Boar pigs

J

Jbrooke14

New Born Pup
Joined
Jan 30, 2019
Messages
19
Reaction score
22
Points
175
In my never ending search for two piggies to join our family, i am shocked that every single rescue centre is 95%boars! Why is this? I'm tempted by two that ive seen that look beautiful and are babies, not certain, but both less than 6m, and 1 slightly older than the other one.

Are boars more hard work? More temperamental? What should i do?
 
I’m not 100% sure why there are more boars in rescues. One reason may be that you can only really have two boars together in one cage whereas I think females are more tolerant of each other and you can have more than 2 in a group? In any case, I have 4 boars (not in the same cage) and I love them to pieces. I wouldn’t hesitate in getting them :) sometimes dominance can be re-established as they get to their teenage years but you’re no more guaranteed that sows won’t fall out either 🤷🏻‍♀️ Go for it! :)
 
xToNix said:
I’m not 100% sure why there are more boars in rescues. One reason may be that you can only really have two boars together in one cage whereas I think females are more tolerant of each other and you can have more than 2 in a group? In any case, I have 4 boars (not in the same cage) and I love them to pieces. I wouldn’t hesitate in getting them :) sometimes dominance can be re-established as they get to their teenage years but you’re no more guaranteed that sows won’t fall out either 🤷🏻‍♀️ Go for it! :)
Click to expand...

Do you have 4 separate cages? I am tempted, and if they end up falling out, separating them. I have a CC cage, in the worst case scenario they dont get on, can i split it down the middle so theyre right next to each other? Hopefully they wouldnt fall out!
 
I love my boars endlessly! They don't go into season like sows, but the grease gland tends to need cleaning more in boars than sows. If they split up in the future (you shouldn't be too worried a bout that, but it does happen), you would need to get each of them a friend, be it another boar or neuter and get a sow. Boars do need more space than sows, but usually that isn't too much of a problem. I find my boys are a bit less temperamental than some of my friends sows, but each piggy has their own temperament.
My cuddlebug Dulce was a bit odd when we met him at the shelter, he was flighty and nervous of everything, but within a few days of getting home, he was a completely different pig, always up for a snuggle on the couch! I think the reason most of the pigs in shelters are boars is because you can have a maximum of two boars together or one neutered boar in a group of sows. You can have as many sows as you want together if you have the room. My suggestion would be to go and meet the boars at the shelter and see if they 'speak' to you. I wouldn't change a thing about my boys.
Overall, sows need less space and you can worry less about them splitting up and fighting, but boys are still so worth it!
Best of luck!
 
Jbrooke14 said:
Do you have 4 separate cages? I am tempted, and if they end up falling out, separating them. I have a CC cage, in the worst case scenario they dont get on, can i split it down the middle so theyre right next to each other? Hopefully they wouldnt fall out!
Click to expand...

I’ve attached a picture of my cage. I’ve had to do this as I made the mistake of getting a third boar. If I had a bigger house I would have tried Stewie with a female but hopefully he’s happy enough with the current setup. If you did have to separate them and decided to get new friends for them both (they might be happy still being able to see each other but I would get them new friends if they will tolerate that) unless you would keep the pairs in different rooms, I wouldn’t have two boars in one part of the cage and a boar and a sow in the other as the boars will be able to smell the female and it may cause them to fight.
 

Attachments

  • F8FA8B0F-D5DE-46CF-BD1C-7C0A7BFDB7C9.webp
    F8FA8B0F-D5DE-46CF-BD1C-7C0A7BFDB7C9.webp
    66.9 KB · Views: 5
I have two boars, Bill and Ted, they are four year old brothers and they are great characters x A pair of well bonded boars make great pets, go for it x
 
Boars are lovely characters, very funny and sometimes not too clever, and if we didnt already have one I'd adopt more! Its the 1 boar to many ladies natural herd dynamic that leaves so many boars lonely I guess, we have 1 neutered boar plus 5 ladies and that works really well.
I think there are also myths and fake news stuff out there about boars being smelly, or unsociable, or aggressive, or having to be neutered even if they don't have lady friends, which puts people off. Boars arent like tomcats or male bunnies at all, usually! My girls are much worse than their very domesticated and submissive husboar :)
 
A properly bonded boar pair is an absolute joy. Boars do tend to get an unfair press because as they hit their teens their hormones kick in and they can end up falling out. But not all boars do, and where our approved rescues differ from breeders or pet shops is that they study the behaviour and ensure that a pair is properly bonded.
I am not one for over generalisation but boars can be such loving creatures. None of my sows have ever snuggles but I have seen many boar pairs who snuggle and sleep together. Boars are also often more entertaining than sows. I have had some very dull sows if I’m being honest over the years, but all the boars I have had have been fabulous characters.
It’s important to understand boar dynamics. Here are some useful guides. Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Boars do need a bit more hands on TLC than sows Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

And boars really do need more space than sows, and more in the way of stimulation (time outside of their cage exploring). A 5x2 c and c with floor time makes the perfect combination.
 
