Hi Guys!
I have two 5-6 month old boars (see photo) that are fighting a lot. We have previously separated them on multiple occasions to let them cool off but when they are reintroduced, they begin fighting/ asserting dominance immediately.
They live in a 2x4 C&C cage and each have their own food bowls, water bottles, sleeping areas and they are well fed so that is not an issue.
Obviously this could be a compatibility issue, but I think they are also different breeds so maybe that is an issue?
Please could anyone advise me on how to help them get along, as I do not really want to have to swap one for a more compatible rescue boar.
Thanks!
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Hi and welcome!
How old are your boys and where have you got them from?
If they come from a shop or a breeder and are not personality matched, then you can struggle right from the start if they do not harmonise; things are bound to clash once the testicles descend and testosterone output is at an all-time high.
Key to any successful boar is character compatibility. Breed or whether they are related is not relevant. An age gap can be of advantage when you have one of the boys going through the hormonal teenage months between 4-14 months of age. If you have got same age baby boys then the teenage months are going to be tougher as both boys are hitting the tricky phases together, which adds to the instability.
Unfortunately there is no 'magic wand' measure that make boars live together that are both on the dominant side or closely matched in dominance; being litter mates and definitely breed are all irrelevant. Piggies are personality driven; it all depends on the balance. In that they are very much like humans in an arranged marriage/flat share or having to share an office or desk at work.
All you can do is give them as much space as you can afford (yours is the recommended
minimum), eliminate as many potential flashpoints as you can and hope for the best. Make sure that you only have hideys with two or more exits and that either boar has one.
Could you attach a puppy run to your cage to give the boys more space to get away from each other at all times?
Please make sure that you wipe everything new with some used bedding and that you use soiled bedding in any new areas so they smell 'right' and cannot trigger a new dominance dispute in new territory. For the most dominant teenage boars, this can even impact on a normal cage clean!
As long as there are no full-on fights with deep bites, you have to hang in there and hope for the best. It is mostly a matter to get a feel for whether your boys are are just staying within the limits of mild to medium dominance behaviour, going right up to the line without crossing it or whether tensions are building up to a full-out confrontation. The age they are is one of the most difficult stages as the testerone is literally coursing through the body right now. If you can get them through this current stage, their chances of making it through to adulthood are a lot bigger. There are more difficult stages, but fall-outs and fights are not quite as much of a risk.
More information on the trickiest phases of the teenage hormones, what you can do and what you should NOT do during that time as well as advice for failed bonds:
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Cage Size Guide
