Behavior Expanding the herd? Need some opinions !

[jswozzle]

So Stitches(used to be Atheluna, what a crazy name) and Snowball are loving eachother. They can't be apart. It's so cute. I have a big 2X4 cage with a 3 square grid level and I just can't help to not share it with the piggies at the SPCA or other shelters. So I'm going to adopt another, hopefully two. So I was thinking... If I was to get two boars, do you think they would fight over my two girls since ya know, one for each of them(; lol. Obviously they would be neutered. Or would one male and another sow be better? Even if the two boars were bonded? Or even if the males were not bonded would they fight? Just wondering, doesn't mean I have my heart set on two boys. Just thought the guy would want some extra testosterone in the cage. haha. But I do know in the wild their herds consist of the one dominant male and his ladies. Just looking for opinions. Going to the shelter tomorrow! lol

 

[PigPandemonium]

Well, a 2x4 is only big enough for 2 pigs at the very most, even if it has three levels, they need more running space. I would suggest against getting a male, only females, as it is risky to neuter guinea pigs, but if you are dead set on a male, one would be best, as two would fight over the females.

 

[jswozzle]

I can always expand it, thats no big deal. The males at the shelters are always neutered. Their policy. Like I said, not dead set, just wondering.

 

[FutureGuineaVet]

My friends and i had our two girls with one guy, the guy was in a crate seperated of course...the girls started getting a little upset over him so we put him away and they were best friends again. So in my opinion you should only get a girl unless you put the guys in a seperate cage.

 

[madelineelaine]

I have a guy and a girl right now, the guy is neutered. They are the best of friends, although when it's two AM and one pig is trying to mount the other, it's a little annoying. They kept me up forever because they kept squealing and running away from each other.

 

[xXMaggieXx]

I would only get one as the 2 will fight over who owns the girl even if they are neutered. You can do one male with as many girls as you want or you could let the guys live together away from the girls if you want 2

 

[jacqueline]

so, based on my own experience, i went from 2 bonded boys to a herd that is now 5 pigs in 2 cages. the hardest lesson i learned was that there was NO WAY to guarantee ahead of time that your pigs will live happily together. even when i did meet and greets, once i took them home, everything was different. i now know that if i ever go to adopt again, plan A would be for the new pig to happily live with some combination of the pigs i already have. but it is EQUALLY possible that the new pig won't get along with anyone, and will need a separate cage, temporarily or permanently (plan B). i share this, just so you might think about this possibility and also be prepared. some people will say that there is no reason why ALL guinea pigs can't get along, if you just let them sort things out on their own, they'll establish their own "pecking" order and herd dynamics. i had to separate my pigs because of bloodshed - they were not able to work it out. i consider myself lucky that i have 2 happy herds right now, and i know how delicate that balance is. same with people. put a group of strangers in the same room, and there's no telling really who'll like or hate who. . .

 

[Nix16]

I have the same story as jacqueline. Had a pair living in harmony, thought I'd add a third and had bloodshed, and upset the bond between the existing pair. Now I have two more new piggies living with the third one in a new cage and first two piggies are still together in their cage,. Both cages are in separate rooms as even being in the same room upset them. I Love them all but just beware it might not turn out how you plan

 

[Pandora4co]

Yes please be prepared that they may not all get along. I had two boars that had lived happily together for two years and then added a third. Unbelievably, the new addition got along great with each older boar, it was the original bonded pair that turned against each other! After two bouts of bloodshed, the second being really bad, I had to separate the original pair and adopted a 4th to make two pairs.

 

[jacqueline]

nice to realize we're not alone sometimes, eh? :cheerful:

 

[Helena29]

Oh my gosh. I have two boars and wanted to expand but now I don't know. It seems safest for me to get two girls and keep them seperate from the boys. In a different cage, I mean. Or get one more boy, but I'm afraid the original two will turn on each other and they love each other so much right now. There is such perfect harmony between my boys, ahem, I mean men. Does age make a difference? Because mine are both over 5. I thought they might like being around a baby (over 6 weeks old, of course) ... might give the older ones more energy ... hmmm. What do you all think??

 

[jacqueline]

the first boar i rescued was over 5 years old, had chronic impaction and was missing 2 toes. i was told he had a sweet and gentle personality. once he joined my herd, he must found his second wind. he is CLEARLY the boss of all things pig. he's the one who chases all the pigs, who i sometimes see with bits of fur in his mouth from other pigs, who mounts the others with boldness!! it makes me laugh actually. i thought of this old guy as grandpa - who knew he still had this much kick in him??!! i'll repeat my mantra for you - there is no end to piggie drama, and they are completely unpredictable!! it is part of what makes having them so much fun, and also such a challenge!

 

[jswozzle]

Oh my! Well thank you all for that! Definitely makes me think twice. But yea again like Helana said, does age make a difference? My girls are about 6 months now so if I introduced another do you think it would be as bad? Also would introducing just another girl make it a lot easier,or would the process be pretty much the same? Thank you all again!

 

[Nix16]

My oldest ones were 6 or 7 months when I tried to bring in a new girl, which didn't work. Thats not to say it won't work with your piggies. Maybe your local shelter might let you borrow a piggy for the weekend and see if it works out, just a thought