# spaying male guinea pigs



## mashabella (Oct 23, 2009)

Hi!
Is it true that once you have them spayed, they can live together happily and not fight each other? Thanks!


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## CarolineH (Aug 4, 2009)

No. They will still behave like males and will not tolerate another boar in their territory. They can of course live with females after six weeks have elapsed or may be introduced to a baby boar as their future companion. But no, all neutering does (castration in the case of boars) is render them sterile.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Yes, you can have male guineas castrated. Ive had over 20 done, and i only lost one about 3 days later. He never started eating again, and despite being syringe fed every 2 hours he didnt make.


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## mashabella (Oct 23, 2009)

Thanks for the advice! I guess the two males I have would just have to keep living in isolation


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

mashabella said:


> Thanks for the advice! I guess the two males I have would just have to keep living in isolation


Why dont you get them castrated and get them a female each?


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Rescues seem to have quite a few adult boars with baby boars available but don't know if this works out long term. I have a male on his own too but I don't want to put him through an operation. I have thought about the baby boar idea though but if it didn't work out I haven't any room for another hutch in the shed as I have four large hutches in there already.


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## CarolineH (Aug 4, 2009)

As an ex breeder, I have kept on my old stud boars (as well as most of the sows!) and I now have the boars living with young boars. It normally works out quite well especially if the boars never get within sniffing distance of sows.


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

My male was neutered and i have a sow ex breeder that was handed in.Surplus to requirements they were told. She didnt tolirate other females . It was love at first with my male and her they love each other to bits.


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## mashabella (Oct 23, 2009)

I don't really have space for two extra females or baby males.

I have read some articles on the internet about introducing two adult boars and they say it is possible. Options

I think they used to fight cos there were sows around so they could smell the sows but now the sows are gone..I wonder if it's possible to re-introduce them?


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## CarolineH (Aug 4, 2009)

mashabella said:


> I don't really have space for two extra females or baby males.
> 
> I have read some articles on the internet about introducing two adult boars and they say it is possible. Options
> 
> I think they used to fight cos there were sows around so they could smell the sows but now the sows are gone..I wonder if it's possible to re-introduce them?


It is possible - on neutral territory in a huge enclosure maybe. But in a hutch or cage, very unlikely and believe me guinea pig fights can be bloody and sometimes fatal! Even with the sows gone, they are still adult boars and unless brought up together from one or both being young it is going to be a hard slog. 

Can you not position the hutches/cages so they can see each other? That often keeps single boars happy, being able to see another guinea pig even though they cannot get to each other. Or get one long hutch and divide it with mesh into two halves?


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## mashabella (Oct 23, 2009)

CarolineH said:


> It is possible - on neutral territory in a huge enclosure maybe. But in a hutch or cage, very unlikely and believe me guinea pig fights can be bloody and sometimes fatal! Even with the sows gone, they are still adult boars and unless brought up together from one or both being young it is going to be a hard slog.
> 
> Can you not position the hutches/cages so they can see each other? That often keeps single boars happy, being able to see another guinea pig even though they cannot get to each other. Or get one long hutch and divide it with mesh into two halves?


That's how they are living together at the moment actually..in the same hutch but divided by metal mesh. I just thought maybe there's a chance of them actually being mates lol. They were actually brough up together and have always known each other. They used to live in the same hutch absolutely fine...until they smelt sows...one nearly killed the other! I think like your suggested living together with a divider would probably be the best way...though not perfect. Thank you so much again for your advice!


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

CarolineH said:


> As an ex breeder, I have kept on my old stud boars (as well as most of the sows!) and I now have the boars living with young boars. It normally works out quite well especially if the boars never get within sniffing distance of sows.


My boar has his hutch on top of a lavender lodge hutch with two females in and there are another five females that he can see, would this cause a problem do you think if he had a baby boar living with him? I wish I could bring him in the house but I just haven't room for another guinea pig cage as I have two inside already. When I put him out in the summer next to the females he wasn't really interested at all, he preferred the grass.:laugh:


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## CarolineH (Aug 4, 2009)

Jazzy said:


> My boar has his hutch on top of a lavender lodge hutch with two females in and there are another five females that he can see, would this cause a problem do you think if he had a baby boar living with him? I wish I could bring him in the house but I just haven't room for another guinea pig cage as I have two inside already. When I put him out in the summer next to the females he wasn't really interested at all, he preferred the grass.:laugh:


Well I can't totally say no and I can't totally say yes! It is possible, it comes down to how highly sexed the boar is really! I have two pairs of boars living together underneath a large hutch of 4 sows with another larger hutch of six sows on the opposite wall. There does not seem to be any aggro at all. You could try it, just don't let them get within sniffing distance and ensure that you keep their stuff away from the sows stuff when you clean out etc.


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## lozza84 (Jul 19, 2008)

i have 2 boars in one cage and 3 sows in another cage the two cages r in close range of each other and the boars are fine together.... one is 12 weeks old and the other is 7mths old. :thumbup1:


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