I love my boars. i volunteer at a rescue and i think there are many reasons why we have more boars than sows. One being like others have said you can keep bigger herds of girls together and we have a lot of people who have sows who regularly adopt girls to add to their herds. Also the pet shops seem to sell more boars than sows. And last but by no means least sometimes we get boars in who have been "fighting" probably due to being kept in inadequate sized caging. When We put them into proper sized accommodation they no longer have any issues. You would be better off re homing an established pair of boars from a rescue for your first boars, 2 years plus so you know they are a bonded pair and are past the teenage hormones. They are great characters but you need to learn the range of normal boar behaviour.
 
Ok, i think i will go for the boars! Out of interest, can i take them to be groomed professionally and for them to check their genitals and grease gland...I'm not a professional and worried i may miss something..if so, how often do they need it?
 
Thats a great sized cage. You should be fine. If you follow the boar guides on here. Also I find it helps to have hay areas at each end of the cage so they can be alone if they want. And 2 of everything so they can have their own stuff.
 
I've just ordered another one of everything, just need another water bottle now. Another question whilst i have you 😁 is getting insurance actually worth it?
 
Jbrooke14 said:
Ok, i think i will go for the boars! Out of interest, can i take them to be groomed professionally and for them to check their genitals and grease gland...I'm not a professional and worried i may miss something..if so, how often do they need it?
Click to expand...
You can take them to the vet and they should show you how to groom, clip nails, and check the 'bits'. Once you know what to look for, it's not too hard. Grease gland cleaning is as easy as a bit of coconut oil or swarfega on a rag and rubbing the gland. You can check the 'bits' quickly before taking the boys out of the cage, more often than not everything is fine. I check grease glands and nails on weekly weighing day to see if they need any attention. Usually I do those things about once a month and it takes about 30 minutes to do all three of my boys' glands and nails (the majority being one very squirmy boy).
 
Julie M said:
Thats a great sized cage. You should be fine. If you follow the boar guides on here. Also I find it helps to have hay areas at each end of the cage so they can be alone if they want. And 2 of everything so they can have their own stuff.
Click to expand...

Just to add to this, it’s also good if hideys have two entrance/exit doors, just so one doesn’t trap the other inside :)
 
Jbrooke14 said:
I've just ordered another one of everything, just need another water bottle now. Another question whilst i have you 😁 is getting insurance actually worth it?
Click to expand...
I personally don't have insurance so can't comment. I do have finances available for vets fees if needed though.
 
Jbrooke14 said:
I've just ordered another one of everything, just need another water bottle now. Another question whilst i have you 😁 is getting insurance actually worth it?
Click to expand...
I personally don't have insurance, instead I have a healthy vet fund set aside. I know my aunt's guinea pig had cancer and her insurance paid for the surgery, but those things rarely happen. It's up to you, but I would recommend a vet fund. Even a jar that you put change in that then goes to the bank can accumulate a good amount of money over time. I would say put as much money in a vet fund as you can afford within a reasonable amount. Vet bills can be quite high.
 
Our vet nurse showed us how to check and clean Theo's boar bits, but if you dont feel you can do it at home the vet nurse should do it alongside a nail trim for a reasonable price (our vet nurse costs £8.50 for whatever you want her to clean and trim and look at in a 15 minute appointment slot :) )
 
I know that when I needed a female or a neutered male for Daisy all the rescues seemed to have intact boars for ages! I think it's always the opposite of what you were hoping for :))
 
i love boars !i find boars more personable!ive 5 herds with one neutered boar and upto 3 sows,one pair of bonded boars.one dysfuctional pair of boars that are in a 6x2 c andc cage,with a grid divider so both cannot arrange furball fights.both will be neutered soon,to be able to place them with any herd that loses there husboar.ive boar pairs near females,but they have grown up with this so are not concerned !
 
