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So How Did You Choose?

Lorcan

Lorcan

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Okay I know this might sound like a bit of a stupid question, but how did you choose between boars or sows (for those of you that did originally).

I originally went with boars because they were cheaper from the pet store...many, many years ago. But now? I'd still go for boars just because I know what I'm dealing with...mostly, anyway. Every boar I've ever had has been a complete character and I don't feel they ever get enough credit for just being boars, lol. tbh if I had a choice I'd probably always go for boars.

So yes, laziest reason ever, but actually I'd still always choose a boar if I have options. But did anything (and I do mean anything) swing a decision one way or the other for you? Just out of curiosity.
 
I prefer to go with sows purley because you can have more than 2 together...but I always like a husboar for the group! As I do favor the boys.

Having a neutered boar means you can add as many sows as you like and if all goes well have just 1 large cage instead of multiple smaller ones.

I find boars great if you are someone who may struggle with the temptation to get more....as the limit of 2 per group and the need for more cages for more boars keeps you in check.
 
Lorcan said:
Okay I know this might sound like a bit of a stupid question, but how did you choose between boars or sows (for those of you that did originally).

I originally went with boars because they were cheaper from the pet store...many, many years ago. But now? I'd still go for boars just because I know what I'm dealing with...mostly, anyway. Every boar I've ever had has been a complete character and I don't feel they ever get enough credit for just being boars, lol. tbh if I had a choice I'd probably always go for boars.

So yes, laziest reason ever, but actually I'd still always choose a boar if I have options. But did anything (and I do mean anything) swing a decision one way or the other for you? Just out of curiosity.
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I originally chose sows, again as they are usually easier to have in a herd.
I love my two boars though as they seem more lively than my sows! The boys are always keen to get out to explore in the mornings and go whizzing around the garden! The girls enjoy being out but in a more stately manner! Now they've become Husboars they'll ask out while I'm preparing breakfast but are now keen to get back to see what their wives are doing!
 
I wanted one of the fluffy ones (abysinnians) and the rescue had a 6 month old female in so I took her and one of her hutch mates who was an aby x
 
I didn't really choose. I was offered 3 sows so took them. If it had been 3 boars I still would have and it's a good job I didn't as I had no idea that boar trios don't usually work!

Now I would choose sows. I've just read so much on here about the cleaning of bits, the boar glue and smell that has kind of put me off boars if I'm honest :td::vom:
 
Lorcan said:
Okay I know this might sound like a bit of a stupid question, but how did you choose between boars or sows (for those of you that did originally).

I originally went with boars because they were cheaper from the pet store...many, many years ago. But now? I'd still go for boars just because I know what I'm dealing with...mostly, anyway. Every boar I've ever had has been a complete character and I don't feel they ever get enough credit for just being boars, lol. tbh if I had a choice I'd probably always go for boars.

So yes, laziest reason ever, but actually I'd still always choose a boar if I have options. But did anything (and I do mean anything) swing a decision one way or the other for you? Just out of curiosity.
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Well, I originally intended to adopt 2 sows...and ended up with 3 boars, so that says alot for my decision-making, doesn't it? To be honest I thought (rightly or wrongly) that boars would have fewer potential adopters. Now gender would only influence me in as far as fitting in with current set-ups because, let's face it - all piggies are
TOTALLY ADORABLE!
 
I was looking for a boar, as I was fostering a single boar, and I felt so sorry for him being on his own, but I also adopted two as I wanted to have my own as well.....The bonding failed dismally (probably because I didn't really know what I was doing), so I put the single back with the other two, and now have that most unstable thing - a trio of boars. The foster boy went back to the sanctuary and is now in a cage next to two of his brothers. (The sanctuary doesn't re-home, and I only had him to get him used to being handled, but the manager was happy for me to match him if I could). I'd love to have a herd though, and if (when?) this trio break down, I'd love to get the lone piggy neutered and get him a wife (I need to learn a lot more about how to avoid that affecting the pairing of the other two - if it is still intact). To be fair @Eileen's Mum I've never (yet) had any of the yucky stuff to contend with.
 
