Bar biting and separation

[AmyT&O]

Hello - sorry this is so long!

I've had two grumpy boars while they recover from mites this week. Unfortunately I had a very bad (hospital visit-level) cut on my hand the last two weeks, so couldn't get them out to check as I couldn't bend my hand, so they're itchier than they should have been.

Anyway, the submissive one - Misty (aged 1.5 years) - started rumbling and answering back to the dominant one - Twix (aged nearly 5 years). I put them out for a big floor time to try to improve the mood but long story short it didn't, and I checked on them this morning to find a small scratch on each of their lips/cheeks, I assume from lunging. There's no signs of serious bites or anything like that and they were behaving normally this morning.

I've separated them and divided the cage for the moment. Twix seems more relaxed, but Misty is biting the bars between them sometimes. They also have a vet visit tomorrow to check there's no hidden problems behind the change in mood.

Sorry that was really long!

I have questions if anyone knows:

- will Misty eventually realise he can't get through the bars and stop.bitong them? He has enrichment and other things to chew.

- if I reintroduce them, should it be from scratch again (neutral space etc)?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.
I hope your hand is ok.

He may or may not stop bar biting. You do just need to ignore it though. I have separated boys and one of them is a bar biter but now only when he knows food is coming.

If you reintroduce them then yes it needs to be done in a neutral space. Do prepare though that reintroduction may not be possible or successful if they have been fighting.

 

[AmyT&O]

Thank you, my hands much better now so I can cope with wriggling pigs!

Thank you for the advice. It's a shame if they never share a space, but Twix is very dominant indeed so I knew that was a possibility when we first started looking for a match for him after his brother died. I mainly feel bad for Misty, who is neutered so could have some lovely ladies in a different situation! But I really don't have the capacity for more at the moment, and it's early days.