I love boars. I have 5 - a pair and a trio. Bobby and Bailey, the pair, are quiet old gentlemen (I think, no idea of their age). Bobby loves a chin rub, but will drop kick you if you touch his rear end.. Bailey is more interest in exploring or escaping than even food.
Groucho, Chicco and Little Dude are the nearly 2yr old trio. They run around in a train a lot, squabble a lot and seem to love and hate each other in equal doses. They're really entertaining to watch, but none of them is over fond of being petted although they will let you touch them while they're being hand fed (they do make annoyed little noises just to let you know that they're only tolerating it).
 
Oh this gives me a lot of reassurance! Going to see them tonight and decide for sure. Pn the topicof hideys...ive got a teeny "dog pillow" the type that would go in a hard bed..and was thinking of putting one of those bendy bridges over it...is thata good enough bed? And do i need to get the same for the other boar? I also have a small plastic tray (with one side lower than the others sp they can get in) was thinking of filling that with hay/straw for another bed?
 
Jbrooke14 said:
Oh this gives me a lot of reassurance! Going to see them tonight and decide for sure. Pn the topicof hideys...ive got a teeny "dog pillow" the type that would go in a hard bed..and was thinking of putting one of those bendy bridges over it...is thata good enough bed? And do i need to get the same for the other boar? I also have a small plastic tray (with one side lower than the others sp they can get in) was thinking of filling that with hay/straw for another bed?
Click to expand...

A log arch over a soft bed is perfect as it’s comfy and has 2 exits so no one can get trapped.
A small plastic litter tray or seed tray is great stuffed with hay. Please don’t use straw as it has sharp edges and increases the risk of a hay poke or other injury. Straw also has no nutritional value for piggies.
A cardboard box house with 2 doors cut out makes a perfect extra house. Carrot cottages are also great (but with a pair you’ve just brought home it’s best to cut an extra door.
I am also a huge fan of small plastic footstools. You can put a soft cushion/pad underneath but no one can ever get trapped. I use them a lot in bondings.

Here’s a couple of photos of one of my old pairs shortly after bonding - plastic stool, hay tray, log arch and a soft tunnel all in the photos. 1D19C293-A97C-4953-B576-DE9EB43150B6.webp9158C6E7-5BFF-4633-B65A-927063B124DB.webp
 
VickiA said:
A log arch over a soft bed is perfect as it’s comfy and has 2 exits so no one can get trapped.
A small plastic litter tray or seed tray is great stuffed with hay. Please don’t use straw as it has sharp edges and increases the risk of a hay poke or other injury. Straw also has no nutritional value for piggies.
A cardboard box house with 2 doors cut out makes a perfect extra house. Carrot cottages are also great (but with a pair you’ve just brought home it’s best to cut an extra door.
I am also a huge fan of small plastic footstools. You can put a soft cushion/pad underneath but no one can ever get trapped. I use them a lot in bondings.

Here’s a couple of photos of one of my old pairs shortly after bonding - plastic stool, hay tray, log arch and a soft tunnel all in the photos. View attachment 106221View attachment 106222
Click to expand...
A footstool is a genius idea! Ok, so I'll use the tray with hay, dog bed with arch over, they have another smaller arch, that should be enough for now? X
 
That’s amazing. I can second footstools. One of my piggies likes to jump on top of his :)) I’d be tempted to buy another little pillow for under the smaller arch just cuz I’d feel bad if one was lying on something comfy and the other wasn’t lol but honestly you have loads of lovely things ready for them, you just need the piggies now! I can see the popcorning already!
 
I have no idea why that is but I love my two boars to the moon and back, they just wonderful little munchkins and sometimes, they seem friendlier then female guinea pigs I've met! I do think it's because (as other forum members said) you can't really have three in a cage...it's extremely rare. So when uneducated guinea pig owners decide to have guinea pigs, and they have 3 or more and they don't get along...they have to find new homes and it's rare to have a large group of females that don't get along so yeah.
 
Jbrooke14 said:
Oh this gives me a lot of reassurance! Going to see them tonight and decide for sure. Pn the topicof hideys...ive got a teeny "dog pillow" the type that would go in a hard bed..and was thinking of putting one of those bendy bridges over it...is thata good enough bed? And do i need to get the same for the other boar? I also have a small plastic tray (with one side lower than the others sp they can get in) was thinking of filling that with hay/straw for another bed?
Click to expand...
Ooh exciting times. Let us know how it goes, if you decide to get them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top