I ended up with a girl as her owner wasn't looking after her and wanted rid :( I then got a girl from rescue as that was who Tilly got along with.

I then needed a friend for Hettie, when Tilly died, and Colin was available!

So I never really chose one or another!
 
My first piggies (many years ago) were sows as I wanted a pair and the pet shop (yes, my first piggies were pet shop piggies) told me that boars tended to fight so I opted for sows purely on that basis. Then I had an unexpected pregnancy and the babies were sows, too.
When I went to adopt a pair of piggies years later the rescue I went to had loads of babies but a few older piggies they were having trouble rehoming. I fell in love with an older pair (Toffee and Shirley) and they just happened to be sows. So again, it was just chance.
I've loved having sows, but I did adore my neutered boar Mr Ted. And I've enjoyed fostering boars for the Potteries GPR. I'd happily have a boar pair now that I've many years of experience keeping piggies and keeping the peace!
 
VickiA said:
My first piggies (many years ago) were sows as I wanted a pair and the pet shop (yes, my first piggies were pet shop piggies) told me that boars tended to fight so I opted for sows purely on that basis. Then I had an unexpected pregnancy and the babies were sows, too.
When I went to adopt a pair of piggies years later the rescue I went to had loads of babies but a few older piggies they were having trouble rehoming. I fell in love with an older pair (Toffee and Shirley) and they just happened to be sows. So again, it was just chance.
I've loved having sows, but I did adore my neutered boar Mr Ted. And I've enjoyed fostering boars for the Potteries GPR. I'd happily have a boar pair now that I've many years of experience keeping piggies and keeping the peace!
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Don't you miss the rumbling background tracks? :))
 
For whatever reason, most of my animals over the years have been females. I think my mom had a belief that female animals were more docile than males and steered me in that direction when I was younger (though we had one crazy aggressive alpha dog who was female when I was a kid, so why she thought females were more calm and mellow is beyond me!) I have had male pets over the years (one of my mice and one of my hedgehogs), but the majority of my pets have been girls. With the pigs, I thought the odds of two girls falling out was lower and we really didn't have room to split and make two pairs, so we got a pair of girls and hoped for the best. Since then I have been pairing up a new girl with an existing girl, as there is an age gap between the pigs now, so it will be girls (or a neutered boar if one ever crosses my path- which is unlikely!) for the foreseeable future!
 
I went for girlies this time as I had had boysels in the past and wanted a change. What I didn't figure on was and unexpected shop litter and now I have 3 sows and 2 boars! They all get along famously (I know this is rare) and I'm very happy with the set up. If the boars fall out I do have a plan B.
 
Squeakz said:
I prefer to go with sows purley because you can have more than 2 together...but I always like a husboar for the group! As I do favor the boys.

Having a neutered boar means you can add as many sows as you like and if all goes well have just 1 large cage instead of multiple smaller ones.

I find boars great if you are someone who may struggle with the temptation to get more....as the limit of 2 per group and the need for more cages for more boars keeps you in check.
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yeah, landlord says I'm limited to two...or I'd have another pair in a heartbeat lol. But again, boars. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels they get a bit of a bad press @Her Nibship though I don't mean here on the forum, just as a general rule. I know at first before I'd even had guinea pigs I thought males put together would fight no matter what, and then I knew they didn't but they had to be put together both at a young age (I was a teenager, I know). I mean Jack was an absolute gentleman of a boar, Rocco had a serious attitude problem going on, Jake was just...Jake - loud, intelligent, and the worst combination of both possible, lol. And now I have Blitzen who runs around like a prince on speed and Comet, who has taken recently to shrieking to get my attention. Not because he wants it or anything, just because he knows he'll get my attention that way. And maybe treats. I dunno, how could I say no to more of that ridiculousness? But I'm aware I'm biased, from never having sows heh.
 
We had decided on a pair of girls, and then we saw Eddi - end of story really.
We still got the girls we were planning on, but just had to have Eddi too.
Now I simply can't imagine not having a boar (well an early castrated boar, which is all of the fun with none of the mess :sly:)
 
My first guinea pig (Vinnie The Guinea) was a sow and that was simply chance. We went to get 'a' piggy not a specific gender and it happened that we met two sows (sisters).

