Baby boars are 5 wks., should I separate?

Question
QUESTION: Hi Pat, I have 2 litters which I'm keeping, one was 2 babies, one was 4.  They were 4 days apart.  One boy is 5 wks. today and weighs 500grams.  The other 3 boys are almost 5 wks., two weigh 275g and one is now 350g.  

I've read to separate them from their mothers/sisters at 4-5 wks. and other places say sexual maturity for males is 6-8 weeks old.  Still....others go by weight as well.  I put everything down just in case.

I have a big pen that the 4 boys can go into, leaving the 2 girls with their mothers.  Even tho' I have no choice, will they all miss each other when they're separated?  I have to put the boys in another room so the boys probably won't see the mothers/sisters anymore.  Our animals have their own rooms for exercise, etc.

One last thing, I am planning on putting the 4 five wk. old boys with 2 youngish adult skinny pigs who are bonded.  Should I do it now while the 'babies' are still not vying for authority?

Thanks Pat
Paula
P.S. My email hasn't been working but I can still look up the answer.  Will 'rate' ASAP, thanks again.

ANSWER: Congratulations on the healthy litters.  I leave my babies with their moms until they're about five weeks old. If the sow is looking tired and rugged I will pull the baby boars out at three and a half or four weeks.

If you plan to house the little boys with the Skinnies I would put them in there now. Being babies there isn't a territorial issue and the adults will accept them without too much fuss. The big boys will of course rumblestrut around and try to get 'fresh' with the babies but they'll quickly find out that's useless.

You can leave all the girls together. Momma will wean them herself at about six weeks. If you have to pull the baby boys out too soon leaving at least one girl with mom helps to prevent mastitis by gradually reducing her milk production.

I've never found a baby boar that was sexually active and able to breed as young as six weeks. Even at eight it's iffy, but you're right it does depend somewhat on the size of the boars. Some will grow faster than others.

Guinea pigs do not seem to show emotion over their litters leaving home. In the wild that's the way Nature handles these things. The boys are pushed out as soon as they begin to reach sexual maturity. So don't feel like mom is going to grieve over the babies leaving home. They probably welcome the peace and quiet and chaos they've endured for the previous month or so.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks again Pat for the reassurance, once again and you're so prompt as well!

I did separate them.  In fact now the boys are living with 'dad' since he sired both litters.  He's very good with them and so far getting along great.

Can I expect some turbulence tho' as the young boars get a little older?  Will they eventually have to be separated from each other or just the usual fight/play type of thing?

Also, I forgot to ask about the young females.  At what age can they become pregnant?  Not that I want them too, believe me, I just want to know because the smallest one keeps being able to crawl through the
1 1/2" square holes of their pen and goes into whoever's pen she feels like.  She's so small but also 5 wks. old and VERY independent/precocious, LOL.  I'm trying to keep her from doing that.  At times I've seen a big boar chasing her around but nothing happens.

Thanks so much again!
Paula

Answer
There is good news and bad news.  The good news is that the boys should get along for a very long time. If they're not around any sows they may just live together forever in peace.  It's the girls that start the trouble making. They tempt the fellas and then squeal about it.

The bad news is the sows can come into heat at two to three weeks old. The fact that the little precocious "HO" is trying to get over to the boys' side may mean she's already in heat and is flaunting herself at them.  Make sure she can't get over there anymore. She can get pregnant at her tender young age. Forturnately Nature seems to have provided for that and the very young mothers seem to give birth just fine.


Best to make sure there is no 'intermingling' amongst the kids!