Introductions Need Advice with Intros

schpooko · Apr 18, 2018

Hi, I got a new 10 week old guinea pig (Betty) back in October to be with Ethel because my Lucy passed away. Not more than 3 months later Ethel passed on and I got Wilma to be cagemates with Betty. Well, I did the quarantine period and when I went to do intros I found out Wilma was pregnant. The person I got Wilma from said to keep them apart until the babies come. Wilma had three beautiful female babies so I decided to keep all of them. Well, the babies are now 8 weeks old and I want to introduce all of them so they can live together. They have been side by side in a cage but I don't want to start off on the wrong foot so how do I do this? Do I put the Mama and the three babies in a playpen and bring in Betty? Do I just put in Wilma and then Betty and see if they get along and if they do get along bring in the babies? Also, one of the babies is really feisty. I have bought a new cage and a new bottom to the other one and 5 new beds... I am going to wait on hidies until we see if everyone gets along... Any advice would be appreciated. I want to learn all I can before I go and start this process... Thanks

bpatters · Apr 18, 2018

Here's the bible on introductions: https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html

It would have been much easier if you'd left Wilma and Betty together. There's almost never a need to separate sows just because one of them is pregnant.

You'll need a large cage for five guinea pigs -- at least 19 square feet.

schpooko · Apr 18, 2018

Yes I have another cage to connect to this one I will have three big cages all together. Well, they were never together. And she told me that since the other was pregnant to leave her by herself. So I just really wanted to know if I intro just the adult females or all of them at once? lol

bpatters · Apr 18, 2018

All at once. But three cages put together may not work if they have dividers between them and only doors to go through to get from one to the other. Any place that one pig can block another is an invitation to a squabble. They really need one large flat area to run around in.

wheekermommy · Apr 19, 2018

What type of cages do you have connected together?

schpooko · Apr 20, 2018

wheekermommy said:
What type of cages do you have connected together?

I have the Midwest Habitat Plus cages. Three of them. I have to have these types because I need lids on top and I have them on tables. My other girls loved there home and as a matter of fact these girls love there cage now. I am just going to join them all together.

wheekermommy · Apr 20, 2018

Oh awesome! Just make sure you take out all the dividers/ramps so you end up with a giant open rectangle depending on how you arrange them. Also if you include hideouts such as tunnels and forests, you won't take up zoomie space and prevent squabbles in hideys that are more closed. Ideally you want all your cozy/hideys with two openings so no one gets trapped.

Let us know how it goes and good job doing researching beforehand!

schpooko · Apr 21, 2018

They Intros Went Really Bad, Really Fast...

schpooko said:
Hi, I got a new 10 week old guinea pig (Betty) back in October to be with Ethel because my Lucy passed away. Not more than 3 months later Ethel passed on and I got Wilma to be cagemates with Betty. Well, I did the quarantine period and when I went to do intros I found out Wilma was pregnant. The person I got Wilma from said to keep them apart until the babies come. Wilma had three beautiful female babies so I decided to keep all of them. Well, the babies are now 8 weeks old and I want to introduce all of them so they can live together. They have been side by side in a cage but I don't want to start off on the wrong foot so how do I do this? Do I put the Mama and the three babies in a playpen and bring in Betty? Do I just put in Wilma and then Betty and see if they get along and if they do get along bring in the babies? Also, one of the babies is really feisty. I have bought a new cage and a new bottom to the other one and 5 new beds... I am going to wait on hidies until we see if everyone gets along... Any advice would be appreciated. I want to learn all I can before I go and start this process... Thanks

Thank you for everyone who answered my post. I made a huge brand new playpen. New blanket on floor... Lots of food spread all around... New Room for all... And they were all together for 5-10 minutes and then Mama started fighting with Betty... Hair Up, Hair pulling roll of fur fighting. My husband and I broke it up separated them and that's that. They just will not get along. Poor Betty. Wilma just does not want it. After we broke it up before I even had a chance to grab Betty Wilma came charging for more. So, we will keep them next to each other but Betty will just have a cage to herself. Which I think she will like much better. No sharing etc... I know its Wilma the Mama who does not want anyone (who is not in the family) in the same cage. Before I got her she was only with males and never had to be with another female til she had 3 girls... How ironic LOL!!! Thanks again. Everyone has a big area to live there lives out to the fullest - with me to take care of them

schpooko · Apr 21, 2018

bpatters said:
All at once. But three cages put together may not work if they have dividers between them and only doors to go through to get from one to the other. Any place that one pig can block another is an invitation to a squabble. They really need one large flat area to run around in.

Thank you for answering my post. I made a huge brand new playpen. New blanket on floor... Lots of food spread all around... New Room for all... And they were all together for 5-10 minutes and then Mama started fighting with Betty... Hair Up, Hair pulling roll of fur fighting. My husband and I broke it up separated them and that's that. They just will not get along. Poor Betty. Wilma just does not want it. After we broke it up before I even had a chance to grab Betty Wilma came charging for more. So, we will keep them next to each other but Betty will just have a cage to herself. Which I think she will like much better. No sharing etc... I know its Wilma the Mama who does not want anyone (who is not in the family) in the same cage. Before I got her she was only with males and never had to be with another female til she had 3 girls... How ironic LOL!!! Thanks again. Everyone has a big area to live there lives out to the fullest - with me to take care of them

PiggieLover101 · Apr 21, 2018

Maybe if Betty gets lonely, you could try to introduce just the babies to her? But first try it out so Betty can get used to life alone. Some pigs like it better! Although if it doesn't work out and she becomes upset, I would at least try that and maybe the babies and her can be together during floortime if they get on.

wheekermommy · Apr 21, 2018

PiggieLover101 said:
Maybe if Betty gets lonely, you could try to introduce just the babies to her? But first try it out so Betty can get used to life alone. Some pigs like it better! Although if it doesn't work out and she becomes upset, I would at least try that and maybe the babies and her can be together during floortime if they get on.

I wouldn't put Betty together with the babies during floortime unless OP is planning on housing them together. Guinea pigs are not like dogs, they can't have playdates with each other. It stresses them out because they have to redo the pecking order each time.

Soecara · Apr 22, 2018

If Betty and Wilma simply don't work together you could instead try just one of the three baby girls with Betty so you would have 1 pair and 1 trio, that way no one is alone.

spy9doc · Apr 22, 2018

Soecara said:
If Betty and Wilma simply don't work together you could instead try just one of the three baby girls with Betty so you would have 1 pair and 1 trio, that way no one is alone.

Good advice........as usual!

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Introductions Need Advice with Intros

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