Calling all of you with male piggies!

[pocoyo]

Hi there, this is in relation to my previous thread about 'new additions'.

I would like to get a brief idea of how many people on here have numerous male piggies living together. I would also be very grateful if you could please tell me if you successfully introduced male piggies to the male piggies you already had?

I am getting mixed advice about this. I already have two males and would like to adopt another two, however, the adoption centre has advised against this. I'm feeling confused as i have spoken to other people who have said it should be fine as long as there is adequate space. I know that it does depend upon the personalities of the pigs but the adoption centre has made it sound impossible to introduce males to one another.

Thank you in advance.

 

[TX_2_Pigs]

I have 2 boys. They are brothers from the same litter and I got them at the same time. I haven't experienced adding a new one to them yet so I can't help you as to how it went.

I was starting to consider one more, but since we just got the puppy (see my pigture thread) and his uncle is moving in with his 2 dogs and 9 chickens and rooster, I think I have hit my limit as to number of animals! That will make 5 (female) dogs, 25 chickens (22 female and 3 male) and the 2 boy piggers. :melodrama
I can't take anymore.

 

[pocoyo]

Wow that is a lot of animals. He he.

Very cute puppy by the way.

 

[RyanR]

I have 4 boys and I will tell you at least once a week there is a major scermish between at least two but it's over: "who owns the pigloo." I have a 2x6 two story cage. Hence my boys have tons of room to go do what they want and two of my guinea pigs: Pumpkin Spice and Cinnamon are the best of buds. None of them are from the same litter and were adopted months and months apart. I always do neutral first with Hercules since he's the head pig before adding Smores who is the bully of the group. Usually once the two have accepted the new pig, it goes easy after that. Pumpkin really never cares he's the shy one of the bunch.

 

[fairysari]

I would say it really depends on the personality of the pigs. I have two boars who got along great for months, then eventually had a big fight, and now have to live separate.

Some things that might help it work out - lots of space, having a second level or loft to escape to, several locations of food, water and hay, and using only hidey houses with more than one entrance (so tunnels, no pigloos). But it's still no guarantee.

If this is a reputable rescue you are dealing with, and then pigs you are interested in have been quarantined already, perhaps you could arrange a meeting to see if your pigs get along. In any case, I think that while it *could* work out, there is always the chance that it won't - so you need to be prepared to be able to house the new boys separately just in case.

 

[pocoyo]

Thank you for that. Did you keep them separated for a while before putting them in together?

Did you get each pig individually over the space of time or did you have one pair and then get another pair?

 

[pocoyo]

Thank you Fairysari. The rescure centre hasn't been that great in the past. Before i got the two piggies i have now i got into contact with them as i wanted to adopt two pigs. I went and visited a few before choosing the two i wanted to adopt. We have a home check (we have our c&c cage all set up) and the lady who came round refused us as she said that we HAD to have an outdoor hutch. I knew this was untrue but had to resign to the fact that we couldn't get them. Therefore, i ended up going to a pet store which i did not want to do.

As it turns out the manager told the lady off and rang m,e back a few days later, at which point it was too late.

Therefore, i am cautious of the rescue centre but as far as I'm aware this is the only centre here that has piggies for adoption. I'm in the UK. (York) if anyone knows of any other centres i would be grateful.

Anyway, i really do want to adopt after i extend our current cage as i would have the new piggies in the extended part to begin with, and gradually introduce them to my piggies on neutral ground.

However, now that the rescue centre has advised against it, I'm not sure if they would consider me for adoption.

Also, I'm unsure if they would let me have a trail introduction with my two piggies.

 

[TNpigowner]

I have 2 boys. Hagrid was here first. We did all the propper introducing of Pheonix, but as time went on, Hagrid has settled on just not liking Pheonix. Hehe. Stubborn piggenz.
They scuffle every now and then, but are 'usually' ok.

 

[fairysari]

It sounds strange that a rescue would want you to keep pigs indoors. Check out this site: Guinea Pig Rehome - Adopt a unwanted Guineapig (cavy) from a rescue centre.

They have listings of rescues in the UK and pigs available, similar to Guinea Pig Home - Home.

 

[pocoyo]

Hi thanks for that. Thanks for those links, i will check them out.

The rescue centre refused us because we didn't have an outside hutch. However, i had been looking on this website for a while and had learned that many people have 'indoor' guinea pigs. They are quite an unreliable rescue centre.

 

[SoCalCavies]

http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm#Getting

 

[this_lil_piggy]

I had one original boar, and I introduced him to 2 babies. A couple of months later I introduced my original boar and the two babies to 5 new baby boys! (temporary fosters)
Once the new owners were ready for them, 2 boars went to one home and 2 more boars went to another home, so I now have 4.
Never once in all the introductions did I have anything close to fighting. Just simply lots of rumble strutting, mounting, squeaking, and scent marking. We did not even have any nosing off or nipping.
I contribute my success in introducing so many at one time to the fact that the original boar was/is a very laid back tolerant pig, and all the others were babies.
The babies are all now headed into puberty (ranging 4-5 months old) and we still have peace in the cage. I am rather pleased at how well my herd has meshed.

