Boar babies had a fight

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Victoria F

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Hello, I have been using this page a lot over the last few weeks but this is my first post. We got 2 baby boar Guineas pigs on good Friday. They really now 15 weeks old. The past couple of weeks there has been lots of rumble strutting between them and some teeth chattering. Last week we noticed a lump on on of the piggies face, we took him to the vets and it was an abscess which the vet said was likely caused by a puncture. We did not know what had caused this. This morning we put the boys out in their run and they had a fight, it happened in a split second but one piggies ear is split and was bleeding. We have rinsed it with salt water solution and I have divided their cage with Perspex. We are devastated and the children are struggling to see them living separately though we know they can’t be together. The breeder has offered to take them back as a last resort. I don’t know what to do, I have never had a pet and given it back, pets are part of our family. I really don’t know what to do. Can they live happily like this or so I let the breeder take them back and try and pair them with her other adult piggies and stay with her? We adore them but want what is best for them. Any advice appreciated please x
 
Welcome to the forum and I am sorry to hear they have fallen out. Sadly this can occur when bringing home babies - character clashes can occur once they hit their teens.

They can live side by side as neighbours and can live happily doing so. You will find members on the forum whose boars do indeed live like this following a fall out. They will need to be able to see, smell and hear each other so they can have interaction through the bars. This is a perfectly acceptable solution.

There are further options beyond living as neighbours but it would depend upon your circumstances, and whether having four piggies is something you can do - these options arent something you absolutely must do though

they can either be bonded with another character compatible boar each (via dating at a rescue centre to ensure have compatibility). That would of course mean two cages (6ft x 2ft for boar pairs) but there may be the possibility to have them stacked which saves spaces. This can be tricky given the age of your boys - bonding teenagers can be harder work

or be neutered, have the six week wait and bonded with a sow each (again via dating at a rescue centre). Again would of course mean two cages

The guides below can help further

Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
 
Thank you so much for your reply. Their current cage is a 6ft single Chartwell hutch so it is now split in to 2 3ft sections. The Perspex allows them to see each other and we have not made it full height so will still smell each other etc. The problem is I am worried about space for them. Having 4 guinea pigs would unfortunately not be an option for us. The children are currently struggling seeing them living separately in the hutch. I guess we need to make a decision as to whether we would be comfortable making this work or let our breeder take them back and give them the opportunity to be bonded in another pair. We feel so devastated :-(
 
I am so sorry its happened and it is even harder when children are involved.

A consideration here is that a 6ft hutch split in half is not big enough for each of them for long term. Each piggy (as a single piggy) needs a 4ft x 2ft cage as a minimum (this is a welfare cage size requirement), so if you were to keep them, then they need a more appropriate long term living solution. It may simply be that this is the straw which enables you to make a decision.

While living as neighbours is an acceptable solution, it is of course, going to be preferable to have live in friend if that is possible.
I would recommend that you don’t return them to the breeder but instead surrender to a rescue centre instead. It may be that in that situation, you can keep one of them. The other is surrendered to a centre to be rebonded and rehomed.

You then have two options for the one you keep:

having the rescue centre help you find him a new boar friend; or
you can neuter him (have the six week wait) and then find a sow wife for him.

Neutering and finding a sow would be the preferable option given bonding teen boars is harder work.
 
Victoria F said:
Hello, I have been using this page a lot over the last few weeks but this is my first post. We got 2 baby boar Guineas pigs on good Friday. They really now 15 weeks old. The past couple of weeks there has been lots of rumble strutting between them and some teeth chattering. Last week we noticed a lump on on of the piggies face, we took him to the vets and it was an abscess which the vet said was likely caused by a puncture. We did not know what had caused this. This morning we put the boys out in their run and they had a fight, it happened in a split second but one piggies ear is split and was bleeding. We have rinsed it with salt water solution and I have divided their cage with Perspex. We are devastated and the children are struggling to see them living separately though we know they can’t be together. The breeder has offered to take them back as a last resort. I don’t know what to do, I have never had a pet and given it back, pets are part of our family. I really don’t know what to do. Can they live happily like this or so I let the breeder take them back and try and pair them with her other adult piggies and stay with her? We adore them but want what is best for them. Any advice appreciated please x
Click to expand...

Hi!

Unfortunately your boys have experienced the first big teenage hormone spikes that happen with at the onset of the testicles descending. It is a classic time for the really bad personality matches to clash.

