probably a stupid question!

sarah_sparkle

sarah_sparkle

Junior Guinea Pig
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sorry if this sounds silly, but after you introduce two piggies, do they need to stay together all the time, or can they be together in the day, then separate at night? forgive me if this a stupid question. I'm still learning! :)
 
No, it’s absolutely not a silly question 😜. I would keep them together for the whole time unless they seem to growl at each other, chatter their teeth etc. But I would leave this to the more experienced piggy parents. Tagging in @Wiebke, @Betsy, @Merab's Slave and @Flutterby to see if they can help you. Liza x
 
ElizaCavies said:
No, it’s absolutely not a silly question 😜. I would keep them together for the whole time unless they seem to growl at each other, chatter their teeth etc. But I would leave this to the more experienced piggy parents. Tagging in @Wiebke, @Betsy, @Merab's Slave and @Flutterby to see if they can help you. Liza x
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Thank you for the vote of confidence @ElizaCavies however my experience doesn’t quite stretch to this.
From previous posts on bonding I think the advice you have given is spot on. I’m sure the real experts will be along later
 
If they are getting on then please do not separate them as every time they meet they will have to start the bonding process again. Hope this helps.
 
okie dokie, thank you so much :) we are not ready to try them together yet, but it was just something i was wondering. will definitely follow the advice here :)
 
I've introduced lots of piggies and some will get along faster than others. I have needed to keep them separated at night a couple of times but I separated them by dividing the cage with a grill so that they could still see and smell each other but just not get at each other. If they're getting on well enough during the day so that you don't need to intervene, they should be ok over night.
 
sarah_sparkle said:
sorry if this sounds silly, but after you introduce two piggies, do they need to stay together all the time, or can they be together in the day, then separate at night? forgive me if this a stupid question. I'm still learning! :)
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It depends on how well the bonding is going and who you are bonding.

Boars you should not separate; they have to always start back in square one; you can leave them in the bonding area overnight without any hideys.
Sows and cross-gender bondings with a neutered boar you can split up overnight if tension is still persistently high but ideally only once acceptance has happened and the top spot has been decided. If any piggies of mine have not settled enough to let them safely settle in their cage I prefer to divide the bonding pen with a couple of spare grids for the night with a big pile of hay along the divider.

You may find our comprehensive bonding guide helpful: Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
 
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