Time Bomb?

[Pigsneedlovetoo]

So my 3 boars still seem to be getting along okay, 8months, 7 months, and 4ish months old. Does anyone know if there' a turning point in the aging process where I need to watch them closely to avoid fights? Someone on the forum had mentioned that it's hard to keep 3 young boars together for life. Jack, Blake, and Gunther seem pretty content for now with occasional picking on Blake.

 

[Wiebke]

So my 3 boars still seem to be getting along okay, 8months, 7 months, and 4ish months old. Does anyone know if there' a turning point in the aging process where I need to watch them closely to avoid fights? Someone on the forum had mentioned that it's hard to keep 3 young boars together for life. Jack, Blake, and Gunther seem pretty content for now with occasional picking on Blake.
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Hi! Boars go through a pronounced teenage period between ca. 4-14 months of age that is characterised by huge spikes of testosterone. The onset is when the testicles start descending.
While more boar pairs than not can make it to adulthood together, the vast majority of same age sub-adult boar trios will not.
Trios are always the most difficult constellation to get right at the best of times as they are so prone to outsider issues. You have got a slight advantage in that your three are not all quite the same age so they don't hit the testosterones spikes all together. But it generally takes three very laid-back boys to get through the big hormones without a split!

The best you can do is to have a plan B in case your trio runs into problems once your youngest starts hitting back, so you know what to do in case you have to separate fighting boars in a hurry and have an idea about your options and possibilities after that.

Your two older ones are going to be at the totally annoying limit-pushing stage when your youngest is experiencing his biggest hormone hits over the course of the next 2-3 months. That is likely your most intense make-and-break time. It depends very much on the individual personalities and how submissive your little one is - or if he ends up being bullied.

You will hopefully find this guide here informative and helpful:
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next? (also contains information on the various stages of the teenage months as the hormone output is not steady throughout including tips on how to avoid the biggers triggers for fights).
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

 

[Reenie]

Between about 4 and 15 months are the teenage years, and the most likely time for fall outs. I have a trio of boars around 10 - 11 months, and they get on most of the time, but I've had a few incidents, none of which got serious, fortunately. All you can do is watch and hope...and have a plan B, and maybe a plan C, lol. I do recommend as big a cage as possible though, as I'm sure that being able to get out of each other's way when hormone spikes are happening has saved things escalating with mine on a couple of occasions. Just remember, if they DO fall out, it's just their personalities and there's nothing you can do to prevent it if they ultimately decided they don't want to live together. All the usual advice about lots of hideys with two entrances and separate eating bowls etc. will cut down the chances of bullying getting out of hand, and minimise 'flash points', but they still have to want to be together. I hope yours (and mine) continue to buck the odds. X

Edit...must have been typing at the same time as @Wiebke . If I've said anything slightly different, her advice trumps mine every time, as she has tons more expertise with piggies. X