Getting a Companion for our boar

[soccermama]

After reading so much more about guinea pigs online, reading posts here, and visiting the Barmy4Boars website, we've decided to get our sweet Theo a friend. We've had him for oh, a month I think, and he loves his C&C cage, loves his hay pile, and seems happy and content overall. So to think that getting a companion may heighten his happiness just thrills us.


Specific to us-- I've located a rescue that has a newborn boar (3/27) (well the whole litter, actually) that will be available for adoption later this month. I know there is some nutritional things to take into account for this new little guy that I'll read up on that over at the diet/nutrition forum.

However, my question here is-- with this being a new guy, how long do I need to keep him in quarantine? I've read through various posts on this board about quarantine (see quarantine search results) but introducing a baby-- well the Barmy4Boars site suggests having the "older" boar on hand when transporting the new boar home, so they'd be mingling right away, thus a quarantine isn't necessary?? (See Barmy4Boars intro a baby page)

We don't really have alternative cage options for this new boar except the former pet store cage. If a quarantine is necessary, I know this pet store cage would be just fine for the baby for the time being.

Anyway, I wanted to get some input/feedback on this. Does the Barmy4Boars baby intro page seem correct? I want to do this as "right" as possible for both guys. We absolutely adore our sweet Theo and it would just break my heart if we did anything that freaked him out too much. And I'd hate to stress out the baby too much either. I'm praying this is the right thing to do (putting them together) and that this rescue litter came about online and within a reasonable driving distance (just over an hour) shortly after we really decided to look into getting a second male, well I can't help but think this is what we're supposed to do. I just want to do it right.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Jennicat]

I personally disagree with that advice. In my experience, confining pigs to a smaller area is more likely to cause fights. I've had many pigs who weren't afraid of being in the car, and who started squabbling in carriers. I think you're much safer doing a quarantine and then introducing in a large, neutral space.

[Ziggy&Herald]

I looked on the website you gave and many of the things they state are contradicting to this site. I just dont agree with many of the things they say, such as introducing in the small spaces. I would at least look on other sites before believing and acting on what you have read from there.

[PigWooBus]

I rely on the introductions ssection on http://cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm, it has helped me a ton. I recently adopted a friend for my boar, Piglet (a spayed female named Petunia) and I trust the rescue I adopted from (I have since become a volunteer with them) and know they take all their pigs to good vets (my vet is one of the ones they use) and they make sure all their pigs are healthy before they adopt them out. So Piglet came with me to the adoption and met some new friends and picked out who he wanted to live with--he had already been in one fight, he used to live with my other two males--so him picking out his own friend was very important to me, I didn't want to risk another fight. They did ride home together in Piglet's little old petstore cage (I use it as his carrier now, for riding in the car and stuff) and they were fine, I make fleece pillow cushions for them to flop on, and they just snuggled in those in the cage and things were fine. It was actually really cute. However, 1) I already knew Piglet HATES car rides, he gets really upset, he always does when we drive to the vet, so I knew it might be a bonding experience for them, and 2) the rescue did advise me that sometimes there is squabbling, and we kept the cage on my boyfriend's lap on the drive home so he could do something just incase that happened.

So, if you trust the rescue and really know they take all the pigs to good vets and trust that they are all healthy, you could see about doing things the way I described above. Otherwise, I would listen to the advice others gave above and do a proper quarantine.

[Nyuko]

I think that quarantining and introducing the two new pigs in a larger space would be a better idea. Even if they might bond in the car ride, I think it would be much more difficult (and extremely dangerous!) to separate two possibly-bickering guinea pigs while driving a vehicle!

[soccermama]

thanks for the feedback. i'm so glad i asked. the cavysavy website was GREAT info, and a website I somehow had yet to know about. My gut instinct was TELLING me that a Q-tine and gentle intro made much more sense ,so glad to hear that others agree. I'll be taking that route instead. Thanks again, all!

[PigWooBus]

They essentially were quarantined, as I had taken Piglet to the vet twice in the 2 months prior to adopting and the rescue had held Petunia for at least 2 months (I'm not sure how long in total) and gotten her spayed so I know she was to the vet. They did meet in a larger space and we watched them for over an hour before the car ride home. And, I don't mean to sound rude or like I'm stating the obvious, I am just worried that maybe this was unclear, but my boyfriend was not driving the car, and I would have pulled over if anything happpened.