take your time. Remove any hideys with just one exit until the dust has settled.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sow-behaviour.38561/

 

[madguinealady]

I your c&c set up indoors? If so I don't think its good for them to come in and out as it could make them ill because of the change in temperature.I have a group of six girls and a group of four girls.Big groups are a lot of fun to watch.I'm sure that it will be worth the wait for him to join all the girls

 

[7squeakers.]

I totally agree with Wiebke. She is very wise in these matters.
I kept my boy Clyde in a pen next to the girls until he was big enough for the op. He could see and talk to them all day, so he was not lonely. Then, a month after his op, he joined the girls in their pen. I have never had any problems with him and he is now over 4 years old. Girls seem a lot happier when they've got a man about the place!