Advice Needed! 2 unbonded neutered boars bonded to herd of 5 Sows?

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Wild With Roxi

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I currently have 5 Sows in my Herd.
Along with my two boys, who are unfortunately both lone pigs, as they don't get along.
I think I am going to be neutering my two boys, in an attempt to bond all 7 Pigs into a herd! Do you have any advice? Will this work smoothly *as far as bonding goes*?
Thanks so much in advance, help really appreciated! :)
 
It is not advisable to have more than one boar with sows as they will fight over the sows. Neutering doesn't change behaviour in any way just the ability to make babies. As your boars don't get on now they won't get on after neutering either!
 
Unfortunately I don’t think one big herd will work, but neutering the boys and putting them each with some girls separately might make them happier!
 
There is a very small possibility that this group would work. To have a herd with two neutered males and multiple sows requires extremely much space, at least five ore more square meters. But even that is no guarantee that it will work, a lot depends on the characters of the boars.
I had a good working her with three neutered boars and some girls, but I wouldn’t advise it to everyone. It needs much experience.
 
Hi, this guide will help you decide how to move forward. As others have said, more than one boar in a herd with females is a big no no, with very few exceptions. The fact that they don't get on already means you can already predict that you won't be one of the exceptions. In addition, exceptions to any of the 'rules' for groups tend to be when the piggies have always been together e.g. @Betsy with her two boar herd, me with my trio of boars....together since birth in both cases. Not that being together since birth is any guarantee, just one factor. Here's the link I mentioned Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
 
Wild With Roxi said:
I currently have 5 Sows in my Herd.
Along with my two boys, who are unfortunately both lone pigs, as they don't get along.
I think I am going to be neutering my two boys, in an attempt to bond all 7 Pigs into a herd! Do you have any advice? Will this work smoothly *as far as bonding goes*?
Thanks so much in advance, help really appreciated! :)
Click to expand...

Hi!

Neutering does not change personality or social interaction; it only removes the ability to make babies. Plonking all your piggies into one big group is the perfect recipe for disaster - the boars will inevitably fight and the sows will be very stressed out and can start fighting between each other, too. Two boars in a larger group only works if they are both laid-back and very closely bonded - and even then only if you have oodles of space, like whole room; the chance of it working for you with two boys that already not getting on is bascially nil. :(
Also be aware that by far not all well established dominant First Ladies will want a 'husboar' underfoot - especially not another dominant one.
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

What you can do is to split your sow group and have each half living with one of the boars, or at least one boar living with the herd and the other with one of the under-sows in a pair.
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
(This guide also contains a video of failed cross gender bonding).

Please take the time to read these guides here so you can avoid massive fights and end up with more piggies at loggerheads to each other
 
Definitely wouldn't recommend it, some great advice above! We've only ever known one group of sows with 2 boars work, when we adopted out a boar and his wife to join a group with an already established heirarchy. But this boar was incredibly laid back and very submissive (even his sow wife thought he was a doormat) and they had a huge garden! There was plenty of room for each boar to have his own territory and his favourite ladies xx
 
If your boars don’t get along already then neutering them won’t help the situation - and putting them (neutered) into a herd with 5 sows won’t change their attitude to each other. Having sows will give them more to fight about.
I’d recommend splitting the sows and having 2 herds each with one neutered boar.
 
Hiya! Thanks for the help! I think I'll do that, I'll put three girls with one boy and two with the other ;)
 
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