We made it!

[naturegal592]

Wow, after 3 days on the road, my four girls are together! I took my family on a road trip from N. Michigan to N.E. New York to get out of the house, what gave us a destination though is 2 guinea pigs up for adoption. We got home last night and introductions were this morning. They seem to be doing pretty good but I have 3 females all trying to be top pig. No real fighting though, a nip here and there but mostly rumble strutting. I spent a long time on the cage this morning and could go as far as a 12 1/2 sq.ft. on the bottom level and about 7 on the top. I know upper levels don't count and I am 1/2 ft. shy of the recommended but I have a small home and a daycare. If I went any bigger the kids would have no room to play. I do give floor time every day for a couple hours though. I think they will be OK without the 1/2 ft. We are putting this home up for sale in the coming months and when we move I can build a much larger cage. I will try to post pictures of the girls tomorrow.

[pigsforlife]

Actually, for 4 girls a 10.5sq ft cage is sufficient. With girls you start with a 2x2 (for one girl) and add a 1x2 for every extra girl after that. Boys need more room, so you start with a 2x3 and add a 1x2 for every extra boy.

I have 4 girls in a 15.5sq ft cage with no problems, soon hopefully 5. Going on the theory above, 5 girls can fit happily in a 13sq ft cage.

I do think to some extent, if the upper level is big enough it does help as it removes some of the toys/food/objects etc from the bottom level allowing more running space.

[newpiggiemommy]

Congrats! Wow, what a trip! You must really love your piggies! How long was the trip?

Where did you get them from (rescue/private party/etc)? Why didn't you do any quarentine? I thought all new piggies had to be put in quarentine for 3 weeks to make sure they are healthy and not going to make the others unhealthy!

[naturegal592]

I didn't quarentine because they came from a lady I found on this forum. I have been talking with her for almost a month now and they have been really healthy and not exposed to other pigs. There still may be a minor chance but I'm pretty confident they will be OK. Thank you pigs for life, I though 13 was the minimum. They just spent there first night together and all seem well, they didn't wake us up due to a fight so I hope we're OK.

[pigsforlife]

Not so sure about boycotting the quarantine. Things like the stress of moving can bring on mites. But what is done is done, and there is no point on dwelling on the past. Just keep a close eye on them.

Everything should have been fine if introductions went ahead before they were placed in their cage. Cage should have been cleaned (with vinegar) as well. And if none of the above happened, and they are still happy with everything intact then that is fantastic!

Most people do think that 13 is the minimum but it isnt for girls. Boys are a different story. I know that one of the mods had/has 2 girls in a 2x3.

[Percy's Mom]

When you get cavies from a trusted source, quarantine isn't always purely for health reasons. Often, like pfl said, the stress of moving can bring on a mite flair up. If you give a new pig, even one that seems perfectly healthy, a quarantine period, it can give him a chance to get used to new surroundings and calm a bit. At this point though, the pigs have already been introduced, so you just need to hope for the best. You may have to treat both animals for mites though.

[naturegal592]

I was going to get some ivermectin (sp?) just in case but honestly they haven't really seemed stressed at all. I gave the 4 of them full run of the kitchen for about 7 hours yesterday while I prepped the cage. I made it larger, put it on a grid stand and cleaned cage and everything else with vinegar. They really are doing good.

[naturegal592]

Here are three of the four girls. The two in front are the new girls. This is shortly after introduction.