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How Many? Add Males or Females to my two Boar's?

Sparrow.

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I'm in a bit of a pickle here and would need some help or advice when deciding whether to get more boar's or of saw's would work better.

So I currently have two Boar's in a 2x6 C&C cage. Scotty is 6 years old and Wily is only 7 months old. While the two of them get on great, there are two things I'm worried about.

First of all, because Scott is elderly, he doesn't have the energy for the little Wily, who is constantly zooming and popcorning all over the place. I would like for Wily to have a friend who would be able to match his high energy levels and hopefully give my old man a break.

Another thing I'm worried about is that while Scotty is still healthy and doing on strong, the inevitable can happen any day and Wily would be left all on him own until we can find some adoptable piggies. We would like to get this process over and done with while Scotty is still around, as we think that it would be good for Wily to have a piggy around him that he is already bonded to instead of being introduced to strangers all on his own.

I really want to get females, as I know that they would be happier in the space provided for them. However, I don't want it to be causing issues between my two boys. I could just get one or two more boar's instead of the saw's, but honestly, it seems like it would be a tight squeeze since males require so much more space. Also, 2x6 is not that wide, and so I'm worried that Thai could cause conflict between males.

I just want what is best for the piggies... I am planning on getting either two Boar's or two Saw's in the next three months. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!
 

Soecara

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None of those options are good choices. Two boars can't be in a shared cage with sows no matter which ones are neutered (definitely don't put unaltered guinea pigs of the opposite gender together), the boys will fight each other when in the presence of girls. The cage is too small for four boars, and three boars is not a good choice either as three boars together almost never works out.

Your only real options are expand the cage and try for a boar quad but even that could be risky, stick with what you currently have, or get a second cage and have two separate pairs possibly splitting up your existing pair and giving them each a new cage mate.
 

Sparrow.

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Would it be easier/better to wait until Scotty passes (hopefully it won't happen for another 2 years) and then introduce Wily to a pair of sows?

Both of my boys are neutered, so there is no risks of breeding if Wily was to be housed with females. Considering that males don't usually work out in groups and I can't expand for the time being, I'd prefer to stay clear of more boar's...
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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If Wily is neutered, then introducing him to a pair of sows after Scotty passes would be a good option.
 

Soecara

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Yes I agree, waiting until your oldest passes then getting a pair of sows for the remaining neutered boy sounds like the best option. Hopefully your oldest will be with you for some time yet though.
 

Sparrow.

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Thanks guys, that put my mind at ease! Scotty hopefully will be with us for a few more years. He gets regular vet checkups and we never had any issues with his health. He is still going strong :)
 

lunarminx

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None of those options are good choices. Two boars can't be in a shared cage with sows no matter which ones are neutered (definitely don't put unaltered guinea pigs of the opposite gender together), the boys will fight each other when in the presence of girls. The cage is too small for four boars, and three boars is not a good choice either as three boars together almost never works out.

Your only real options are expand the cage and try for a boar quad but even that could be risky, stick with what you currently have, or get a second cage and have two separate pairs possibly splitting up your existing pair and giving them each a new cage mate.

Not always true, I had two neutered boars with my sows. One was about 2 years old and the old man was about 6 plus years old. When I first got muggle fixed to go in with the old man and sows, he tried starting trouble but the girls put him in his place. They lived that way until the old man passed away. It's rare but I feel it was the age difference that made it work. 100_0817.jpgThe two black ones were the boars. The old man has his back to you and he was very laid back too.
 

bpatters

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It IS rare. It's so rare, and goes bad so often, that we ought not be encouraging anyone to try it. By far the safer thing to do for the guinea pigs is to only put one male with females.
 
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