Hi!
- boars work best in pairs or in large groups with lots of space. Small groups are most unstable. If you have a working trio of teenagers, then count yourself VERY happy and lucky - the vast majority end in separation before they reach adulthood at 15 months of age.
- the more teenagers are in a small group the more unstable it will get; if you add babies, you automatically add another 10 months of unrest for the group while the boys go through their own teenage. Testosterone output is at an all time high between ca. 4-10 months with the peak at ca. 6 months. But even young adults can be plagued by hormone spikes.
Your three boys are not out of the woods yet by any means. And you also cannot count on any further babies being so compatible!
The older boars get, the less testosterone output there is. that is why old boars of over 4 years have a much higher success rate of smaller stable boar groups. They are more like sows at stage.
If you want to add more boys, then the most important aspect is that they are all preferably very submissive and laid-back, otherwise you can be in trouble very quickly. Character compatibility and mutual liking is key for any successful boar bond.
- If you want to add more boars, then please always have a plan B in case you deal with fights and fall-outs. Am alternative separation option at the ready is a must.
- SPACE SPACE SPACE - if boars can't get away from each other, you'll get fights or a bullying problem. 5 boars is still very marginal as to stability; for a proper boar herd, you want more and you want them have ideally a whole room to use. About 1 square metre per boar is ideal for a proper long term stable boar herd.
If you cannot provide all that, please rather get another already stably bonded boar pair from a good standard rescue to live in a separate cage. When boars fight full on, it can really shake you and it will terribly upset the whole bunch. At the worst you can end up with any number of single boars that will not go back with each other. Building up a large boar group of preferably over 5 boys is not something for the faint-hearted and something you really need to thing through well - and at all stages have a pack up plan because things can go blow up within minutes.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
.
