Am I Doing The Right Thing?

[Hank288]

I have 2 boars Harley (2 year old himi boar) and Sherman (6 months old, cali boar). They are housed in a 2x4 c and c cage on shavings. They have 3 hides all positioned so that there is an escape route out of them and a running route for the mad Sherman. They have always been fine with each other after I bonded them. Sherman was quite dominant during bonding but seemed to calm down and they were happy together. Harley was previously dominant when housed with Cookie my other boar so they were separated. Cookie is happy in the cage next door by himself.

Recently they have gotten grumpy with each other, lots of rumble strutting and squaring up to each other and teeth chattering. Sherman has also started lunging at Harley and pulling tufts of his hair out. No blood has been drawn though. Harley now does seem more cautious around Sherman, understandably. They do sit together and near each other and then Sherman just suddenly turns and goes for Harley. They mostly seem to do this at feeding time while I am poo picking the cage before they get their dinner while they are waiting not so patiently. I do always to make sure to feed Sherman first as he is the dominant one.

Am I doing the right thing by splitting them up and finding Sherman a new home? Just wondered if it is just a phase or if they are unlikely to start getting on again and things will get worse.
Really don't want to have to re-home my little Sherman.
Any help appreciated.

 

[Wiebke]

I have 2 boars Harley (2 year old himi boar) and Sherman (6 months old, cali boar). They are housed in a 2x4 c and c cage on shavings. They have 3 hides all positioned so that there is an escape route out of them and a running route for the mad Sherman. They have always been fine with each other after I bonded them. Sherman was quite dominant during bonding but seemed to calm down and they were happy together. Harley was previously dominant when housed with Cookie my other boar so they were separated. Cookie is happy in the cage next door by himself.

Recently they have gotten grumpy with each other, lots of rumble strutting and squaring up to each other and teeth chattering. Sherman has also started lunging at Harley and pulling tufts of his hair out. No blood has been drawn though. Harley now does seem more cautious around Sherman, understandably. They do sit together and near each other and then Sherman just suddenly turns and goes for Harley. They mostly seem to do this at feeding time while I am poo picking the cage before they get their dinner while they are waiting not so patiently. I do always to make sure to feed Sherman first as he is the dominant one.

Am I doing the right thing by splitting them up and finding Sherman a new home? Just wondered if it is just a phase or if they are unlikely to start getting on again and things will get worse.
Really don't want to have to re-home my little Sherman.
Any help appreciated.

Hi!
It sounds like your two boys have hit the teenage hormones. Please feed them at the same time but with a bowl each and with at least a body length and more between them.
Please take the time to read through this very detailed guide here, which talks you through all aspects, from testing whether a bond is still working, how to re-introduce properly, and what your options are if the two boys are really not getting on.

Yours are not quite at that point yet. Please do not give one boar away and condemn both boys to a single life. It is not their fault. guinea pigs are group animals and not wired to live on their own even if they do not get on all the time.

 

[Hank288]

I do feed them veg at the same time but Sherman just a little bit before because if Harley gets it first then he goes mad at him. They get 2 piles of veg on different sides of the cage near the hides so they can hide and eat. They do calm down once the veg is in. Just really worried as Harley seems really scared of Sherman now. Is it not bad that he pulls chunks of hair out of Harley? It really seems to hurt him. Sherman did once draw blood from him when put in the carrier together but they are now put in separate carriers for clean out time, no more blood drawn.
I know about the teenage hormones stage, how long does it normally last for? Is there anyway to make it easier to deal with. Harley will be over his at 2 years old.

I was going to look at getting Harley properly bonded at a rescue with another piggie or trying him again with Cookie again as the cage is now a different layout and not on fleece with Hay trays. I wouldn't leave them alone. The lady that wanted Sherman has 13 other piggies so he would have company.

 

[Wiebke]

I do feed them veg at the same time but Sherman just a little bit before because if Harley gets it first then he goes mad at him. They get 2 piles of veg on different sides of the cage near the hides so they can hide and eat. They do calm down once the veg is in. Just really worried as Harley seems really scared of Sherman now. Is it not bad that he pulls chunks of hair out of Harley? It really seems to hurt him. Sherman did once draw blood from him when put in the carrier together but they are now put in separate carriers for clean out time, no more blood drawn.
I know about the teenage hormones stage, how long does it normally last for? Is there anyway to make it easier to deal with. Harley will be over his at 2 years old.

I was going to look at getting Harley properly bonded at a rescue with another piggie or trying him again with Cookie again as the cage is now a different layout and not on fleece with Hay trays. I wouldn't leave them alone. The lady that wanted Sherman has 13 other piggies so he would have company.

Please read the bit about trial separations and re-introductions in the guide to see whether Harley is still OK or not. let him decide and make his opinion clear.

 

[Hank288]

So a Buddy bath might be a good idea, as Harley really does smell anyway, so needs a bath. Do I bath them together at the same time or one and then the other and then try re-bonding?
They have issues with each other in enclosed spaces. Had a fight in a cat carrier before now don't go in enclosed small spaces together.

 

[Gia]

Yes, communal baths are great! Since they are in so much "agony" getting their feet wet, they shouldn't fight. It worked to bond my 3 boys!

Goodluck!
Gia xoxo