Boar Bonding Issues - Help Please!

[Julezfm39]

Hi there!
This is my first time posting here. I have two 4-month old male piggies (Max, a silky and Freddy, an Abyssinian) who are in their own large pen and get along pretty well, aside from a bit of rumble-strutting. Neither one is particularly dominating the other and they have moments of chasing one another playfully in the morning. A week ago I rescued two baby piggies, boars, both are part-Abyssinian. They are in a separate pen so I have 2 separate "herds." One of my older piggies, Max, was making such loud shrieking wheeks towards their pen that I decided to introduce them all on neutral ground, in a large pop-up playpen with their pigloos, etc.
So far, Freddy is getting along fine with the babies. They were all sleeping peacefully earlier in the pop-up playpen. Max, however is not happy. He has been chasing and harassing the babies, trying to bite them, and I noticed that Freddy is protecting the babies. I had to put Max back in his and Freddy's pen but he is on his own now and wheeking loudly. This was meant to be a temporary introduction and I am sure that Freddy, Cocoa and Caramel could co-habit, but not Max. Does Max need more time? Should I keep my other 3 piggies together and get an older playmate for Max who he won't try to dominate? I feel terrible that I have upset the balance and Max is the odd one out. I will put them back in their separate pens now but Max is making a big fuss. Please don't tell me that it's not wise to have so many boars in one herd... I'm aware of that but couldn't get females as my boars aren't yet neutered and therefore they couldn't all even be in the same room together. I adore my piggies, they are thoroughly spoilt, but I would appreciate some advice on how to manage this.
Thank you

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there!
This is my first time posting here. I have two 4-month old male piggies (Max, a silky and Freddy, an Abyssinian) who are in their own large pen and get along pretty well, aside from a bit of rumble-strutting. Neither one is particularly dominating the other and they have moments of chasing one another playfully in the morning. A week ago I rescued two baby piggies, boars, both are part-Abyssinian. They are in a separate pen so I have 2 separate "herds." One of my older piggies, Max, was making such loud shrieking wheeks towards their pen that I decided to introduce them all on neutral ground, in a large pop-up playpen with their pigloos, etc.
So far, Freddy is getting along fine with the babies. They were all sleeping peacefully earlier in the pop-up playpen. Max, however is not happy. He has been chasing and harassing the babies, trying to bite them, and I noticed that Freddy is protecting the babies. I had to put Max back in his and Freddy's pen but he is on his own now and wheeking loudly. This was meant to be a temporary introduction and I am sure that Freddy, Cocoa and Caramel could co-habit, but not Max. Does Max need more time? Should I keep my other 3 piggies together and get an older playmate for Max who he won't try to dominate? I feel terrible that I have upset the balance and Max is the odd one out. I will put them back in their separate pens now but Max is making a big fuss. Please don't tell me that it's not wise to have so many boars in one herd... I'm aware of that but couldn't get females as my boars aren't yet neutered and therefore they couldn't all even be in the same room together. I adore my piggies, they are thoroughly spoilt, but I would appreciate some advice on how to manage this.
Thank you

Hi and welcome!

Please stop and separate back into the pairs ASAP!

Boar quartets have a near total fail rate unless they are pensioners whose testosterone has run out. Sub-adult trios are not far behind with about a 90% fall-out rate once they enter the teenage months.
Boars are best kept in pairs where you have an over 50% success rate of a pair that has not been chosen for character compatibilty.

Boar quartets usually end up with one functional pair and two singles but you can end up with four (or in the case of trios three) single boars not wanting to go back with any of the others. We have seen our fair share on here...

Max is simply exerting his dominance over the babies to make sure that they do not surpass him in the hierarchy as I assume that he is the under-boar? Unfortunately as he is on the verge of turning into a teenager, this may have woken him up.

Please take the time to read up on boars, so you can concentrate on ensuring that your two pairs have the best chance of making it through to adulthood together.
Here are the relevant links with lots of helpful information and practical tips on how to minimise the risk of fights and fall-outs:
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

 

[Julezfm39]

Hi and thank you so much for taking the time to help me out. I only want to do the best for my 4 boys but perhaps was naive. Both my older boars are back together in their pen. I am so afraid now that they won't bond but they have been together since babies so I praying it will be okay. My two new baby boars seem fine together. I might keep the two pairs in separate rooms - would that make sense? Then there is no risk of them being agitated by each other being in the same room. We absolutely adore them and give them lots of cuddles and a lovely varied diet... I am just new to piggy ownership and learning a few lessons. You have helped me a great deal. Thank you.

 

[Julezfm39]

Hello again! Lifesaver, thank you. I have just read the article about merging bonded pairs and thankfully, I have only had them together for literally a few hours! My two babies are happily playing, as are the teenagers - now back in their own pen. I will certainly read the other articles today and make sure that I am completely clued up. Thanks again

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and thank you so much for taking the time to help me out. I only want to do the best for my 4 boys but perhaps was naive. Both my older boars are back together in their pen. I am so afraid now that they won't bond but they have been together since babies so I praying it will be okay. My two new baby boars seem fine together. I might keep the two pairs in separate rooms - would that make sense? Then there is no risk of them being agitated by each other being in the same room. We absolutely adore them and give them lots of cuddles and a lovely varied diet... I am just new to piggy ownership and learning a few lessons. You have helped me a great deal. Thank you.

You can keep same gender piggies in the same room and even in adjoining cages. At the worst with a pair on the edge, you might insert an opaque divider. The only tricky bit is introducing sow pheromones into a boar room.

Please take the time to read the links. You will find them very informative and helpful - especially when planning for the teenage months.

 

[Julezfm39]

You can keep same gender piggies in the same room and even in adjoining cages. At the worst with a pair on the edge, you might insert an opaque divider. The only tricky bit is introducing sow pheromones into a boar room.

Please take the time to read the links. You will find them very informative and helpful - especially when planning for the teenage months.

Thanks, that's brilliant. I won't be introducing sows in the teenage years... maybe later if my boars are neutered! It would be lovely to have sows in another herd but I want to successfully navigate the teenage phase with my boars!