Boar trouble

[Idag]

Hi all,
After some advice please. I have had my bonded pair of rescue boars for a couple of months now, the vet reckons they are 2/3 years old. They live inside.
Up until now , they have been a perfect pair, very docile and harmonious, often choosing to sleep in the same hidey or eat from the same food bowl.
Cocoa is slightly bigger (1.4kg to 1.2kg Fudge ) and we thought he was the dominant pig but in the last couple of days, we have noticed Fudge chasing Cocoa around the cage and mounting him. Cocoa objects strongly to this and makes a lot of noise trying to get away. Cocoa comes over to me and I have picked him up while saying 'No' to Fudge and gently pushing him away. I am worried that this could escalate and I might not be there to break them up. They are both unneutered. How should I deal with this, and any idea why it is happening? Thanks in advance.

 

[Siikibam]

That sounds all normal. Fudge seems to be the dominant one and the noises Cocoa is making are just telling Fudge ‘yes I know you’re boss’. He’s not being hurt in any way.

Even though they’re past the teenage months, dominance displays can still happen every now and then.

You have to respect their hierarchy by dealing with the dominant pig first. So watch them and see who, though by the sound of it it’s fudge. Do you have two of everything?

 

[DMS260820]

What size cage are they in? A too small cage can make this happen.

And neutering makes no difference to a Guinea pigs temperament whatsoever, so don't go down that route, it's a myth that it calms them down

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree with everything that has been said above. As long as cocoa accepts that fudge is the dominant, then all is fine. The squealing noises usually are submission.
What size cage are they in? Boys need a lot of room and too small a space can cause fall outs.

What made you think cocoa was the dominant initially? I only ask as if he actually was the dominant then it may be that fudge is staging a takeover. It’s easy to misread the signs though and it is possible that cocoa never was the dominant.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,
After some advice please. I have had my bonded pair of rescue boars for a couple of months now, the vet reckons they are 2/3 years old. They live inside.
Up until now , they have been a perfect pair, very docile and harmonious, often choosing to sleep in the same hidey or eat from the same food bowl.
Cocoa is slightly bigger (1.4kg to 1.2kg Fudge ) and we thought he was the dominant pig but in the last couple of days, we have noticed Fudge chasing Cocoa around the cage and mounting him. Cocoa objects strongly to this and makes a lot of noise trying to get away. Cocoa comes over to me and I have picked him up while saying 'No' to Fudge and gently pushing him away. I am worried that this could escalate and I might not be there to break them up. They are both unneutered. How should I deal with this, and any idea why it is happening? Thanks in advance.

Hi!

Even adult boars (neutered or not) can still suffer the occasional hormone spike. Please divide the cage for a couple of days and then reintroduce on neutral ground that is not part of the normal territory once the testosterone has died down again. Well bonded boars should go back together as if nothing untoward had happened.
Bonds In Trouble
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Your boys don't sound like they are anywhere near a fight, but you can't tell them how to behave or stop the bodily urges in these kind of situations; you just have to either weather them or separate the boys physically with some spare grdis or a large piece or cardboard that you tie into the cage. Things will calm down again!
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Bill & Ted]

My two boys Bill and Ted are 4.5 years old and they still get the occasional hormone spike. Bill will chase round Ted and try to hump him. Ted will run off and be Most put out but it passes quickly and they are best of mates again. It’s just normal dominance behaviour.