Bonding A Piggy Recovering From Illness

[Danielle Smith]

Hi all,

My neutered boar Tubs has been rather ill for the past few weeks, but in the last 4 days he's been improving; he's still needing syringe-fed, but is eating some veggies and a few pieces of hay. He is slowly getting better every day.

However, he's very lonely; through he shares a divided cage with Flubs, another neutered boar, I can't help but feel he might perk up with another pig or two actually sharing a cage with him. In fact, when we put Tubs and Flubs in a neutral space for a day, Tubs was the most animated I've seen him in 3 weeks, making chuntering noises and moving about a lot more.

However, because he's not yet back on top form, Flubs is really acting dominant, humping him so incessantly that Tubs can't eat, even if he wanted to. It's gotten to the point that Tubs was chattering and lunging at Flubs with intent to bite (this is how they were before their separation and neuter), which must have taken most of the energy he had at that point.

I have two baby sows (about 7 weeks old) that I was intending to bond with Tubs anyway -- would I be able to bond them with him while he's still recovering? Would there be any downside to doing so?

I'm just worried that if I wait the month or two (or longer) it might take to get Tubs back to normal (if that ever happens), that the girls will become harder to bond with him (as I'll be introducing a boar to a bonded pair). In particular, Tubs is very fear-aggressive -- I think things would go smoother when the sows were younger and less independent. However, if people recommend I wait, I'm happy to do so -- I just think bonding him with the sows will speed up his recovery.

Any thoughts or advice are very welcome!

 

[sport_billy]

I am really unsure but piggies can react quite badly to poorly piggies and see their chance to move up the pecking order. When we nearly lost Cookie when she was really poorly our girls actually shunned her and bit the bars to get out when we tried keeping a friend with Cookie in the medical cage. They never had a huge bond but when Cookie was at deaths door the pigs prey instinct really kicked in it seemed. So I am really unsure on the advice to give. Maybe @Wiebke when she is on will be able to advise better - however she did lose a piggy yesterday so she may not be on as much which we all understand.

 

[sport_billy]

I would be concerned bout his food intake too, so would be inclined to keep separate a little longer. Can he interact through bars?

 

[Danielle Smith]

That's what I was worried about, I was being too hopeful I guess . He can interact through the bars with Flubs if he chooses, but he doesn't any more. He tends to stay at the opposite end of the cage, even though Flubs is spending his time smooshed up against and eating the bars in hopes Tubs will come serenade him with rumblestruts once again.

 

[sport_billy]

That's what I was worried about, I was being too hopeful I guess . He can interact through the bars with Flubs if he chooses, but he doesn't any more. He tends to stay at the opposite end of the cage, even though Flubs is spending his time smooshed up against and eating the bars in hopes Tubs will come serenade him with rumblestruts once again.

hopefully it wont be long, he sounds like he is recovering his strength, I know it is hard to see them like this, you can't explain what is going on to them and it makes you feel really down about it...

 

[Danielle Smith]

I might not explain very well but he's an excellent listener... Saturday past he was at death's door. OH and I ended up having a really serious chat with him and he rallied around over the weekend. I just want him to be the daft pig he used to be, but I logically know that might not ever happen. Poor poglet!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,

My neutered boar Tubs has been rather ill for the past few weeks, but in the last 4 days he's been improving; he's still needing syringe-fed, but is eating some veggies and a few pieces of hay. He is slowly getting better every day.

However, he's very lonely; through he shares a divided cage with Flubs, another neutered boar, I can't help but feel he might perk up with another pig or two actually sharing a cage with him. In fact, when we put Tubs and Flubs in a neutral space for a day, Tubs was the most animated I've seen him in 3 weeks, making chuntering noises and moving about a lot more.

However, because he's not yet back on top form, Flubs is really acting dominant, humping him so incessantly that Tubs can't eat, even if he wanted to. It's gotten to the point that Tubs was chattering and lunging at Flubs with intent to bite (this is how they were before their separation and neuter), which must have taken most of the energy he had at that point.

I have two baby sows (about 7 weeks old) that I was intending to bond with Tubs anyway -- would I be able to bond them with him while he's still recovering? Would there be any downside to doing so?

I'm just worried that if I wait the month or two (or longer) it might take to get Tubs back to normal (if that ever happens), that the girls will become harder to bond with him (as I'll be introducing a boar to a bonded pair). In particular, Tubs is very fear-aggressive -- I think things would go smoother when the sows were younger and less independent. However, if people recommend I wait, I'm happy to do so -- I just think bonding him with the sows will speed up his recovery.

Any thoughts or advice are very welcome!

Hi! You can try to bond with babies at that age, but even in a month the girls will still not be able to hold their own hierarchy-wise and their instincts urge them to associate with a boar. The bonding itself should be fairly easy as babies generally attach themselves very happily to an adult. You will get the inevitable hierarchy sort-out after the acceptance when your piggies build up a working group.

Having little girls to bound after him may give Tubs an extra lease of life. My Bedo turned out to be the most wonderful nursery nurse for his 8 weeks old triplet wifelets (nearly 3 years on, he's still with them). My little 6 week old Heini and big 3 year old Carwyn formed an instant mutual adoration society, even though she fitted between his legs - she taught him to run and have joined popcorns.

If you decide to bond, PLEASE make sure that Tubs is at least 6 weeks post-neutering op! My Tegan is the unplanned daughter of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine, I hasten to add) - but it can really happen that late, and Tegan is not the only one. There is a crucial difference between mostly safe and 100% safe!

 

[Danielle Smith]

Thanks @Wiebke, that's so encouraging to hear. Like @sport_billy suggested, I might leave it another few days, especially considering that he can't eat very much at all by himself at the moment. However, for all I know he might start eating a little more with wifelets to contend with (I'd still take him out every day for some one-on-one veggie and syringe feed time). Unfortunately I don't feel there's a correct answer here! I'm just thankful that waiting another month won't necessarily hurt things.

Tubs is now 8 weeks post-neuter, so I think we're fine . We were going to bond him with the girls just after 6 weeks post-neuter, but illness put a spanner in the works. At least he definitely can't make babies any more!