Second time around (when I got Mo) we again didn't go looking for a boy or girl but I did feel safer opting for another girl as i kinda knew what to expect.As fate would have it the only girls available were on pregnancy watch so I went with a boar instead. And then I got my second boar (actually went intending to get a boy LOL) was purely because I didn't fully trust getting Mo neutered.
 
I chose sows cos Imhad always had them. I then fell for a pair of boars at a rescue but it didnt workmout. I was very disappointed as I really loved them. I decided to visualise mynperfect guinea pig during my morning dog walk. Later that day I found a rescue on the locator and looked up their adoption page and there was Mistletoe, my perfect guinea pig, it was incredible.

She came with her sister, Jingle. I adore them and have recently bonded them to a neutered boar (who I got through gumtree and had nuetered). He is so cheerful and popcorns all over the place. He felt like one of the familynas soon as I saw his picture.
 
Ive always had both, I cant choose! I love that girlies do better in groups, I enjoy watching group dynamics and their little antics! I love the big personalities of boars, they always feel more solid to me and ive never met one that wasnt a sweety! And as much as people seem to complain about it..I love the smell of guinea pigs and boars smell a lot stronger :xd: the smell just reminds me of happy childhood times when our house was full of them!
 
i had my first piggies 4 years ago,two boars.which at 6 months of age both had a fight,one knocked the other ones teeth out.i researched and decided to get these two boars neutered,now i go to a rescue for piggies.usually the piggies meet a few suitors and pick there own friends.ive groups of neutered boar with sows,and 4 boar pairs.i like boars just because mine seem to have alot of personality !
 
That is an interesting question because I know I have a mixed haired I have two males and two females in this group but I have had males on the Rhône and females on the Rhône to be honest I'm not really too fast between the sexes but I quite like having a mixed group I have to see which hasn't really answered the question
 
I originally was going to get boars as I had a soft spot for one that I held who turned out to be the brother of my two sows but anyway when I saw my girls all scared and huddled in the corner of a tiny cage I had to have them.
 
When I was a child I had what I was given and I don't think I thought about it one way or the other (over the years had both sexes). As an adult my first pair were sows, I wasn't looking for piggys at the time but the children had got fed up of these sows and they needed rehoming, sadly they died within a few days of each other so I didn't have anymore for over 10 years. The next pair were boars again needing a new home as the owner was changing job and couldn't take them with her. 6 years after being piggyless again I walked into a pet shop (I don't know what made me do it. I didn't have any animals!) and fell in love with Spike (B&W aby), Peanut came home with him. I'm now slave to two more boars, I love their boarish attitude.
 
I wanted boars because everything I had read about sows spraying urine etc actually put me off them, the opposite of your experience being put off boars, @Eileen's Mum
Neither of my boys are neutered and we never have issues with boar glue. Errol keeps himself clean, so despite the fact I check them both every other day, Errol has never had any issues. Binky does get a little gunked up and gets hay in his bum too but it's not a problem to clean him and he always looks relieved afterwards!

They both have such excellent characters and the occasional rumble strutting is always amusing!
 
Kallasia said:
I wanted boars because everything I had read about sows spraying urine etc actually put me off them, the opposite of your experience being put off boars, @Eileen's Mum
Neither of my boys are neutered and we never have issues with boar glue. Errol keeps himself clean, so despite the fact I check them both every other day, Errol has never had any issues. Binky does get a little gunked up and gets hay in his bum too but it's not a problem to clean him and he always looks relieved afterwards!

They both have such excellent characters and the occasional rumble strutting is always amusing!
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They sound lovely, not too gross ;)

I've seen one of my sows, Edna, spray when I first got her. She covered Eileen and Eva. Since then she's never done it and the others haven't.

I'm sure if I did ever get boars it would be fine and not as bad as I imagine but for now, I think I will stick with the girls :)
 
The only time I saw any spraying from the girls was when I introduced them to the boys and they were trying to sort out who was dominant piggy. I still think they spray though as the hutch has wee up the sides and back.
 
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