Big Cage Bully

[Baileykgerrits]

Hi there! This is my first thread so be nice haha So about 2 months ago I adopted a 6 month old hairless boar named Gizmo. Gizmo is great, he's just very reactive and quick! I work in a local pet shop and someone surrendered a very handsome Sheltie boar that I instantly fell in love with! For three days I let them interact in a neutral playpen and at night I put them in their respective cages very close together so they could small each other. Well after washing both pigs, and the cages and accessories, they are living together! They are doing fairly well however Gus Gus(sheltie)is much larger than Gizmo and is sort of a bully. They haven't fought at all but Gus Gus will rumble and strut up to Gizmo and make him move from wherever he is. He doesn't chase, just bumps Gizmo's bum with his nose and then follows Gizmo to wherever he runs off to. They sometimes eat from the same bowl and sometimes will lay next to each other or just coexist. Gizmo is not getting hurt at all and still has plenty of food and water but I just don't want him to be sad I guess! Should I be concerned or just let them figure it out? They've only been in the same cage for 3 days.

 

[sport_billy]

Hello, welcome to the forum. It honestly sounds like normal bonding behaviour that should settle down. Have a read of this thread here for a full sort of break down on what to expect when bonding
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Make sure they have two of everything for the time being this should stop the squabbles. Be lovely to see some photos of your piggies

You will find the behaviour dies down over the next week.

Welcome again
Lee

 

[sport_billy]

How big is the cage? Boars often need a little more space.

 

[Baileykgerrits]

How big is the cage? Boars often need a little more space.

The cage is 10 sq ft (not sure of the conversion sorry!)

 

[Skittypigs]

Hi there! This is my first thread so be nice haha So about 2 months ago I adopted a 6 month old hairless boar named Gizmo. Gizmo is great, he's just very reactive and quick! I work in a local pet shop and someone surrendered a very handsome Sheltie boar that I instantly fell in love with! For three days I let them interact in a neutral playpen and at night I put them in their respective cages very close together so they could small each other. Well after washing both pigs, and the cages and accessories, they are living together! They are doing fairly well however Gus Gus(sheltie)is much larger than Gizmo and is sort of a bully. They haven't fought at all but Gus Gus will rumble and strut up to Gizmo and make him move from wherever he is. He doesn't chase, just bumps Gizmo's bum with his nose and then follows Gizmo to wherever he runs off to. They sometimes eat from the same bowl and sometimes will lay next to each other or just coexist. Gizmo is not getting hurt at all and still has plenty of food and water but I just don't want him to be sad I guess! Should I be concerned or just let them figure it out? They've only been in the same cage for 3 days.

It sounds like a pair of my boars. One is the rumble strutter, will move the other from igloo to igloo, they will eat together sometimes but they enjoy their own space as well. I worry if the less dominant one is happy but I think it's ok because they do get space too. Make sure you have 2 of everything, igloo, food, water etc, it's really helped me.

 

[Baileykgerrits]

Hello, welcome to the forum. It honestly sounds like normal bonding behaviour that should settle down. Have a read of this thread here for a full sort of break down on what to expect when bonding
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Make sure they have two of everything for the time being this should stop the squabbles. Be lovely to see some photos of your piggies

You will find the behaviour dies down over the next week.

Welcome again
Lee

Thanks! I just don't want my Gizmo to wonder why I let this big bully into his cage haha

 

[sport_billy]

How long and wide? I can convert then..... Guessing you are in the US? In the UK we bizarrely use metric and imperial still, I do length in centimetres but still measure by height in feet and inches.... We are sort of caught between two systems here

 

[Baileykgerrits]

How long and wide? I can convert then..... Guessing you are in the US? In the UK we bizarrely use metric and imperial still, I do length in centimetres but still measure by height in feet and inches.... We are sort of caught between two systems here

Okay I'm pretty sure it's 60cm by 152cm

 

[sport_billy]

You star, you have saved me wheeling out my math skills! That is a good size cage for two boars good stuff.

We are bonding a baby piggy in with our girls at moment. One week later the boss piggy is still doing a little chasing of the newbie, but it is dying down each day.