What can I do if I have 2 boys and I want more?

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Zof73

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Hi. I've had two guinea pig boys for a year now. I've always wanted to get more guinea pigs but I didn't have the biggest cage and I knew, that 2 piggys is the most it can take. About a month ago they were fighting a lot and I bought them a really big cage, 2 food bowls, two water dispensers and they started beeing friends again. And now when I have a fairly big 2 floor cage, i though that I could finally get another piggy. But I dont really know if I can. I'm scared that if I would get another boy these two would just team up on him and bully him. And if I would get a girl they would just fight over her. I guess I could get 2 females but I'm still not sure if that set up has any chance of succeeding. I could probably just close the passage between the 2 floors and separate them but I don't really want to. I have a big outdoor cage without a bottom where I put the when the weather is nice. So I would just have to separate it as well. And what about babies? I would love to have some but then I would have to separate the girls and the boys or I would have to castrate them. And I heard that guinea pig castration is dangerous and pricey. I would really love to have more guinea pigs but I dont really know what to do.
Thank you
Sofie
 
You can only have one boar with a sow/group of sows. Two will fight each other for them. If you want more then you could get another pair of boars, but you have to keep them in their separate cage. You can’t bond them to your existing two.
 
Zof73 said:
And 2 boys with 2 girls? :'D
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Sorry I made a typo, I often hit the number 3 instead of 2 on my phone. Ive edited it.

I'm lazy and use the number keys instead of the word for the numbers 😏
 
Thank you all for your help. I'll see what I can do. Even if I'm not gonna go for another pigy it's not that big of a deal. They're already a needy pair.
 
Zof73 said:
Thank you all for your help. I'll see what I can do. Even if I'm not gonna go for another pigy it's not that big of a deal. They're already a needy pair.
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If you end up getting girls it’s better if you can house them in a different room. If it’s not possible then you need a stacked cage with the sows underneath the boars. And always handle the boars before sows. The sows’ scent (even if they can’t actually get to them) can cause a fallout in the boys. Just so you’re not caught unawares ☺️
 
I've read a lot of articles here and I think I've reached a decision. My boys are 10 months old now. They've just stopped fighting. So I'm gonna let them mature now. And if they're gonna be laid back when they'll reach 15 months I'll adopt a 3rd boy. I'm used to handeling teenage boys and my still extremely fragile hand is proof. (I tried to resolve their first fight with my bare hand. Didn't end up well and my hand still fairly hurts when touched on the scar) I would love to have babies but I don't want to keep them separately in pairs. And yes. I know that it's a lottery but I belive that 3 boys could work. I'm gonna do this on the christmas holidays so I'll be able to give them as much time as they'll need...
Do you think it's a good idea?

(Also thank you all for your kind help. You're all really awesome!)
 
I really would strongly suggest you not do that. Even if they’re out of their teenage months doesn’t mean they will accept a third to join them. And that boy will also be a teenager at some point. Only one can be top pig and if two want to be it won’t work. And if the third doesn’t want to be the lower ranked it could cause disruption with the middle pig.

If you decide to go ahead then do have a plan b - a pair and single. And a plan c - three single boars. Because that could happen - the pair’s bond could be disrupted by the introduction of the third. Bear in mind they also still get hormone spikes once out of their teenage months. That on top of an already tense bond could be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I also don’t know any (decent) rescues that would let you adopt a single boar, particularly if they knew you planned to bond him with a pair. Getting one on spec is also an issue - see plan B and C.

Why not just give another pair of boars a forever home rather than trying to disrupt the ones you have already? And you said they’re needy so how would that be when you add a third or another pair?
 
:agr:

Adding a third boar to them regardless of how old they are, will be highly likely to cause problems and fights. It is incredibly risky and you could well end up with three single piggies all need separate cages and new friends.

They won’t be laid back when they hit 15 months. Boars will have hormonal spikes throughout their entire lives. 15 months isnt a cut off that things calm down.

How big is the cage you’ve got for your two boys?
to even attempt three boars, character comes first and it’s difficult to get the balance right when boars are territorial, but after that size of cage is an important factor - you would require at least one square metre per piggy, so a three square metre cage. Bachelor groups of boars can work but you will require considerably more than four males together, around 10 males together can work but you’d then require a 10 square metre cage
 
As others have already said, if you add a third boar you risk everyone falling out and ending up with 3 single piggies who need 3 seperate cages.
Please allow your current boar pair to remain as a pair who have hopefully passed the worst of the teenage difficulties and can now enjoy a long and happy life together.
 
Okay guys. You convinced me. I'm not gonna get a 3rd boy. I love these two and even tho I'd love to have a herd, if I'll really really want another piggy, then I'll Just get another pair of girls and I'll keep them seperately from the boys. But for now I'm gonna let them be. :)
Thank you all.
 
Zof73 said:
Okay guys. You convinced me. I'm not gonna get a 3rd boy. I love these two and even tho I'd love to have a herd, if I'll really really want another piggy, then I'll Just get another pair of girls and I'll keep them seperately from the boys. But for now I'm gonna let them be. :)
Thank you all.
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That’s a good decision, It’s really not worth rocking their relationship.

Should you decide to have a separate pair of girls, then they do need to be kept well away from your boys as just smelling girls can cause boys to fight with each other. There are also things such as ensuring you always handle the boys first so as to not transfer the smell of the girls over to consider. However, these things will be easier to handle than the fall out from adding a third boar to your current pair would be.
 
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