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Boars behaviour - help please!

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kayjay

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What is normal boars behaviour? I'm worried that Hugo is starting to act inappropriately towards Hurley and wondering whether to seperate them.

Hugo is definitely dominant pig, he humps Hurley, pushes him out the way at the food bowl so I've now put two of everything in the cage. I've noticed that Hurley runs to Hugo for reassurance and Hugo makes noises at Hurley and he runs away. This morning Hugo started walking slowly around the cage which I assume is rumblestrutting. I've weighed them to see if Hurley was being bullied into not getting food, but he's gained more weight than Hugo which has surprised me as Hugo looks huge compared to him.

Would you say I need to seperate them?

I'm wondering whether to try Hurley with Fudge who is 6 months now but am scared to. My gut instinct is that Hugo is bullying Hurley but Hurley seems to 'need' his company for reassurance.

H&H are about 3 months old

Any help/suggestions welcome - quickly !

Kathryn x
 
I would say probably not just yet. Some boys do continue to rumble strut and generally wallow in their domanace (including my Hugo!). It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Watching closely and monitoring weight and eating habits. Obviously if it carries on and you think Hurley is being bullied and it is distressing him then you may have to think again. I cant recall what your set up is like Kayjay but one thing that I have found really helps in a really large cage with hideys at seperate ends so they can get out of each others way. My hideys are actually big enough for two pigs as well to avoid squabbles over those but you do need a large cage to pull it off!
 
They are currently in an indoor cage in my son's bedroom, this one:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_cage/30342

It is a fairly large cage, but I do have grids so could build something bigger, or extend this cage upwards for more room.

They only have one hidey hole but they seem to want to be together for reassurance. You're right, Hugo is revelling in his dominance, you can almost see him swaggering around and for now Hurley hasn't challenged that. How would I know if things change for the worse? I don't want to seperate them if I don't have to as Hurley looks like he likes to be with other pigs but obviously I'm scared of Hurley being hurt. What are the warning signs?
 
if it gets nasty you will know believe me , I agree with Susie just for now be alert it sounds as if he is taking the dominance thing to the limit and if Hurley has'nt challenged Hugo he seems happy for Hugo to be the dominant pi, once HUgo realises he is'nt ahtreeat he should think enough said I'm boss , but dont let Hurley be bullied its not nice, I think time will tell just for now be alert and a bigger cage is always a good idea, keep us up to date as to whats happening
 
Hi Kathryn,
Hugo is like Huxley, he too swaggered up the hutch (the 10ft hutch) & i could fair see him laughing. I only separated them because eventho' there were 3 pigloos & other hideys, 2 hay racks, 2 food bowls & 2 veg bowls Huxley would race to wherever Hamish was & Hamish would dive for cover in the nearest pigloo, the final straw was when Huxley carried on "head-butting" Hamish AFTER he'd dived for cover >:( Hamish was (& still is) the bigger piggy but he was obviously not being allowed "to be himself."
The warning signs (in my experience) for aggression starts with rumble strutting from both like their in a "face-off" teeth chattering starts & all hell breaks loose, chasing madly round & round - you just know it's business & need to throw the towel in!

Niki x
 
Slightly off topic-ish... the 2 male brothers I have are 18 mos. The more dominant one has got (as quoted from another thread) significantly larger pom poms! Is this common in boars - the more dominant one being larger or just coincidence.

I suppose if the least dominant one has less testoserone they are likely to be smaller :o ?!
 
hils78 said:
Slightly off topic-ish... the 2 male brothers I have are 18 mos. The more dominant one has got (as quoted from another thread) significantly larger pom poms! Is this common in boars - the more dominant one being larger or just coincidence.

I suppose if the least dominant one has less testoserone they are likely to be smaller :o ?!