If the centre just won't talk to you or consider you what I would personally do is set up two cc cages, have them in separate parts of the room, to appease the home visitor.
Once you are able to adopt, you can do introductions on neutral ground and if all works out, the two cages can be merged into one......and if it doesn't work out, you can pull the two cages side by side. I wouldn't normally suggest doing a little bit of "tweaking/fibbing" for the sake of an adoption, but personally I think this center's expectations are unreal and their knowledge is misguided. Although, it is true some introductions may not go smoothly, it is absolutely untrue that boars caged side by side will cause them to fight with their cage mates.

 

[Slave to the Wheek]

Personally, I avoid people who are not up to date on current knowledge of whatever it is that they do.. Housing guinea pigs outside is SOO much more unhealthy for them. Exposure to so many parasites and predators and the elements.

These folks are seriously under-educated and lack common sense in my view.

I have two boars who were introduced when they were both very young. One was about 4 months and the other 5 weeks. My cage is 3gridx4gridx2gridx3grid and has multiple places to run and hide. They had some good skirmishes and one ear got bit and a lip was bleeding once. They also had a couple of scabs on the butt --none of it serious. Eventually they decided to get along and now they are bonded.

There is a british site that really pushes the whole "2 boar" rule. I've seen her stuff, and I don't see any evidence of what she proposes as "the rule of no more than 2 boars together" on any other forum. I think she just made it up based on her own personal experience, rather than on actual evidence. You'll find many people all over the web, and even breeders who house entire herds of males together successfully. It is like with any human males. It depends on personalities, and amount of space they are forced to live in.

• A super dominate guy can push a submissive guy into a rage if he never lets up.
• If that submissive guy can get away from the aggressive jerk in a large house and get away for time on his own when he's had enough then that same rage can be lessened and peace instilled.
• 2 dominate guys can live together in peace if they have "worked it out" and each has enough room to call his own. Ask my brother-in-law and his son who each go straight to their room when they get home and only interact when it's time to eat!

 

[lynn's Cavies]

Hello there,

I have 3 males. My 2 neutered males live together peacefully. I introduced them when they were adults as one of their female companions passed away and both were now alone. I did have their cages side by side for a long time when the female was present. Then I waited over a month to introduce them.

I introduced them in the bathtub during a bath. At first they chattered their teeth and opened their mouths wide to show each other their teeth. Did the whole dominance thing. But did not fight.

Then I transferred them to a cardboard container with towels in it, so they could dry off together. They huddled together and there wasn't any fighting. When they were put into their cage, it was brand new and had no territorial smells in it.

They established dominance and all has been fine since. I did try to introduce another male, who isn't altered, but he fought and bit one of my other males lips. My cage size is 2 cubes by 4 cubes so I think the cage was just too small for 3 males. I've kept the 2 males together who get along and am going to look into getting Chipy a companion. Chipy is the male that did not get along with my other 2.

When I introduced Corky and Tim they were approx. 3 and 4 years old. Now they snuggle together at night and get along great. I think it may be because I don't have any females near them at this time. I actually don't plan on getting anymore females as I don't want to risk neutering my guinea pig, Chipy.

Well, I hope this helped a bit and made sense. It's early here and I am still drinking coffee and waking up.

 

[pocoyo]

Hi there. Thank you for all your replies. I am still in two minds about getting more piggies. I have just rang another animal rescue centre and the lady told me not to get any more males as they will fight. How am i supposed to rescue any more piggies when no-one will let me? I have had mixed messages and different stories about getting more males so i just don't know what to do.

Any more advice would be great. Thanks. Pocoyo.

 

[DaCourt]

We have 3 boars, who currently live in a 2x5 with a C shaped loft on top (Each side is a 1x2 then all the way across the back.)

Scooby is the oldest. We intruduced Scooter when Scooby was about a year and Scooter was about 2 months. Scooby was in charge for about 2 months. Then Scooter took over. When we got Emmet, Scooter was 1 and Scooby was 2. Emmet was just a month old. The introductions went ok. Scooby and Scooter struggled for dominance. Eventually, Scooter won out. Emmet was and still is, a little bit of a wimp, so he has always been happy letting the 2 of them struggle for the title of top pig.

Now, 2 years later, Scooby has become top pig. Now sure how it happened. We have never had any serious fights. I have never had to remove them from the cage. I have 2 of everything in the cage. If Emmet was not so passive, I would probable have 3 of everything. As long as Scooby and Scooter can have their own place to eat and drink, all is happy is piggy town.

 

[PiGgIeCrAzYBaBy]

I have four boys. The newest one was brought home on Saturday. For the initial intro I stuck them all in the bathtub and gave them a group bath. The trauma seems to help them bond. That's what I have done every time I brought home a pig and my guys have never gotten into a serious fight. Mounting and "nose offs" are normal and as far as I know unstopable. But unless there's acctual fighting just let them be and they'll figure it out.

 

[pocoyo]

Thanks for your replies, they sound like real success stories. Very encouraging. He he.

Still have my heart on two more boys but I'm thinking i will have to get young ones so my two boys don't feel put out and over-powered.