My boar has now had is 6 week up after his neutering so time to see if I can bind him with the two sows. The two cages are next to each other so they can get used to each other and tried to do as the guide on here says and put them in a pen with no hidy and just some hay. I have tried for a bit each day and the submissive sow stays out the way but will interact with him and there has been no teeth chattering or any nastiness. The dominant sow on the other hand is very interesting in him. They rumbling next to each other while shaking there bums and all the hair stands up. No one has been mounted yet and he tried with the dominant sow today and she went for him so I put them away. On floor time she keeps going up to his cage and wants to get in so I let her do as she wanted and again there was no teeth chattering or unpleasantness. She made herself at home eating his hay and they start rumbling at each other and he tried to mount her but she didn’t let him and it looked like she tried to bite him so separated them but as soon as I got her out of his cage she wanted to get back in. I’m not sure what to do, does this mean bonding has failed or is it them sorting out hierarchy.
Bonding boar and two sows
- Thread starter Sibo
- Start date
Hi!
Your girls are clearly dominant and not in season, so they won't allow any mounting.
Please note that sows generally don't bite (usually only as a defence reflex), but they will nip. the latter is a carefully judge gesture of power, which lets the underpiggy feel their teeth without breaking the skin. The appropriate response is loud submission wheeking (which is NOT pain).
The sow equivalent of a full-on boar bite is a mouthful of hair from the other piggy.
Please take the time to carefully read this guide and try to sit by unless your piggies really get into a serious tussle or the bonding clearly fails. The illustrated guide is listing the appropriate behaviours and dynamics for each bonding stage including signs if the bonding has failed. It also discusses the particulars for cross gender bondings. You will find it very helpful: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Siikibam
Senior Guinea Pig
After reading the guide linked above, set aside some hours where you know you’ll not be interrupted, so that you can do the bonding session. Piggies don’t do well with being repeatedly separated and put back together again.
Good luck, hope it goes well
Good luck, hope it goes well
Siikibam
Senior Guinea Pig
As the guide likely says, if you decide to bond then see it through to the end, whatever the outcome. Make sure you have time that you won’t be interrupted or have to go away to attend to something else. You can always leave them in the neutral area overnight. Just make sure whatever cage they’ll be in is free from any of their smells.