Now there's a thought............I'm gonna have to compare now, 'cos that DOES make sense, to me anyways ;D
 
Well Niki, have you checked them all for testicle size v dominant behaviour? Awaiting results with interest ;) :D
 
me too I bet my more laid back boys have tiny pom poms, wonder if that applies to all species thinking of yobbos here with too much testosterone always looking for a fight type, I often say to Mick too much testosterone in that guy when you see them on tv lol
 
michellemuffin said:
me too I bet my more laid back boys have tiny pom poms, wonder if that applies to all species thinking of yobbos here with too much testosterone always looking for a fight type, I often say to Mick too much testosterone in that guy when you see them on tv lol

My OH is the more 'gentle' sort of guy, in fact thought he was gay when I met him :D, and he's not at all interested in 'boys toys', gadgets, fast cars etc. Now his friend is bald, and very macho and male, into his male bonding, gambling, womanizing etc, and I know baldness is linked to testosterone so I've had a theory for a long time that boisterous boys, and macho men have more than their fair share of testosterone ;D Don't know if there's any truth in it, but it works for me :)
 
nah dont work for my hubby he is quite laid back ( he has to be to cope with me after 28 years together) yet he has lost his hair well most of it, maybe he has high testosterone but knows better then to mess with me lol
 
Slightly off topic-ish... the 2 male brothers I have are 18 mos. The more dominant one has got (as quoted from another thread) significantly larger pom poms! Is this common in boars - the more dominant one being larger or just coincidence.

I suppose if the least dominant one has less testoserone they are likely to be smaller !

An interesting theory and I am going to check my boys too but I am 99% certain that like humans they come if diffeent shapes and sizes. The most friendly easy going underpig I have ever known my lovely late Spam big had the largest balls I have ever seen in a guinea. They were so large he couldnt walk properly kind of waddled and the used to drag along the groud. You could laos feel them when you picked him up.

nah dont work for my hubby he is quite laid back ( he has to be to cope with me after 28 years together) yet he has lost his hair well most of it, maybe he has high testosterone but knows better then to mess with me lol
I thought you were talking about your hubbys bits and bobs for minute there Michelle I was like :o :o lol What am I like?
 
Right pom-poms have been checked, however, i did draw the line at taking a ruler with me ;D
My conclusions are: The dominant pig does NOT have the bigger pompoms, however this could be because my dominant piggies are the smaller of the pairs.
However, there was a difference between Wallace & Wilbur, Wilbur is the dominant one & he has the bigger cauliflower :o :D :D

My OH said his pompoms are the size of peaches ::) (he does so exaggerate) & he aint the dominant one! ;D ;D
 
Susie what are you like :o :o, they say high testosterone men lose their hair earlier thats what I ment ;D ;D

Niki you lucky girl, or is he boasting like men do ;)
its interesting though why some are more laid back and are not interested in being boss pig , quite a few of my boys are just not into being boss and prefer the quite life ( just like my hubby) ;D ;D
 
Susie what are you like , they say high testosterone men lose their hair earlier thats what I ment
Yeah yeah we all knew what yoou meant lol! Or is it just my mind thats wired wrong? lol
 
michellemuffin said:
Niki you lucky girl, or is he boasting like men do  ;)

I bluddy wish! ;D ;D

Yep he's boasting, unless he's been hitting 'them with a hammer!  :D :D :D
 
haha. have only just seen this conversation.

my two boys have huuuge pompoms but are the most laid-back boys i have ever known. they were put together at 9 and 6weeks old and we've never had any problems.

They cry for each other when they're separated, which isn't a very 'manly' thing to do, is it? :D :D :D
 
I have a similar problem too, I have a 4wk old and a 6wk old (boys) in cage together they seem to be getting on ok but occasionally (once an hour!) I hear a rumble but nobody appears. It is actually the 4 week old who is doing all the rumbling and he is has appointed himself first dibs at the food too! I am concerned but if I go to take one out they huddle together and if I take one out the other one cries for it! The cage wouldn't be big enough for them if I divided it and amazingly the 4 week old is enormous already! (hes a rex and Daddy is HUGE!)
 
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