Seperating my guinea pigs

Question
QUESTION: Hi I got 2 girl guineas at xmas,we found out one was pregnant and had 2 boys and 1 girl.We decided to keep them all,we put the two boys in another cage but they kept fighting viciously so i seperated them.Do you think they are fighting because they can see and smell the females? should you keep them in the same room and would it make any difference if we got them neutered? many thanks if you can answer any of my questions
ANSWER: Hi Annalisa,

    Two brothers usually will not fight, although the smell of a female may definitely bring on dominance battles.  Try moving the female farther away, but if that does not stop the fights, you will have to keep the two males separated.

      When two males fight for dominance, one of them is driven into submission, which is extremely, extremely bad for him.  The dominant guinea pig may even stop the loser of the battles from eating, and may very well keep him confined to one corner.  The stress levels of both guinea pigs raise dramatically, shortening their life expectancy, but the submissive guinea pig ends up far worse.

   If you want to raise two male guinea pigs, keep them in separate cages unless they show no interest in fighting.  Keeping two females together is a much better thing to do.  You could also neuter the males, with their still being in separate cages, but keep a female with each of them.  Males and females won't fight, and the neutering will prevent babies if you don't want them.

   Thank you for your question, I hope I have been of some help to you.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  Good luck with your guinea pigs (=

         - Nicole


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

QUESTION: Thank you for your reply, how safe is it to have them neutered ? One more question due to lack of space, we are thinking of putting them outside in a brick built outhouse
would the change in temperature be okay for them or should we wait thank you again for your last response and look forward to hearing from you

Answer
Hi Annalisa,

    If there will be a noticeable temperature change, I would advise against it because of guinea pigs' sensitivity to temperature.  Having them neutered should not be a problem, but be sure that you are working with a reliable veterinarian.

         - Nicole