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Introductions Need Advice on Introducing Boars, Please Help

Wh33k

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Hello!
New guinea pig mom here. I rescued two Boars from the shelter a week ago and am quite nervous about introducing them. What makes me especially nervous is that because they are rescues, both of them have histories of being abused by other piggies. Poor Boomer has scar tissue on his face and a chunk of an ear missing and Hugo was rejected and bullied by his former cagemate. Their vet said be prepared to keep them in separate cages if they refuse to get along. They're both adults which I hear makes it harder to bond them.
What happens if they don't like each other and can't stay in the same cage? Will it be enough companionship for them to know there's another guinea pig in the cage next to them? If not, what do I do?
It might just be the new mom jitters but I'm so scared of coming home from work to find one has really hurt the other.
 

bpatters

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Welcome!

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

But before you do that, how large is the cage you have? Boars need a lot of room, and no cage you can buy from a pet store is large enough for two pigs, much less two boars.

Here's some recommended reading material for new pig owners:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/105287-How-to-teach-a-guinea-pig-to-eat-vegetables
 

Guinea2002

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You should introduce them on a Neutral Territorry first and also make sure the cage is big enough if it's not big enough they will fight! Also always be prepared for any emergencies like Blood drawn or injuries as they might occur. Also have 2 of everything and no Pigloos unless they have 2 entrances avoid them! Your Piggy that is not Dominant can get trapped. Also always be prepared to separate if needed. Do not be scared if one piggy is mounting the other this is just to show who is boss I hope your Intro goes well
 

CavyTV

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Familiarize yourself with all of the dominance behaviors. Many people separate when it is unnecessary; they saw a bit of typical dominance behavior and they freaked out and separated them. Guinea pigs should only be separated if blood is drawn or if one pig is bullying the other and won't let it eat (and the pig is losing a lot of weight). Boars can get along just as well as females. It's their personalities that determine whether or not they are compatible. Read the link bpatters gave you. It's packed with info and great tips and is truly the bible to bonding guinea pigs.

One of the most common reasons guinea pigs fight, besides their differing personalities, is the size of their cage. If it's too small, they will most likely have a smaller chance of getting along. If you're lucky you'll have guinea pigs that get along really well despite the size of the cage they are in. This is not the case for most. The bigger the cage the better and the higher chance you'll have at keeping them together peacefully so go as big as you can. See the main page of this site for cage size standards (for 1,2,3 and 4 guinea pigs). I'd recommend going up 1 grid if you have 2 boars. So even though it says 2 pigs can live in a 2x4, you should at least shoot for a 2x5; a 2x6 would be even better and that's what I'd suggest doing since I have 2 boys and they live happily in a 2x6. If you can go wider, go wider. Wider cages seem to work even better, especially with boars who need more room. A 3x5 or larger would be great, in my opinion. I'm planning to upgrade my boys' 2x6 to an L-shaped 3x7. Not because they're not getting along, I'm doing it because I'd like to give them more room to run and play! If I can make the cage larger, I will. Always :)

Good luck! Let us know how it goes :)
 

Wh33k

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Thanks for all of the info! Ill definitely be doing my research later. The cage I have is 4 feet long by a foot and a half wide, I have a feeling I need to expand it.
 

bpatters

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That cage isn't large enough for one pig, much less two, much less two boars. Two boars need at least 10 square feet of space, and more would help. You've got six square feet.
 

CavyTV

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If you don't have a C&C and you're not planning on building one, each grid is 14 inches wide and 14 inches long. For example, a 2x4 is 28 in. x 56 in. Do the math and you'll figure out what space you need based on the cage size standards on the main page.
 

Wh33k

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Update: got a cage extension and am currently in the process of introductions. Its been an hour and a half and things are tame but still pretty tense. Its a mixture of ignoring each other and boomer running away from hugo. Hugo will chatter and wheek, but boomer makes no sound in return. Hope this is normal, keep your fingers crossed.
 

bpatters

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Sounds normal to me.
 

Wh33k

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Now I've found what looks like blood mixed with urine but there's no cuts on either of them. What do I do?
 

bpatters

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Nothing, if you don't know where it came from. You'll need to separate if they turn into a rolling, biting ball of fur.
 
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