swapping 2 sets of male guinea pigs

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Newbielou

Newbielou

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Hi I have 3 sets of 2 bonded male guinea pigs, when I say bonded I use the term loosely. Fudge and Jingle Bells have been together since they were babies never been particularly close and just recently fudge has been getting scratches on his face I presumne this is from the face offs he has with Jingle Bells :....

Fuzz and Pugsley have been together since last summer I got Pugsley as a baby as a friend for Fuzz who I got given as old owner didnt want him any more , they were very close and snuggled together nicely until Pugsley hit adolesence and now seems to bully Fuzz, he guiards food bowls and water bottles, there are 2 of everything but Puglsey just seems to follow Fuzz to stop him eating.

My dilemma is Pugsley and Jingle Bells seem to like each other, they lay and sleep either side of the mesh when they are in the run they rumble a bit but have never chattered at each other through the bars or anything, I have a feeling they would get on, and also Fudge and Fuzz are both so laid back and snuggly I hinestly think its a strong possibility that they could live together happily. Thing is if I tried to bond these 2 sets it didnt work would my original bonds be even worse than ever? I really dont know what to do, if the bond did break down they could each have a 4x2 pen in the current accomodation and they could interact through the bars but obviously this is less than ideal.......Help me someone who knows please tell me what to do.
 
You do run the risk of having four boars who won't be friends with anyone but I think if things didn't work out with enough perseverance you'd be able to pair them up again or they may accept their original partners. I think if you believe they'd be happier swapped around then it's worth a try, I'd see how Pugsley and Jingle Bells are together on neutral ground first since they seem the most troublesome!

Also, if things aren't working out and they fight give them a couple of hours alone to cool off before putting them back with the others.
 
How old are they? You run the risk like Hermes says of having four single boars if it goes wrong. If you are sure then best thing is to try them in a neutral territory were neither have been before. I use a play pen and put hay in and some treats and get someone to help me in case of fights. I put them in together and watch them closely for an hour, if all is going well I leave them longer just keeping an eye on them. After a couple of hours I try then in the cage together and this is the make and break time. I keep an eye on them for a good few hours especially at veggie time. You can usually tell if its going to work or not from body language :)
 
Jingle Bells and Fudge are 2.5 , Fuzz is almost 2 and Pugsley is 15 months, gonna organise a full day when I can dedicate it to try the bonding. What size space is best to try for bonding?
 
I use a 4x2 grid set up on the floor, no hideys etc. totally neutral area when introducing piggies - watch like a hawk with a towel in hand ready if a fight breaks out. Only had to use it once with two girls who hated each other :(
The more space you can provide, the better. I've managed to introduce piggies successfully only for them to fall out when moved into pens 8...
Not for the faint hearted this intro business ;)
 
Neutral space intors are probably best. Boars are fickle and like to pick their own friends and litter mates don't always stay good friends when they hit their hormonal teens....

Your older boys should be more mature and easy to settle but pugsley is potentially still in his hormonal teens and may well just start throwing his weight around with his next cage mate too...

Like the others have said it's a risky business and might not work but if you are careful, give them lots of time and space then you might just be lucky!
Paws crossed!
 
I might try bonding baths with the existing pairs again then, I must admit its the scratches on Fudges face that have pushed me to thinking about this, I cant bare for the little fella to be frightened but he still seems his usual self. Pugsley and Jingle Bells are so tolerant of each other in the runs they are often either side of the bars chirping with each other. I guess there is no easy solution to this, i'll think it over some more. Thank you all for your help. :-)
 
Newbielou said:
I might try bonding baths with the existing pairs again then, I must admit its the scratches on Fudges face that have pushed me to thinking about this, I cant bare for the little fella to be frightened but he still seems his usual self. Pugsley and Jingle Bells are so tolerant of each other in the runs they are often either side of the bars chirping with each other. I guess there is no easy solution to this, i'll think it over some more. Thank you all for your help. :-)
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In my experience all boar pairs bicker from time to time and you will get the odd scratch and whatever but as long as they are happy, healthy and not bullying each other then they may be better as they are. One of my pairs bicker a lot and have the odd nibble of each other but if you separate them even for five minutes they will cry for each other. Just check no-one is losing weight due to stress or not being kept away from the food bowl.

Remember that often the grass (or piggy) often looks greener on the otherside but living with them full time is another matter!
 
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