2 boars for a new owner

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Newowner2024

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Hi everyone. We have purchased 2 bonded boars from a rescue. Seemed to be getting on well to start but 1 week in and I’ve noticed some chasing, rumbling and mounting today.

We have a 2 tier hutch set-up with plenty of space. The bigger and more dominant one stays downstairs. When the other one comes downstairs to explore, that’s when downstairs Guinea starts the above behaviour.

Should I be concerned? Any advice from more experienced owners welcome.
 
Hello, welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of guinea pigs. After a move it takes two weeks for them to settle in their new accommodation so there will be dominance displays. Someone who is less of a dinosaur will link the relevant guides for you.
How old are your boys and what are their names? Boars are often more chilled and affectionate toward us, especially when they get older.
 
Wiebke

Thread 'A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars'

1 Common myths and misconceptions
2 The different ages (including teenage)
- Important biological facts
- The formative 'School Weeks' (3 weeks - ca. 4 months)
- The Teenage Months (ca. 4-14 months)
- The Adult Years (ca. 15 months - ca. 4-5 years)
- The Golden Age (ca. 4-5 years until end of life)
3 What do boars need? (List of boar dos and don'ts)
- Space, space and more space!
- Respecting the hierarchy
- The 'one for each...
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Hi and welcome, have a good read at the above link

It will take a while the your boys to settle, it’s a new territory and any changes will bring about dominance behaviour from the top boar. From what you say this is normal dominance behaviour, chasing, mounting and rumbling. Your boars need to settle into their new home and the top boar has to stamp his authority.
I would for now make sure you place food (hay, veggies and pellets) in both levels of your hutch, don’t bother with biwls, just scatter it around so both boys get food wherever they are, same with water, one bowl of water on each level
 
Welcome to the forum

I agree with everything that has been said - it takes two weeks for them to reestablish their hierarchy in a new environment so it’s normal to see dominance during that time.
However, those behaviours are also normal at all times and something you will see throughout their life as they maintain their bond.

I would also add that two storey living can, in some boar pairs, cause issues. One pig can claim a level as their own and cause issues when the other tries to use that level. It doesn’t always happen but it is advisable to keep an eye once they are past their two weeks.
(It’s for that reason that I never use two storey any more for my boar pairs).
The hutch needs to be a 6ft hutch

This guides below explain further

Wiebke

Thread 'Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment'

- What can trigger a new hierarchy sort-out?
- What can I do to mitigate the impact?

With an average life span of only around 3 years and a hostile environment, wild guinea pig social life is much more fluid and eventful, whether that is losses, births, regular leadership changes, new boars being accepted or changes to the territory due to climate extremes, infectious illnesses, predation and the waxing and waning of group fortunes and the amount of territory they can claim around their denning areas.


What can trigger...
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boureki

Thread 'Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs'

1 List of dominance behaviours in ascending order of aggression
2 What may cause this type of behaviour in boars?
3 When do you see these behaviours in sows?
4 What can trigger fall-outs?
5 Further helpful guide links


I thought it may be handy to have a sticky on typical dominance behaviours for a reference - hopefully it may help humans understand guinea pigs and their behaviour a bit more and hopefully prevent some avoidable problems!


1 List of dominance behaviours...
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