Most people when buying babies from a pet shop or breeder choose them for looks and not for who they are hanging out most or opt for a carefully bonded different aged pair or adult pair from a rescue. It is a persistent myth that brothers or relatives won't fall out - if they are both on the dominant side, then problems are inevitable. This sadly means that mismatches are not at all uncommon. :(

You can find more background information and 'what next' advice with possible options in the green links in this thread. Since every situation is different, there is never going to be a one size fits all solution. Please take the time to think things through before making any final decisions. Your boys will hold as they are now.
 
Thank you. I know the current solution with the size of the cage is not ideal but at least it can give us time to think things over. I couldn’t keep one and not the other, it would be unfair to the children to choose who’s Guineas pig to keep. The breeder specifically requested that we return them to her rather than take them to a rescue centre if it comes to it, she will try to pair them with her some of her older adults. I just don’t know what to do for the best :-( I feel so devastated. They are really lovely boys and it’s not their fault, just want what is best for them but can’t decide what that it right now.
 
Does anyone know whether it is possible to every reintroduce them once they have hurt each other? x
 
Sadly, as they have had a full on fight which caused injuries and bleeding, then no they can’t be reintroduced. Such a fight only occurs when they are not compatible and once theyve decided they don’t like each other and cannot have a functioning hierarchy, then sadly it is the end of their relationship.
 
They have had a proper fight and they will remember that.
If you have the time and space for 2 larger cages you might be able to have the option - as a recent poster did - of taking turns for floor time/cage time but as a turn-taker with 2 pairs I can tell you it's not the easiest option and my kids are teenagers! And as much as you love them they might be better having a bonding 'holiday' back with the supplier to try and choose their own friend? It might become obvious who will return to you. Ask the breeder if this has happened before and how things worked out after re-bonding... they might have some positive and uplifting stories for you. I once had boar bar-neighbours at the end of their lives (one got ill and the under-pig made a challenge) but these immediately settled into their own spaces as they had been friends for years beforehand. Your boys might have to spend the rest of their lives looking at one other pig - and it's one they don't like very much. It's a dilemma for sure - what would the piggies want?

Generally speaking the forum doesn't recommend breeders but I'm staying out of that debate here because what's done is done and piggies fall out all the time. You have to be the one to decide if you trust the breeder with the pet you won't be having back. Will they care for his best interests and look into his future home, or just farm him out to anyone with a tenner? Did they make sure you were a good home/good enclosure/good diet for the boys before agreeing to sell them or did you get the impression it was anyone with the money.

All but one of my pigs have come from previous homes and I can tell you I'm grateful to those owners for giving up their pets - it's never easy but put your pigs best interests first and the decision will hopefully become clearer.
 
I’m afraid that you cannot reintroduce the boars. Blood has been drawn and that’s it. They have made their decision.
I’m afraid you have to think very carefully. Your boars are at the very worst age for bonding. If the breeder takes them back I have to be honest with you, they will not be able to be bonded long term in new bonds. Its extremely unlikely. It’s not their fault. It’s their age. In the rescue I am part of, we would keep them separately and then neuter them at 5-6 months them allow them to be bonded with sows.
If you are unable to keep the boars separately (which tbh is not ideal as they have many years of life ahead of them), and you are unable to neuter both and get them a sow each (increasing to 2 cages and 4 piggies), then would you consider surrendering one to a rescue while keeping one and having him neutered? Once he is 6 weeks post op he will be “safe” and could meet a sow or sows.
 
That was my thinking, they have their whole life ahead of them and the last thing I want is for them to have no other piggie contact. I would love to say I would keep them both but their hutch isn’t big enough, would adding an attached run mean they could be kept in half their cage? But again I am not sure that is what is best for them. I don’t think I could keep just one, I really think we would struggle to have to make a decision between them, which one of the children gets to keep their pet 😢. I feel in such a dilemma and have cried most of the day. I love animals and getting a pet is a huge decision for me. These boys came to us 15 months after losing our beloved 16 year old Labrador, it took me that long to feel ready have another pet so this is just devastating to me and the children 😢
 
It’s such a difficult situation to be in. I really feel for you.

Attaching a run to the front and then splitting the hutch and run in half would be fine (they’d still be able to have side by side interaction) provided they could have permanent access to their half of the hutch and the run. That is only an option of the hutch is indoors though as they cannot have permanent access to a run if it is outside.
 
I feel your pain. It’s not your fault this has happened and you clearly want to give them a great home. Young boars can be their own worse enemies at times. Such a shame they fell out but they clearly don’t want to be together. They are currently safe and it’s ok to keep them as they are while you work out your next step.
 
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